5 MORE Ways Fleet Tracking Tech Gives HVAC Companies a Competitive Edge

By SkyBitz • Published March 12, 2018 • 5 minute read

In Part One of our series on why fleet tracking is an HVAC secret weapon, we looked at five ways HVAC companies can use fleet tracking to gain an edge on the market:

1. Using idling and paperless fuel reports, in addition to route optimization, HVAC providers can reduce their fuel budgets.
2. Using instant rerouting and resource deployment, HVAC contractors can deliver timely service despite traffic and other obstacles.
3. By optimizing routes, HVAC companies can run highly efficient schedules, reaching more customers in the same amount of time.
4. Leveraging two-way messaging and fleet tracking data, HVAC teams can collaborate on real-time, data-driven decisions to tackle project challenges.
5. HVAC companies can encourage great driving habits, avoid traffic violations, and decrease insurance costs with driver behavior alerts and reporting.

Read the first part of this series for a more in-depth look at each of these best practices. But those benefits only scratch the surface of what’s possible with fleet tracking!

Let’s take a look at five more ways the right fleet tracking solution can help HVAC companies save money, provide better quality service, and win more business.

1. Retain happy, productive HVAC contractors with better workload management.

Your HVAC business is only as good as your contractors, and happy contractors provide better service. Using a fleet tracking solution with workload management functionality, you can distribute work more evenly across your team. This allows you to maximize productivity while avoiding employee burnout and improving retention.

That’s not the only way GPS tracking makes contractors’ days easier, though. By giving HVAC contractors more resources to get the job done well, from route optimization to improved team communication, you send a clear message that you have their backs.

2. Get more mileage (literally) from your HVAC fleet with real-time maintenance alerts.

Getting your annual physical can help prevent more serious (and expensive) health problems down the line. Likewise, performing maintenance on vehicles that sustain normal wear and tear prevents costly repairs later on. Modern fleet tracking solutions can pull engine code data and send real-time alerts when trucks and equipment need a tune-up, extending the longevity of your investment.

3. Use dashboards to gain full visibility into your business, set goals, and achieve them.

When you manage an HVAC fleet, much of what’s happening within your business is out of sight. Fleet tracking technology solutions give you greater insights into the day-to-day details of the contracts you manage, employee performance and driving behavior, fuel usage, route issues, and customer satisfaction. All these data points can be centralized in an easy-to-understand dashboard that provides a bird’s eye view of your company.

You can use this data to set goals across a variety of parameters, including road safety, fuel efficiency, punctuality, and productivity. As you execute a plan to reach those goals, you can chart your progress by returning to the data each month or quarter.

4. Invest new savings into your HVAC business, offering new products and services customers demand.

As you use your fleet tracking solution to shrink your operating costs, you can use those savings to upgrade your equipment, improve your product and service offerings, or invest in more marketing and advertising. With more room in your margins, you can respond to customer demand for more advanced HVAC technologies, like ductless HVAC or variable refrigerant flow, and stand toe-to-toe with larger brands.

5. Leverage HVAC service guarantees in your marketing.

When you see an HVAC company advertising a policy not to bill customers if the contractor arrives late, you can bet they’re using a fleet tracking solution to back up that guarantee. Once you’re regularly hitting your timeliness and customer satisfaction goals, you can start building those guarantees into your business model and marketing strategy. This further incentivizes your contractors to bring their A game to every job and take pride in the company they work for.

Gain a Competitive Edge With SkyBitz Fleet Tracking

SkyBitz fleet tracking solutions give HVAC companies the power to boost productivity, trim budgets, and nurture customer relationships by gaining total visibility into their fleets. With customizable real-time alerts, centralized dashboards, two-way communication, route optimization, and more, SkyBitz Local Fleets solutions provide the robust features you need to gain market share and turn the heat up on your HVAC business.