PassMeFast + Zendesk: On the road to driving success

Earning a driving license is a rite of passage for young adults across the world. Everyone remembers the incredible feeling of clutching the keys to their first car and the dawning realisation that you suddenly had the freedom of the open road at your fingertips. Who wouldn’t want to play a part in making that happen?

That was the initial motivation behind creating PassMeFast, along with a desire to streamline the entire qualification process. You see, the excitement surrounding passing the driving test sometimes masks the hard work and organisation that is required to reach this important milestone. An instructor needs to be scouted, lessons need to be organised and tests need to be booked. For many people, this can become a long, expensive and downright stressful process.

Not so for those who learn to drive with PassMeFast. This young, dynamic company is a driving school with a difference. They tailor their courses to each individual, and work with over 1,100 trusted, hand-picked instructors across the UK. By offering intensive lessons, taking care of all the admin and fast-tracking driving tests, PassMeFast keeps things simple for its customers. Learners simply need to sign up and show up!

PassMeFast acts as a bridge between instructors and learners, putting seamless communication and exceptional customer service at the heart of what they do. The success of this model is reflected in the impressive expansion the business has undergone over the past couple of years. What started as a small group of dedicated individuals organizing crash courses for learner drivers in Manchester is now a thriving company made up of multiple interconnected teams who are helping people all over England to become qualified drivers.

By the end of 2019, more than 50,000 people from over 20 counties had placed their driving dreams in the hands of PassMeFast.

Zendesk has always been along for the ride

From the business’ earliest days back in March 2016, Zendesk Sell has formed an integral part of the way PassMeFast operates. In many ways, Zendesk Sell acts as the organizational backbone that allows PassMeFast to provide such an efficient and consistent service.

The company uses Zendesk Sell in a rather unconventional way, relying on its wide-ranging functionality for both pre- and post-sale contact with learner drivers. This enables PassMeFast to keep track of all communication, from the point at which a customer first expresses interest all the way through to the day they pass their test.

Meanwhile, PassMeFast has also made use of Zendesk Sell to communicate with driving instructors across the country. This has given it an edge when expanding to new locations, and has allowed for efficient outreach and onboarding.

With all of this information easily accessible in one constantly-updated, central database, the job of maintaining relations between learners and instructors and ensuring that all courses are running smoothly is vastly simplified.

Agents need only glance over a booking to see details of every instance of communication that has occurred in relation to that course. Calls, emails, meetings and updates are all scheduled and logged using the notes, appointment and task features. “The task feature on Zendesk Sell allows you to regularly check over a booking in order to keep the customer informed on the status of their course,” explains Charlotte Kinnear, Head of Bookings for the South of England. “This in turn leads to better customer service.”

Measuring success and driving growth

The fact that Zendesk Sell stores detailed information on every course PassMeFast has ever sold means that the company has access to a huge directory of customer data that is ripe for analysis.

Not only does this enable the team to map the rate of growth and hone in on factors that contribute to success, but it also lays the foundation for all of the company’s marketing efforts.

Using features like smart lists, the marketing team is able to gain a clear picture of key target demographics. This information can then be used to build custom audiences for advertising campaigns and shape the tone and style of marketing content.

Weathering the storm: Steering the business through a global pandemic

PassMeFast has poured its resources into helping essential workers schedule lessons and secure test dates during lockdown. The use of Zendesk Sell as a communication tool has been instrumental in this process.

In times of uncertainty, clear messaging and quick response times are more important than ever. PassMeFast employees have been logging into Zendesk from their homes in order to keep learners up to date with the latest developments. Providing regular updates and laying the groundwork for future courses enables the business to maintain a strong level of trust with their customer base.