If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so goes the old saying. And maybe there’s some wisdom in that. The trouble is, often when things are broken they still don’t get fixed because of the perceived cost of fixing them - including fuel cards.

That’s something we experience at Fuelmate on a regular basis. Companies know they ought to switch fuel card supplier but they are reluctant to because they think the process will be difficult, dangerous and disruptive, with no guarantee of benefit; they want to because the one they are using isn’t working in their best interests.

Switch Fuel Card Supplier With A Short Phone Call
So, what would you say if I said you could switch fuel card supplier in just a single, short phone call? Yes, that’s right, one phone call of 5-10 mins and you could have a new, better fuel card provider and a set of cards that better fit your fleet?

Too good to be true? Not at all.

The fact is, when switching to Fuelmate, we can get most of the information we need to enable you switch from Companies House. All we need after that is some easy-to-grab details such as VAT number, trading address if different from the registered address, invoice email, preferred payment terms (which we always try to accommodate) and direct debit details.

Then we need to know what to print on your cards and the stipulations around what drivers can buy, and that’s it. Once you’ve passed the credit check, you new cards will be with you in 7 – 10 days.

It really is a simple as that. So, what’s stopping you?

Had Your Fingers Burnt With A Previous Fuel Card Supplier?
A common reason that stops business changing is that they have had their fingers burnt before. They’ve changed, and it didn’t go well.

Perhaps they were tempted by a cheaper provider only to find the price rapidly increased after they switched. Or they were hit with a lot of hidden extras that weren’t previously discussed.

This is a common technique of unethical fuel card suppliers. They offer a fishing price to hook new businesses, then crank it up as soon as they’ve switched fuel card suppler. We see it a lot and we see the consequences of it; fleet managers who suffer below-par service and fuel cards ill-fitted to their needs rather than risk changing, only to find themselves in an even worse situation.

Sometimes, price isn’t the issue. It’s simply that these providers put all their energy into securing new customers so once you’ve switched, ongoing service is appalling.

Switch To A Fuel Card Supplier With A Guaranteed Fixed Margin
It is for this reason Fuelmate offers a transparent and fixed margin for the entire life of the relationship between your company and ours. We’re not always the cheapest and we don’t claim to be, but we are the most consistent when it comes to pricing.

We also believe we offer the best service. That’s because we’re part of a family company – J.R. Rix & Sons; a group that has been trading in fuel and associated products and services for more than 140 years – and we live by the values of the Rix family. Top of these is fairness in how we treat everyone who comes into contact with our business, particularly our customers.

Managing Drivers During A Fuel Card Switch
Another factor that can put people off from switching is managing drivers in relation to the change. But this doesn’t need to a difficult.

Usually drivers won’t have to change their refill routines, unless we find something particularly inefficient in their behaviour. In which case, they’re notching up unnecessary cost anyway, and that needs sorting out. And we can number-match the cards, so drivers don’t have to learn a whole new range of pin numbers.

After that, how you hand them out is up to you. Usually, for small fleets, the drivers can all be given the cards at the same time at the start of the working day. For large fleets, staged handovers can be arranged around driver shift patterns.

Either way, we can help you with the orderly distribution of the cards, to make sure of a seamless transition.

Switching Fuel Card Suppliers Shouldn’t Be Hard
The belief that changing fuel card suppliers is difficult, dangerous and disruptive is true only if you’re considering switching to an unethical company. Choose the right provider, however, and you will find it is easy, stress-free and the best move for your fleet and business.

So, whereas the old maxim if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it does still apply, a closer look at your fuel card provider is more likely to reveal things are broken and do need fixing.

If that’s the case, speak to us and we’ll show you how easy it is to switch fuel card suppliers.

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