Fleet and auto parts customers come in all shapes. A large trucking company with a purchasing department. A two-bay repair shop that wants an account opened today. A city garage, a school district bus barn, a utility fleet, each with its own tax status and purchasing rules. Each wants terms, and each is a different kind of risk.
When opening an account takes a faxed credit application, reference calls and a week of waiting, the new shop buys cash for a while and may find someone else in the meantime.
Credit applications in minutes, not weeks
The app has an online credit application with a signature. The shop owner fills it in on a phone or computer and signs it. It comes straight to your office, where you can review it and approve terms with one tap. No fax, no retyping, no lost paperwork.
A rep who meets a new shop owner can send the application before he leaves the lot, instead of leaving a paper form that ends up under a toolbox.
Tax exemption certificates that stay current
Fleet and auto distributors deal with plenty of tax-exempt customers. Government fleets, school districts, resellers such as smaller parts stores, and some agricultural accounts can all be exempt depending on the state. The certificate is the weak point. It was never collected, it expired, or it sits in a drawer.
The tax exemption certificates tool shows every exempt account and whose certificate is missing or expired. That gives your office a short monthly list to work, instead of a surprise during an audit.
Offering better terms, safely
Good terms can win business, especially from independent shops that a national chain treats strictly. But you want to extend terms where you can see what is going on. The app helps:
- Monthly budgets per account, so orders past the budget are held for a manager's approval.
- Approval required for accounts where every order should be checked first.
- Quotes-only mode for customers who should get prices but not order directly.
- Invoices and pay links, so shops can see and pay what they owe.
- Collections reminders that move from friendly to firm on a schedule.
With those in place, you can open an account for a new independent shop with a sensible limit, watch how they pay, and give them more room as they earn it. For a busy shop, being able to order on account from day one is a reason to choose you.
Larger fleets benefit too. A fleet with several terminals can be set up as a master account with terms set once, so every location runs on the same terms without separate applications.
Municipal and school fleets often have their own purchasing rules and approval steps. Approvals and quotes-only mode fit those rules without forcing the customer back to paper.
Independent shops in particular notice how they are treated at the start. A shop owner who gets a fast yes on a sensible credit line, and a clear view of his invoices from the first week, tends to put more of his business through the supplier who made that easy.
The goal is to open good accounts fast, keep certificates current and give terms to the customers who earn them. When credit is easy to get and easy to manage, it becomes part of why customers buy from you.
Want to see it with your own parts and fleet accounts? See how it works.