Hygiene is more important now than ever before

When it comes to cleanliness, the room for manoeuvre is more limited. The coronavirus crisis has illustrated the importance of clear hygiene rules. Especially when vehicles are used by several people, special guidelines should apply with respect to cleanliness. Yet experienced fleet managers know: some drivers treat even a pool vehicle as a sacred possession – and look after it accordingly. Others tend to view it as a commodity, in which they can smoke and eat at times. When these two worlds collide, conflicts are inevitable.

This makes it all the more important to convey sensitive communication in advance. A short and concise set of rules that everyone can relate to undoubtedly helps – for example that disinfection of the vehicle must be arranged and hygiene items, such as tissues, must always be removed. Such rules can be communicated, for example, via communication channels such as the Intranet or in-house company apps. A simple mirror tag in the car with the listed requirements can also provide clarity in case of doubt. It can help for good measure to minimise the rotation of vehicles. If different drivers use similar vehicles, it makes sense to limit their respective pool.

Instruction made easy

In addition to safety aspects and a code of conduct, the hygiene rules are also always part of the obligatory instruction for (new) vehicle drivers. Fleet managers can likewise rely on digital tools, such as a tutorial video instead of personal dialogue. This has the added benefit that the information can be accessed again later since the training is not dependent on location and all the important details have been conveyed. Another option is a company wiki, especially if the topic needs to be addressed in greater depth. As with the familiar online encyclopaedia, this involves developing an internal digital knowledge database and enriching it, ideally on an ongoing basis, with important information concerning vehicle usage – from A to Z and everything in between, including applicable fleet information, documentation of the condition of the vehicles, private usage and what to do in the event of damage. Such a source of reference can also facilitate the onboarding of new employees or new fleet users significantly.

Long-term rental for greater flexibility in the pool fleet

Independently of repairs and maintenance, efficient vehicle pool management also includes ensuring that there are always enough vehicles available, but not too many either. The coronavirus pandemic has presented fleet managers with a mammoth task in this respect too. Business trips were temporarily not possible and then only sporadically later on. The demand for vehicles continues to fluctuate in many companies. The option of long-term rental, for example from VW FS | Rent-a-Car, instead of purchasing or leasing is therefore becoming increasingly attractive. Vehicles can be rented from VW FS | Rent-a-Car for periods of between one month and one year at defined monthly costs. Throughout the entire rental period, business customers do not need to concern themselves with hidden additional costs, whether for rental car inspection, motor vehicle tax or the necessary insurance coverage. Moreover, VW FS | Rent-a-Car offers users of long-term rentals a comprehensive service package: for example, they benefit from an extensive service network for maintenance and repairs or emergency and claims management from Volkswagen Leasing GmbH. This model allows a flexible and swift response to changes – also in the case of fixed-term projects or during trial periods for new employees.

*currently available in Poland – additional markets to follow

Excluded are all-electric vehicles such as the ID.3* for example. Hybrid vehicles, on the other hand, are compatible. In addition, We Connect Fleet is not available at present for the 2019 and 2020 Passat, Arteon and Golf 8 models and with the Discover Media and Discover Pro infotainment systems.