What kind of business leaders choose Sherlock Taxi as their dispatch platform?
Our philosophy at Sherlock Taxi is to put the customer at the heart of everything we do. When planning new product features and developments for example, we always position it in terms of what our customers have actually told us they need (as opposed to what we assume). We know that the best way for us to help our customers is to truly understand their objectives, how to achieve them with technology and why/how Sherlock can fulfil those requirements over another dispatch system.
This kind of thinking led to a recent team discussion in which we started thinking a bit more about what our customers have in common. We had some interesting insights from this meeting that I will share below.
It is useful to look at the problems that customers faced that led them to shop for a new dispatch system in the first place. Many Sherlock clients came to us as they had a strong desire to grow and scale their businesses but felt, in some way, that they were being held back by their existing suppliers. There were concerns over things not working as they should meaning that large increases in demand would be difficult to facilitate due to the cost of expanding the business. For example, needing additional call centre staff to manage bookings and liaise with passengers due to unreliable automated booking channels or unreliable ETAs. These kinds of problems also extended to the administration teams with some clients concerned that they would need additional staff to manage laborious and admin-heavy invoicing and driver wages processes.
Another common problem was how to manage clients' accounts. Limited account management features can make managing complex account contracts more convoluted and time-consuming than it needs to be when in reality, it is about ensuring the process is streamlined and accurate references are automatically included on invoices to avoid any delays to you getting paid.
Many of our customers with several account contracts were attracted to Sherlock's advanced and configurable account management features. Each account set up in the system can be configured to suit the individual needs of that end customer, for example, by including cost centres on invoices by default or by re-naming reference fields to use the end customer's terminology. With in-built features like this, it makes it much easier for clients to manage their account contracts effectively and grow this arm of the business without needing to worry about the cost of more staff to manage it all manually.
Clients have also noted the need for technology which keeps moving forward. Many were looking for new dispatch systems not because of a specific reason or problem with an incumbent supplier but just a general desire for dispatch that keeps pace with the fast-moving world of technology. Some have even cited that other UK dispatch suppliers don't necessarily have the right motivations to keep moving forward sustainably. Our customers needed the confidence that if they talked to a supplier about a specific feature that would help their business, it wouldn't just be added to a roadmap queue to be delivered in the distant future - by which point, the feature would probably be no longer new and innovative.
It was that desire for technology that could give them the edge over competitors using more outdated systems that led many customers to migrate to Sherlock. Not only could they rely on technology that is always being developed and product updates passed on at no extra cost, with Sherlock there is also the option to commission bespoke development for business-specific features. Our customers have specific ideas about how to grow their businesses with clear brands and strategies to drive forward - using limited or rigid technology can seriously inhibit those plans which is something that those who switch to Sherlock understand.
Ultimately, for Sherlock clients it is about consistency; consistent service, reliable tech and a trustworthy provider. With Sherlock, our customers know that they will always get rapid, high quality technical support from a team that is not only knowledgeable about the product but also the industry as a whole.
This service is supported by reliable technology that can be trusted to "just work", taking the stress away from your staff as you know that passengers will be getting a good booking experience with accurate ETAs, invoices will be correct and driver wages will be calculated correctly. These are just a few examples but a few of the most crucial ones in ensuring that your own customers (both passengers and drivers) have faith in you.
When you switch to Sherlock, you will have faith and trust in us as you see how we commit to keeping our customers happy through investing in our technology and continuously adding new features to meet the changing needs of the market. There are many challenges for the industry right now; price pressure from the giants, consumer expectations and coming out of lockdown to name a few. Our customers have one key commonality: they want to evolve to not only survive these challenges but continue to thrive, and they understand the importance of technology in implementing their business strategies to deliver this. What is your plan for your business?
Matthew Johnson-Lecky, Technical Sales & Implementation Manager
