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Our staff spend far too much time on the internet dreaming of what their next company car will be when they should be working, says The Insider
Anyone who says the information superhighway speeds up work practices hasn't spent a day in this office. Too many junctions off it, that's the problem.
Worst of it is, if our MD - the fragrant Grouty - ever discovers what the guys are searching, I'm the one who'll get reamed for it because I chose the leasing firm. And it's that website they use to select their next company car.
Next time I put out a tender I'm going insist the lease firm has a time-sensitive lockout on its website.
You'll know what I'm talking about if your drivers have a free-ish choice of a leasing list. They go to the leasing website and spend far longer than is healthy checking out what they can afford and then speccing up the car.
One guy actually said to me the he thought the site needed improving because it wouldn't let him view more than 200 cars at a time! For some people in the firm, the choice really is pretty free, but agonising over 200 potential cars - that's just crazy. I asked him when his car was up for replacement, expecting him to say next month, but it was February 2008! Why on God's green earth is he torturing himself like this?
Hearing him served to remind me once again the power the company car still has over employees. The tax system was meant to take away the perk element of free wheels - suddenly they weren't free anymore. But even with the option of an allowance the draw of the company car remains very strong. Maybe it's because cars today are that much more tempting. Choosing between differing power outputs on the latest hi-tech turbodiesel can tweak the old pleasure sensors, especially if the alternative is calling a cantankerous purchasing manager in Cannock.
“Choosing between differing power outputs on the latest hi-tech turbodiesel really can the tweak the old pleasure sensors, especially if the alternative is calling a cantankerous purchasing manager in Cannock.” |
The Insider |
Can you imagine that sort of choice 25 years ago? Meekly suggesting a change to the fleet manager and you'd be laughed out of the office.
"Son, a Cavalier 1600 GL is your lot and you'll be grateful. Back when I were a lad, we sat five to a seat on the omnibus, etc etc". Catch him on a really good day and he might stretch to the estate version instead of the hatch, but only if you drop to an L spec and forget about velour trim.
The problem I have with the leasing site is that it looks fairly work-like - just some tick boxes and option codes. Online glossy pictures would rather give the game away to a prowling Grouty, which means if drivers want to read a review they have to visit Businesscar.co.uk in their lunchbreak.
It's gotten so bad I suggested to our leasing firm they disable the site from 10am-1pm and from 2-5pm. Sure, a desirable car can help tempt good staff to work for us, but if all they're doing when they get here is constantly revising their next car choice, all I'll say is this: beware my powers. A Vectra 1.8 Club is a fine car.
The Insider is a fleet manager with years of invaluable experience.
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