Echo dispatching software enables Longleys to be on-time, take more bookings and increase profitability

The Challenge

It had long been the vision of Stephen and David George, Directors of Longleys, to provide the same high level of customer experience and operational performance in Canterbury that would be expected of any large private hire company in London.

The problem was that their existing operational system couldn’t deliver the accuracy or visibility they wanted, nor could they find the right solution or partner to deliver the competitive advantage required.

The Solution

Magenta’s ability to listen and the problem solving capabilities gained through the extensive experience of working with some of London’s top private hire operators, like Lewis Day, Greentomatocars and Addison Lee were just what Longleys needed.

As Stephen commented: ”Many suppliers simply didn’t seem to understand the challenges we faced. We are so happy to finally be working with a team that listens, and delivers results. Magenta Technology have been without a doubt the brightest decision we have made for our business to date.”

As a much smaller, primarily cash-based regional firm, Longleys had very different challenges compared to large, account-based businesses like Addison Lee. Whilst a driver in London may complete a little over one job an hour, in Canterbury it can be six or seven. In such a dynamic environment, Echo’s powerful auto-allocation engine has been the ideal solution, providing:

• scheduling and dispatching of jobs automatically in real time
• precise response times calculated in real-time through sophisticated “dynamic response time” technology
• accurate pricing based upon actual mileage
• and highly sophisticated capacity management for jobs in the future

For drivers Echo dispatching software makes life much easier. They receive more jobs than ever before and can be punctual with less waiting time, increasing their earnings and loyalty – as well as customer satisfaction. And their paperwork is all conveniently managed by the system.

The Result

Echo’s real-time scheduling engine has been transformational, driving Longleys operational efficiency, building customer loyalty and enabling greater productivity with fewer resources.

“For us to make a profit, we need to be efficient as possible and Echo is the ideal tool to achieve that. Quite simply, Echo has enabled us to save money and ultimately take more bookings,” said David.

After six months of using Echo, Longleys are now dispatching over 95% of work automatically, averaging 2 minutes early for each job, whilst significantly decreasing dead mileage.

That improved efficiency has enhanced profitability and freed up the Director’s time to concentrate more on the strategic development of the business.

David observed: “The amount of time it is creating for us is unbelievable because of how many things we can automate. Echo has given us time to work to work ON our business, rather than just IN it. We now have a product that absolutely guarantees our market dominance in our area for the next ten years and maybe beyond.”

For ambitious firms, Echo is the ideal platform to drive exceptional operational efficiency, increase revenues and add measurable value to every part of their businesses – and grow without adding any unnecessary overhead.

Matt Borland, Sales Director for Magenta Technology commented: “We are very pleased that Longleys are already seeing the benefits of Echo’s unique technology, especially the ‘dynamic response times’ functionality, to deliver a demonstrably better customer experience. The ‘dynamic response times’ technology manages, in real-time, the dynamic routing of all online drivers including those with a ‘job in progress’ to connect with ‘as-soon as possible’ or ‘on-demand’ requests, whilst maintaining future on-time commitments to pre-booked customers. By allowing not only the forecasting of where and when drivers will be available after their ‘job in progress’, this technology also dynamically schedules those drivers on pre-booked jobs to provide realistic response times for ‘on-demand’ queries.”

About Longleys

Established in 1966, and owned by the George family since 2007. With 50 drivers Longleys offer a simple, but high-quality service to the local community in Canterbury. Longleys believe that the customer should have a great experience every time they come into contact with us, and that belief affects the way we do everything. We treat our staff and customers like family. www.longleysprivatehire.co.uk