Fleets benefitting from updated Kwik Fit Tyre Management, Mobile services

Kwik Fit Fleet celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2022, and for more than 20 of those years its Tyre Management product has served large fleets. Tyre Management offers 24/7/365 support to fleets and today supports over one million vehicles.

This remit of providing round-the-clock support every day of the year covers the provision of fully outsourced solutions for tyres including work direction, job authorisation through an in-house (FAS) platform, contact centre support, administration and compliance and, more recently, SMR coordination services. Kwik Fit is also expanding the Tyre Management portfolio in 2023 with a new online driver platform.

Modernisation of Tyre Management has been a stated focus for Kwik Fit in recent years. It first provided fleets with live diary access for tyre appointments at any of its centres or mobile fitting points in 2017, and the new Kwik Fit online platform for fleet drivers and managers builds on this offering with a range of additional capabilities; this is scheduled to launch in the coming weeks.

“Our brand-new platform will provide drivers with a unique booking experience in which they can choose the best appointment solutions for tyres and other services based on their own specific needs,” says Dan Joyce, fleet director at Kwik Fit. “Every fleet customer’s own tyre brand policy is built into the system logic which ensures that the right tyres are in the right place at the right time for ultimate convenience.”

Widest stock choice

This digital solution to put drivers in control supports Kwik Fit’s aim of offering an on-demand or by-appointment tyre service to fleets of all sizes. Tyre stock availability is a key driver in the success of any tyre management arrangement and Kwik Fit is confident of offering the “widest stock choice” via its ETEL group sister company Stapleton’s Tyre Services.

Rapid tyre SKU proliferation and complexity present a challenge for tyre manufacturers, distributors and fitters alike; nor are fleets isolated from this challenge when it comes to tyre brand policy. Kwik Fit works in conjunction with tyre manufacturer partners and fleets to predict future tyre demand and plan stock profiles accordingly.

On-demand tyre requirements are fulfilled through optimising centre stock in line with customer demand. Kwik Fit centres keep around 1,000 tyres in stock on average, with profiles regularly reviewed and updated. It supplements this centre stock with tailored additional deliveries, often on a same-day basis where required, enabling the fleet web platform to provide the most competitive lead times.

Kwik Fit is training staff at its centres (Leeds shown here) to perform out fast-fit repairs on EVs (Photo: Kwik Fit)

Updated Mobile service

Kwik Fit Mobile has also undergone a significant change in the past two years. Project Aurora is the name given to the major IT transformation and overhaul of this operation, and Kwik Fit states that the project has resulted in a “completely updated Mobile service.”

Based at the company’s central dispatch centre in Warrington, Kwik Fit Mobile offers a tyre fitting service at home or work. Around 60 per cent of its fleet operates a seven-day-a-week, 8am to 8pm service, focusing on major population areas across the UK. Benefits delivered by Aurora include live access to network tyre stock, technician availability aligned with driver appointment requirements all in one place, offering an automated booking service and a competitive lead time.

Join the Club

Kwik Fit Club is Kwik Fit’s unique tyre subscription solution; this has now been adapted for fleet use. “Offering no-quibble tyre replacement for wear and damage across a set term and mileage, as well as other services such as MOT and Service, Kwik Fit Club utilises Kwik Fit’s industry-leading tyre wear data to offer a true individual solution,” explains Kwik Fit.

All of this is delivered through the Kwik Fit Club app, which provides members with access to its centre network for vehicle health checks and tyre change bookings. Kwik Fit’s (FAS) tyre authorisation system is deployed to manage compliance and work approvals for Club members – providing fleet tyre management and individual tailored subscriptions in one place.

EV fast-fit training a priority

Keeping abreast of advances in vehicle technology and developing capabilities to offer fast fit to the cars of today and the future are priorities for the UK’s largest independent tyre network. Electric vehicle technician training has been high on the agenda for Kwik Fit’s internal training academy function; the top priority is to equip the workforce to carry out fast-fit repairs on EVs, and from there the focus will fall upon enhanced services, including diagnostics and battery maintenance and repair.

Tyre technician knowledge when it comes to electric vehicles across the estate is something that Kwik Fit has prioritised with its tyre manufacturer partners. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are now evident even on everyday cars on UK roads and Kwik Fit has introduced ADAS calibration equipment at a number of its centres, offering a calibration service along with wheel alignment for vehicles that are ADAS enabled and require calibration.

Awards & new customer service HQ

Kwik Fit shares that it “continues to win awards for its fleet operations” and was recently crowned Fleet Supplier of the Year by Fleet News. Dan Joyce concludes: “We are committed to supporting fleets by focusing on best-in-class tyre management, combining on-demand and digital booking solutions. On top of this, we are constantly innovating, introducing new services to meet customer needs, such as Kwik Fit Club, EV awareness and training, ADAS and our brand-new Fettle collaboration (see textbox).”

Finally, in summer 2022 Kwik Fit relocated its Customer Support location from its original home at Tannochside to the Eurocentral estate near Motherwell. The company says this shift has facilitated the business adopting hybrid working arrangements for its 200-strong team.