Card Services for European Fleet Managers

SUMMARY

Ultimately fuel card providers are looking to retain and acquire newcustomers. However, with most services used by less than 50% of them, theoffering is not meeting their needs. This report looks at customer preferences,perceived value of services, take-up rates and the reasons behind them, thencompares the key factors affecting each to provide a best-fit solution movingforward.

Scope of this report

• Service preferences of 225 European fleet managers across 7 key Europeanmarkets and by fleet size (1-20,21-50,51-100,101-500, 501+ vehicles)
• Insight on service take-up rates based on in-depth interviews with 15 fuelcard managers from fuel retailing and fuel card providers across Europe
• Four key action points for companies who wish to enhance their serviceoffering, retain their existing customer base and increase market share

Research and analysis highlights

Fleet managers value the services that provide them with key managementinformation to react to, as opposed to services that require extensive proactivetarget setting, such as separate tailoring of services permissible for eachcard, or the setting of target fuel prices.

Almost 20% of customers in Europe have no idea whether their fuel cardprovider actually offers each of the 10 services. This indicates the potentialto increase take-up rates simply by providing clearer information to ensurecustomers understand exactly what benefits are on offer to them.

The only service across Europe for which usage reflects customers perceivedvalue is vehicle specific summaries and analysis, with 77% of fleet managersvaluing the service and 76% of them actually using it, a difference of only 1percentage point.

Key reasons to read this report

• Understand the differences in customers' perceived value of services,broken down by country, fleet size and other key variables.
• Identify the differences in usage rates of services across markets andfleet sizes and benchmark against national and European averages.
• Improve return on investment by identifying the correct core offering foryour customer base.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

Service preferences of fleet managers

Service take-up rates of fleet managers

Comparison of service preferences and take-up rates

Action points

CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION

What is this report about?

Who is the target reader?

How to use this report

CHAPTER 3 SERVICE PREFERENCES OF FLEET MANAGERS

Introduction

Key findings

European overview of service preferences

Key factors affecting service preferences

Breakdown of service preferences by country

Breakdown of service preferences by fleet size

Breakdown of other key factors affecting customer preferences

Conclusions

CHAPTER 4 SERVICE TAKE-UP RATES OF FLEET MANAGERS

Introduction

Key findings

European overview of take-up rates

Breakdown of take-up rates by country

Breakdown of take-up rates by fleet size

Breakdown of other key factors affecting take-up rates

Conclusions

CHAPTER 5 COMPARISON OF SERVICE PREFERENCES AND TAKE-UP RATES

Introduction

Key findings

European comparison of service preferences versus take-up rates

Comparison by country

Comparison by fleet size

Comparison of other key factors

Conclusions

CHAPTER 6 ACTION POINTS

Introduction

Key findings

Action point 1: Three key steps to improve value perception

Improve accuracy of basic raw data

Ensure compatibility with internal systems

Address security concerns

Action point 2: Segment your customer base to provide the most relevantservices and increase take-up rates

Offering the right package to the right customer

Consider charging for services that are 'nice to have'

Action point: 3 Focus on simple communication to increase customerretention opportunities

Make account managers more accountable

Ensure customers understand what they are being offered

Action point 4: Set realistic targets to maximise return on investment

Set targets against true competition

Conclusions

CHAPTER 7 APPENDIX

Supplementary data

Service preferences of fleet managers

Comparison of value and take-up rates

Research methodology

Further reading

SPP writing team

List of Tables

Table 1: List of 10 services included in the Datamonitor study, cardservices for European fleet managers, 2003

Table 2: Rankings of services by perceived value for all 7 Europeanmarkets, 2003

Table 3: Rankings of services by perceived value for all fleet sizesegments, 2003

Table 4: Rankings of services by take-up rates for 7 European markets,2003

Table 5: Service take-up rates for 7 European markets, 2003

Table 6: Rankings of services by take-up rates for all fleet sizesegments, 2003

Table 7: Service take-up rates for all fleet size segments, 2003

Table 8: Fleet managers' service preferences in Belgium, 2003

Table 9: Fleet managers' service preferences in France, 2003

Table 10: Fleet managers' service preferences in Germany, 2003

Table 11: Fleet managers' service preferences in Italy, 2003

Table 12: Fleet managers' service preferences in The Netherlands, 2003

Table 13: Fleet managers' service preferences in Spain, 2003

Table 14: Fleet managers' service preferences in the UK, 2003

Table 15: Service preferences of fleet managers with 1-20 vehicles, 2003

Table 16: Service preferences of fleet managers with 21-50 vehicles, 2003

Table 17: Service preferences of fleet managers with 51-100 vehicles, 2003

Table 18: Service preferences of fleet managers with 101-500 vehicles,2003

Table 19: Service preferences of fleet managers with 501+ vehicles, 2003

Table 20: Comparison of value and take-up rates - European overview, 2003

Table 21: Comparison of value and take-up rates in Belgium, 2003

Table 22: Comparison of value and take-up rates in France, 2003

Table 23: Comparison of value and take-up rates in Germany, 2003

Table 24: Comparison of value and take-up rates in Italy, 2003

Table25: Comparison of value and take-up rates in The Netherlands, 2003

Table26: Comparison of value and take-up rates in Spain, 2003

Table 27: Comparison of value and take-up rates in the UK, 2003

Table 28: Comparison of value and take-up rates for fleets with 1-20vehicles, 2003

Table 29: Comparison of value and take-up rates for fleets with 21-50vehicles, 2003

Table 30: Comparison of value and take-up rates for fleets with 51-100vehicles, 2003

Table 31: Comparison of value and take-up rates for fleets with 101-500vehicles, 2003

Table 32: Comparison of value and take-up rates for fleets with 501+vehicles, 2003

List of Figures

Figure 1: Service preferences of premium customers - European overview,2003

Figure 2: Service take-up rates - European overview, 2003

Figure 3: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates - European overview, 2003

Figure 4: Service preferences of premium customers - European overview,2003

Figure 5: Fleet managers' service preferences in Belgium, 2003

Figure 6: Fleet managers' preferences in France, 2003

Figure 7: Fleet managers' service preferences in Germany, 2003

Figure 8: Fleet managers' service preferences in Italy, 2003

Figure 9: Fleet managers' service preferences in The Netherlands, 2003

Figure 10: Fleet managers' service preferences in Spain, 2003

Figure 11: Fleet managers' service preferences in the UK, 2003

Figure 12: Service preferences of fleet managers with 1-20 vehicles, 2003

Figure 13: Service preferences of fleet managers with 21-50 vehicles, 2003

Figure 14: Service preferences of fleet managers with 51-100 vehicles,2003

Figure 15: Service preferences of fleet managers with 101-500 vehicles,2003

Figure 16: Service preferences of fleet managers with 501+vehicles, 2003

Figure 17: Service take-up rates - European overview, 2003

Figure 18: Service take-up rates in Belgium, 2003

Figure 19: Service take-up rates in France, 2003

Figure 20: Service take-up rates in Germany, 2003

Figure 21: Service take-up rates in Italy, 2003

Figure 22: Service take-up rates in The Netherlands, 2003

Figure 23: Service take-up rates in Spain, 2003

Figure 24: Service take-up rates in the UK, 2003

Figure 25: Service take-up rates of fleets with 1-20 vehicles, 2003

Figure 26: Service take-up rates of fleets with 21-50 vehicles, 2003

Figure 28: Service take-up rates of fleets with 51-100 vehicles, 2003

Figure 29: Service take-up rates of fleets with 101-500 vehicles, 2003

Figure 30: Service take-up rates of fleets with 501+ vehicles, 2003

Figure 31: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates - European overview, 2003

Figure 32: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in Belgium, 2003

Figure 33: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in France, 2003

Figure 34: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in Germany, 2003

Figure 35: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in Italy, 2003

Figure 36: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in The Netherlands, 2003

Figure 37: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in Spain, 2003

Figure 38: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates in the UK, 2003

Figure 39: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates for fleets of 1-20 vehicles, 2003

Figure 40: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates for fleets of 21-50 vehicles, 2003

Figure 41: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates for fleets of 51-100 vehicles, 2003

Figure 42: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates for fleets of 101-500 vehicles, 2003

Figure 43: Comparison of fleet managers' service preferences and take-uprates for fleets of 501+ vehicles, 2003

Figure 44: Segmenting your customer base, 2003

Figure 46: Achievable targets for suppliers to improve services' valueperception, 2003