Coach hire broker National Coach Network (NCN) says it is excited to announce the launch of its new auto-quoting system, which it says has been designed to revolutionise the way it works with coach operators and clients by delivering instant, accurate quotes with ease.
The new feature has been conceived to automate the quoting process for operators, reducing manual workload and providing clients with real-time pricing, enabling a seamless service and faster decision-making, the company says, adding that in the race for an effective nationwide automated pricing solution, past attempts have relied heavily on predictive pricing models, which use historical data to forecast future prices, or fixed price models that enforce static pricing on operators, both of which have their drawbacks.
Director Matthew Atkinson explained: “We initially looked at a predictive pricing model, similar to those that have been used in the past. Although this would have been much easier to produce, this was quickly dismissed as the inherent attributes of this type of model deemed it an unviable long term, nationwide solution for us. Historical data cannot be used in times of economic instability or when accessing new markets. And it’s just not possible to accurately meet individualised or specialist requirements using predictive pricing models.”
Challenges
Recognising these challenges, National Coach Network says it set out to develop a more flexible, operator-driven system that empowers operators to maintain control over their pricing and quotes.
Matthew added: “With both models the agent or broker is deeming what price is acceptable for the job and is forced to pressure operators to meet their predictions. Even when pre-agreed pricing is used, circumstances change and the unwillingness of either side to amend their methods can quickly sour relationships. It was clear that a completely different, innovative approach was required for National Coach Network.
“Auto-quoting takes an operator’s actual pricing structure, which can differ from vehicle to vehicle and with all parameters set and controlled by them, to auto-calculate their quote. We calculate the intricate operator variables such as operator specific mileage and driving hours, including what time the driver needs to arrive at the yard, how many breaks will be required and whether they would return to base between movements.
“Our system will automatically calculate and include additional charges for access to Clean Air Zones and airport pick up, drop off and parking charges, where applicable.”
Long-term plan
The system has also been designed to automate intricate calculations such as vehicle-specific route planning and congestion to ensure results are as accurate as possible. “We’ve been working on this project for over two years. The challenges have been endless and we’ve had to rebuild our systems from the foundations up to provide us with the data needed, in the format required, to make this as accurate, efficient and fast as possible” said Matthew.
“On a given job, we are able to calculate the quotes for all the suitable vehicles from 30+ operators in the region within a second, meaning that before a client has finished their sentence, we can have 50-100 quote options at our disposal, enabling us to calculate market average and offer instant, competitive prices for different size and specification vehicles.”
Since its initial roll-out in March 2024, National Coach Network says it now has over 250 operators signed up to use auto-quoting, with over 170 already using the feature, utilising over 450 individual pricing structures. The company says the system has enabled it to attract new operators that have not been suited to the traditional methods they previously worked with.
“The steady roll-out has been key, so we can test, identify and fix any system shortfalls before we move to mass market. We’re currently seeing an increase in booking conversion of up to 8% when utilising auto-quote responses to get back to our clients quicker. Over the year to date we are up 28% on bookings and this could mean approximately 10,000 additional bookings per year for our operators, once we’re rolled out nationwide.”
National Coach Network says it has ambitious plans for its auto-quoting system. “We have a new ‘instant price’ client-facing brand that is ready for market and will be rolled-out region by region starting in November 2024,” Matthew revealed.
