March 7, 2021 Becky Battersby

Getting your Coach Fleet ready for passengers in a post-Covid world

First impressions count!

Whether your coach fleet supports the return to normality for school children across the country, or contributes towards the £14bn coach tourism industry here within the UK, the second half of 2021 is a crucial time to attract customers back and ensure your business delivers on its revenue targets.

With research suggesting that a staggering 83% of tourists would prefer to holiday in the UK than travel abroad this year, the opportunity within the UK tourism sector, and coach travel in particular, seems immeasurably vast. Coupled with the return to “normality” within traditional regular-use revenue streams such as schools and sport, there has never been a better opportunity to engage with customers looking to utilise your coach fleet.

Attracting passengers in a post-Covid world

An increase in demand in the back end of 2021 does not however automatically mean your passengers are going to come flooding back through the doors, the post-Covid world has led to every business needing to adapt to an ever-increasing expectation from customers with regard to hygiene and cleanliness.

It has become common practice to introduce increased cleaning regimens, limited seating capacities and improved air filtration systems; amongst many other operational process improvements. But it’s also interesting to note, over 85% of passengers rated their experience prior to boarding a coach as a key determinant on whether they felt safe, and that their hygiene expectations were going to be met.

This makes sense, when you consider the enclosed environment that your passengers are entering into, the exterior is how they can make their initial judgement on safety and hygiene…first impressions count!

When questioned further a coach operators’ ability to deliver a Covid safe environment, by far the most popular response was regarding external vehicle cleanliness. “A dirty outside means a dirty inside” quoted one survey participant.

Ensure your coach fleet is always looking its best

To ensure your fleet is looking its best for that initial meeting with your passengers, and stays looking its best for longer, a thorough cleaning regime is a great place to start.

At Parma, we have a range of comprehensive of coach, bus and HGV washing and cleaning products, ideal for keeping a commercial fleet looking sharp whatever the weather.

Choose from a range of specialist Vikan vehicle wash equipment to help your coach fleet stay cleaner for longer and ensure your passengers are always safe and confident boarding your coach.

It’s not just cleanliness that affected the passenger’s confidence levels, the overall maintenance and style of the vehicle also had a large effect on whether they felt safe boarding. With passengers now taking a keen eye for detail on areas they may not have noticed pre-Covid, it is vital that your regular checks include all the external visuals too.

Wheel trims and wheel liners are a great option to create an aesthetically pleasing exterior that will wow your passengers and create a fantastic first impression. Visit our range of Wheel trims and see how we cater for all shapes and sizes of vehicle.