Up until now, the Portsmouth-based company has used key service partners to provide 24/7 customer support outside of its normal working hours. This meant that any company car or van driver who phoned outside of 8am-6pm Mondays to Fridays was redirected to these partners, who provided a basic level of support to drivers typically requiring help with vehicle breakdowns and servicing.

Now, Inchcape Fleet Solutions has introduced a "twilight shift" running from 6pm to 10pm to offer in-house fleet manager and driver support. And this will be extended later this year to include Saturdays and Sundays, with a full 24/7 service 365 days a year promised by the end of 2010.

David Graham, customer services director at Inchcape Fleet Solutions, said: ‘In response to client demand we have embarked on the first stage of a three-stage programme to enhance the 24/7 support we already provide our clients outside of normal office hours thus delivering an unrivalled level of customer service.

‘Feedback from the first shift was very positive with more than 150 calls taken and we will be using the data and information we collect to shape our future plans as we seek to expand the service to include weekend cover and ultimately a full 24/7 solution.’

The development means that Inchcape Fleet Solutions staff can manage a wide variety of enquiries from customers – not simply those typically related to vehicle servicing and breakdown issues that would be handled by out of hours providers.

Mr Graham added: ‘We live in a 24/7 culture and we are making sure that our customers' accessibility to Inchcape Fleet Solutions' experts is available when they require it.’