Attract Higher quality employees with these 5 lease car trump cards

Having the edge in attracting high quality staff can sometimes come down to the car a company is able to offer prospective employees. In a very competitive market it could well be the deciding factor that ensures a company attracts the very best skills out there.

With over six and a half thousand choices available, which are currently the top five lease trump cards that will attract the cream of the talent to your company? Top of the list is the Range Rover Evoque. Since its launch last year, the Evoque has won awards all round the world for its design, performance and style as well as becoming the most sought after lease vehicle.

Next is the Lexus CT200h which has been heavily promoted by Kylie Minogue in TV, cinema and billboard advertising. Despite the singer’s obvious appeal, the CT200h speaks for itself with superb performance from a quality product.

 
The Jaguar XF makes the line up having won the Executive Car of the Year award from What Car? for the last three years. The XF has really made the German marques sit up and take note having consistently out performed them over an extended period of time.

Despite Jaguar’s ongoing success however, BMW and Audi still retain a very loyal following. Audi’s A3 convertible, A5 and A6 are very popular choices as are BMW’s 3 Series Coupe and the revised 5 Series models.    

Any one of these cars could hold the key to your company landing the signature of a future top employee?

How employees who break the Road Traffic Laws affect your business image

For company vans and cars which have company livery, logos or signage the implications for business image are clear. Every time your employees are on the road they are mobile 'ambassadors' for your business, so driving 90mph down the outside lane of the M6 or tailgating a family car which is holding them up is going to create a negative impression.

In worse case scenarios an employee who ends up in court for dangerous driving or is proven to have caused injury or death of other road users the impact can be devastating on the driver and the business as well as the injured parties.

Employees who drive company vehicles are 'at work' as far as health and safety law is concerned, and employers have a duty of care for them and other road users. The investigating authorities, police or HSE, may find the business culpable if their policies are not robust enough.

A conviction under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2008 could include unlimited fines, remedial orders and publicity orders where the business has to publicise that it has been convicted of the offence, giving the details, the amount of any fine imposed and the terms of any remedial order made.

Further negative media coverage can wipe out millions of pounds spent on marketing and PR.  Businesses may also find that customers or even suppliers may not want to do business with them. Recruitment can also be affected as potential employees are put off by the negative image projected in these cases.

How to secure the Best deal on small business vehicle leasing

When searching for the best deal for a small business vehicle lease there are a number of rules that, if followed, will ensure any leasing experience will be a good one.  

Select a brand name that you can trust. It is often good if you can select from a list of companies that others have recommended to you. Then shop around for the best value for money bearing in mind that the cheapest is not necessarily the best value. Look for a leasing company that can offer you good service and advice. There will be a lot of questions around taxation, running cost, reliability and safety; so ensure the company you choose has the necessary support services available.

When you get to the contract, check it thoroughly and ensure you understand its terms and conditions. Take advice if you need to and ensure you have taken everything into account like excess mileage charges and end of contract fees. These charges can come as a bit of a shock at the end of the lease if you haven’t included them in your original calculations.

Larger leasing companies often have an advantage in that they may be able to make tactical purchases of end of line models from dealers, and offer these to its customers at reduced rates. These lower costs can offer a distinct advantage to the small business user.   

How to stop employees abusing lease vehicles

Businesses lease vehicles for one of two reasons; EITHER as a core business requirement e.g. a van or car required to get an employee and tools or goods to the site/customer’s premises; OR, as part of the employee's reward and benefits package - a perk. Furthermore, most companies lease rather than buy because of cash flow, accounting and tax advantages.

However, lease costs are calculated on the basis of a predicted resale or residual value at the end of the lease. This in turn assumes that the vehicles are returned in a good condition and only suffer 'fair wear and tear'. Any excessive damage caused by employee abuse of the interior, exterior or indeed mechanical parts will result in end of contract charges made to the business to reflect the reduced residual value when it goes for resale. The greatest incidence of abuse is with pool cars or vans shared by several where there is no clear single owner. The older the vehicle it seems the more likely employees are to cease to care for them. Unlike company cars or vans which are allocated to a nominated individual, businesses need to put control measures in place. These would include:

• written policies explaining how employees must look after vehicles and carry out daily or weekly checks;
• logbooks to record journeys, driver details, checks carried out and any defects identified;   
• telemetric systems to track and record vehicle movements, driving styles, speed and any other related data.

However, in all instances it is important to ensure that policies clearly document what the employees responsibilities are for looking after vehicles and identifying sanctions ranging from:

• charging back to the individual as a deduction from salary;
• charging the business unit that the employee belongs to;
• removing the car or van from the employee or disciplinary action leading to dismissal.     

The 5 things smart business people look for in a lease vehicle

When looking to lease a vehicle, the smart business executive is likely to consider the following: 

Is the offer at a fixed monthly charge without any other costs such as end of term damage charges or excess mileage charges?
Does the offer deliver ease of ownership for the driver; where the vehicle’s maintenance, regular servicing, roadside assistance, Road Fund Licence and replacement parts are all included?

Whether the offer includes a high quality service delivery; with a dedicated support team to handle any queries from the lessee quickly and efficiently. For example Lex Autolease offers a one-call service for its customers, where there is one telephone number for all eventualities.

Whether there is a wide list of desirable vehicles available; the car someone drives can be a very personal statement and being able to choose the ‘right car’ will undoubtedly influence the choice of supplier. Currently in the UK there is a choice of over 6,500 vehicles.
Finally, when choosing a vehicle, many lessees are looking for advice and guidance on all aspects of leasing a vehicle. Having a team of readily available friendly experts to assist customers is essential for gaining and then retaining business.

The Lease Cars that give Clients and customers the best impression of your business

We at Lex Autolease feel that every industry has a different customer and a different image to portray and therefore the 5 lease cars that we feel give clients the best impression of your business are:

Banking – In a sector that has taken a lot of criticism for being frivolous recently then look no further than the Volvo DrivE – a safe, reliable, practical and environmentally conscious car – You can trust us.

Public Sector/Charity – In a sector that needs to make the best use of the money it receives then the Skoda Greenline range offers low cost, high spec, value for money cars – We spend your money wisely.

Professional (i.e. accountancy) – In a sector where image is almost as important as cost then look no further than the BMW 3 series Efficient Dynamics range – these premium vehicles portray an image of reliability and success whilst demonstrating an awareness of cost – We know what we’re doing.

Media - What better way to make an impact in the hip conscious media industry than to drive the latest ‘celebrity’ car, the Range Rover Evoque. Big in stature, big on style yet with prices starting at £27,995 still proving an affordable car. – We’re bang on trend.

Energy Companies – The’ Green’ agenda is becoming a strong focus for energy companies and the fully electric powered Mitsubishi I-MIEV would help demonstrate their environmental credentials and would help them stand up to the higher public scrutiny that this industry attracts – We are environmentally aware.

The Top 5 best value luxury small business lease cars

When it comes to selecting the top five lease cars it is always going to be subjective choice. So, assuming a purchase price of around £30,000, a co2 emissions of less than 135 g/km and a desirable brand, our top five lease cars are as follows:-

• Lexus CT200h hatchback 1.8-litre Se-L Premier 5-door with CVT automatic transmission. This is a hybrid vehicle that emits just 94 g/km of co2 and has a monthly whole life cost of £753. The car’s retail cost is £30,896.
• BMW 5 Series diesel Saloon 520d Efficient Dynamics 4-door Professional. This BMW emits just 119 g/km of co2 and has a monthly whole life cost of £788. The car’s retail cost is £32,540.
• Audi A5 diesel Coupe 2.0 TDi 177 S-Line 2-door. This Audi produces 120 g/km of co2 and has a monthly whole life cost of £778. The car’s retail cost is £32,792.
• Mercedes-Benz E Class diesel Saloon E220 CDi BlueEfficiency Avantgarde. This Mercedes-Benz emits 133 g/km of co2 and has a monthly whole life cost of £826. The car’s retail cost is £32,331.
• Volvo S80 diesel Saloon 2.4 D5 (215) Se Lux 4-door with satellite navigation. This Volvo emits 129 g/km of co2 and has a monthly whole life cost of £828. The car’s retail cost is £33,523.

Despite the current age of austerity, the desirable luxury brands are still proving to be extremely popular cars to lease and represent excellent value for money.