Working smarter not harder
How can you save the planet, cut your own costs and still save money for your clients? For Binz UK, the solution lies in working smarter, not harder. Working ‘Smarter’ for Binz means cutting cost by cutting consumption of the saloon or van typically used to collect a limousine or hearse for servicing – and passing those savings on to its customers. The Binz logic goes something like this. Why send out two people in a car when you can send just one, and then park it with the customer for the day. When it is time to take their vehicle back, after the delivery driver has handed over the keys, he or she merely transfers to the Smart left there earlier for the return leg to Binz’s Reading HQ. Result, one small vehicle movement overall rather than two medium sized ones.
With a 15 to 20 MPG fuel consumption advantage over a typical hatchback and a lower CO2 footprint to boot, there are both business and environmental benefits to be had for Binz. As Lee Smith, the company’s technical director explains, “The savings on fuel and the lower overall total-cost-to-own package that a Smart car provides means that we can offer a same day collect and return service option at a competitive price, for up to a 100 miles radius from our base. Plus our clients can see that our commitment to the environment does not stop with the low-emissions Mercedes-Benz engine technology that is built into each of our full-size vehicles”.
Ironically, there can even be an environmental benefit to using fuel rather than saving it. Hearses in particular spend most of their working days at a ‘cortege speed’ of 30 MPH or below, which can lead to a build-up of particulates within exhaust systems. By driving them at more normal highway speeds to and from Binz’s site, on-board emissions systems have a chance to burn off these pollutants, with the potential of improving that engine’s fuel and emissions efficiency into the bargain.
In conclusion, Lee Smith notes that “People sometimes ask why a customer will want to have their hearse or limousine maintained by ourselves, rather than taking it to their nearest service agent– who can in any case order any unique-to-Binz components direct from us for next day delivery. However, the bereavement services sector is a close-knit community, and many funeral directors feel happier entrusting routine servicing to a caring family business founded on quality and integrity. It is very much a relationship thing – just like the bond that makes a private buyer take a car back for attention to the same outlet that they bought it from”.
