Providing support in good times and bad
16 SEPTEMBER 2021
Flexible financing that suits any customer’s business plan, budget and situation is key for Scania. This extends to good times as well as bad, something that became evident for many bus and coach operators in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year, the booking calendar was emptied overnight for many coach and bus operators over the world. The restrictions on movement meant that almost all travel was cancelled at times, with tourism, recreational and other long-distance travel particularly severely hit.
The effect was that many operators rapidly faced a tough financial situation. At the same time, many banks became extremely cautious about granting them new financing, as the transport sector was perceived as high-risk territory.
Support the operators’ business
However, Scania Financial Services dared to support many of the troubled coach and bus operators.
“In good times and in bad, we support our customers’ businesses as much as we possibly can,” says Joakim Ewers, Head of Sales within Scania Financial Services, a global organisation with 1,200 employees, which currently provides 63 of Scania’s local markets with flexible financing solutions.
A proof of this approach is that one-and-a-half years after the outbreak of the pandemic, Scania Financial Services has managed to offer a lifeline to many bus customers in need, adjusting the payment plans for around 50 percent of the operators that receive financing from the company.
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Experts on bus and coach financing
One of the reasons for this position is that, compared with banks and other financing institutes, Scania’s representatives are proven experts on bus and coach financing, as Ewers explains.
“For a conventional bank this kind of financing is a relatively small part of their work; for us it is core business. We know the market, the product and its value, and together with our global Scania dealer network we are very close to our local customers, so we are familiar with their daily challenges.”
And, Ewers adds, no matter in the world where a customer contacts Scania, the company’s representatives always strive to be straightforward and quick to respond.
“We want to make it simple and smooth for our customers, to integrate everything from financing and insurance and vehicle delivery to repair & maintenance into a ‘one stop shop’ for them.”
Flexible financing and insurance
Scania’s offer within financial services has gradually expanded over the years, though the purpose of its solutions remains unchanged: to make vehicle ownership easy by offering leasing, financing and insurance based on each customer’s needs and abilities.
Scania Financial Services has two key offers for bus and coach operators:
- Flexible financing that suits any customer’s business plan and budget – whether they are buying one vehicle or expanding their fleet
- Insurance, providing efficient claims handling and replacement vehicles when needed.
“The core of our insurance offering is uptime,” says Ewers.
“A coach is ultimately a company on wheels. Vehicles need to be back on the road as soon as possible after an accident, and loss prevention services can help to avoid an accident in the first place. The entire Scania organisation – from Scania Parts, Scania Assistance and our claims support service, to our workshops and insurance specialists – stands ready to get the vehicle repaired with minimal fuss and paperwork.”
Recommending a certain package of services to a particular customer is ultimately all about understanding their day-to-day operations, including what Ewers describes as their “pain points”.
“We always tailor the services to each customer’s particular needs and possibilities,” he says.
Scania Financial Services offer in brief
- Financing – such as an operating lease, financial lease, and loan agreement.
- Insurance – such as casco (cover for physical damage to the vehicle), motor third party liability, fleet (linked to the vehicle); gap and credit life (linked to the contract).
- Flexible contract schemes can be added to the package, such as repair and maintenance.
Get more information via Scania.com, or from your nearest Scania representative or local Scania dealer.
Scania Financial Services in numbers
- Active in 63 countries.
- Around 1,200 employees.
- Around 5,400 buses and coaches financed.
- 24% of Scania’s new bus and coach sales was financed by Scania Financial Services in 2020, plus a substantial additional volume that was facilitated in cooperation with external banks.
