Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/284466
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2014 35 technology A research team led by Notre Dame Professor Timothy Judge recently studied responses from a satisfaction survey completed by nearly 2,000 drivers from more than a dozen carriers. When determining why driv- ers change jobs, the team's interest was piqued by responses to a question about dispatcher satisfaction. First, some background is in order to understand why the data caught the researchers' attention. Stay Metrics conducts this survey annually on behalf of its fleet customers. The company offers research, analytics and insights into driver retention to its customers in addition to administering the Drive for Gold online driver rewards and loyalty program. With the Drive for Gold platform, Stay Metrics has created a conduit to gather firsthand data from drivers who fill out online surveys in ex- change for points that they also build up from other activities, such as completing logbooks on time. Drivers redeem the points for consumer goods. Stay Metrics also collects driver reten- tion data by conduct- ing exit interviews on behalf of its customers, acting as a neutral third party. With the online rewards program, Stay Metrics automatically can keep track of turnover data and contact drivers for an exit interview when fleets remove them from the program. Judge, who leads a Stay Metrics research team, looked at responses to a question about dispatcher satisfaction and was able to correlate the results with turnover data collected from exit interviews. He found that drivers who indicated dissatisfaction with their dispatcher had a 57 percent higher turnover rate than drivers who did not indicate dissatisfaction. Judge, a professor of business management and specialist in employee retention, concluded that dispatcher satisfaction is a key variable in a driver's decision to leave. His conclusion is supported by data that indicates drivers have strong differences in how they perceive dispatchers across multiple carriers. Tim Hindes, chief executive officer of Stay Metrics, had used results from previous studies to hypothesize that dispatcher satisfaction matters only when drivers really like their dispatchers. But Judge found that the results of this most recent survey told a different story. Drivers who indicated they were "very happy" with their dispatchers were no more likely to stay than those who were "neu- tral." "Better" dispatchers did not impact retention any more than "average" dispatchers. However dispatchers who scored highest in dissatisfaction were nearly twice as likely to cause turnover. Stay Metrics says that its clients will be able to use their own survey results to identify dispatchers within their companies who are more prone to contributing to driver churn. The company provides carriers with data that shows how each dispatcher ranks in the community for satisfaction. Those on the bottom may not be suited for the position or might need training, while those with higher ranks could be encouraged to share their techniques with other dispatchers to improve overall quality. Hines says Stay Metrics will continue to compile data to build a profile of the type of dispatcher that most satisfies drivers. With its online rewards program for drivers, Stay Metrics has a platform to collect driver data and a team of experts to deliver insights to its customers. MAKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WORK FOR YOUR FLEET BY AARON HUFF technology AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296. SATISFIED DRIVERS: Stay Metrics conducts a driver satisfaction sur- vey annually on behalf of its fleet customers. DISPATCHER DEPARTURES: Driv- ers who indicated dissatisfaction with their dispatcher had a higher turnover rate. CAUSING CHURN: Clients can identify dispatchers who are more prone to contributing to driver turnover. Sizing up dispatchers Research pins driver turnover on dispatcher dissatisfaction Stay Metrics studied responses to a question about dispatcher satis- faction and was able to correlate the results with driver turnover data collected from exit interviews.