I’ll Take A Ferrari, Please
Obviously, employees can't have any car they want, but options can't hurt.
Are your employees begging you to buy them orange Beetles with
buffalo bars as their business cars? While the hot new Volkswagen
may win their hearts, it could send the wrong message to
customers...unless you're in the clown or safari business.
Definitely consult employees regarding their needs with
business-specific utility or service-type vehicles that may require
shelving or extra cargo capacity. But with sales fleets, the
company car is more than a tool; it's also likely to be the
employee's primary vehicle. Almost 90 percent of company cars
are used by employees as their personal cars, according to Greg
Corrigan at Peterson, Howell & Heather Vehicle Management
Services in Hunt Valley, Maryland. This is where you should be
flexible regarding employees' transportation, especially if
they have families.
Although company cars are no longer considered perks but rather
necessities, giving employees too much latitude in picking their
vehicles can hurt your business in the long run with resale
problems. However, if employees seek a reasonable amount of input
in the process and retention is an issue, giving them a choice of
model or color can boost morale.
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To avoid requests for slick sports cars or luxury sedans your
budget won't allow, follow these steps:
Set up company-car guidelines after determining your
employees' needs, and
short-list preselected model lineups and specific
options, stating that additional options or equipment must be
approved by the company and paid for by the employee.
Jill Amadio has reported on the automotive industry for 23
years as an editor and consultant.
Contact Source
- PHH Vehicle Management Services, (800) ONLY-PHH,
www.phh.com