Customer experience shares many of the same qualities, regardless of which sector you work in. People want and expect a friendly and helpful interaction, whoever they’re dealing with, regardless of whether it’s a face to face, online or phone interaction.
That said, those working in the transport industry know that things are slightly different. Whether we’re talking about planes, trains, buses or boats, I’m sure a transport horror story has sprung to mind, and you’re not alone – we’ve all got one.
But if you focus on seven simple areas, your customer experience can be greatly improved.
1. Cost
The UK is packed with 'budget airlines' all claiming to offer the cheapest option for travelers. No matter where you're travelling to and no matter how you're travelling, a cheap ticket can be a great start to a great customer experience.
Who's doing it best?
Ryanair already boast having the cheapest prices of any UK airline, but they beat themselves by celebrating their 30 year anniversary by selling 1 million flights at just €19.85 a seat. With the company recently reporting a 25% rise in quarterly profits, they're obviously doing something right.
2. Speed
The transport industry as a whole is obsessed with speed. After the cheapest way you can get someone from A to B, the speed with which you can get them there is probably the next thing on your customers’ lists. Put simply, the faster you can get someone somewhere, the better.
Who's doing it best?
Causing huge controversy in England right now is the proposed HS2 railway, linking Birmingham to London, and following that, looking at connecting the north of England with the capital. If it manages to go through, it'll get commuters down to London in record times, which is great for businessmen and tourists alike. Unfortunately, local residents close to the proposed track aren't as happy...
3. Comfort
There's nothing worse than feeling trapped in a tiny aeroplane seat with no legroom, but at least in this case you actually have a seat. How many travel horror stories start with "I was stood for the entire journey", buses, trains and tubes can all be overloaded. Then add rush-hour... We can all cope with a one-off, short journey not being able to find a seat, but when it's every day, travel becomes more tedious than ever. The beauty of using public transportation is that you should be able to sit back and relax, knowing that you're not having to do any of the leg work. Take away the sit back and you quickly lose the relax...not a great customer experience.
Who's doing it best?
American travel app, Uber, has attempted to revolutionise modern travel, offering users more comfortable alternatives to trains, buses and taxis, especially around big cities. It's already making a huge splash, plus with anyone able to be an Uber driver, and no more squeezing onto packed carriages, it looks set to seriously change the way we get around.
4. Availability
One of the major things about the transportation industry is that companies not only have to deal with people that want to go to certain places, but also those that need to. Imagine having to get to a certain place within a certain time scale and the journey just not being available to you? If the journey can't even take place, then surely this is the worst possible customer experience within this sector.
Who's doing it best?
Turkish Airlines is a relatively small travel firm compared to some other industry giants, namely in America. However, they fly to more countries than any other airline in the world, something they proudly boast in their slogan 'globally yours'. Turkish fly to a huge 106 countries, very impressive when compared to American leader, United's, mere 60.
5. Safety
When you're carrying hundreds of thousands of people each day, safety is an important factor. It may not be something that’s always considered by your passengers, especially on buses or trains where security and safety may seem to fly under the radar, but companies working to ensure their passengers are having the safest possible journeys are also offering great experiences. In this way, the less you notice these measures, the better they are.
Who's doing it best?
Officials at Metro Trains services in Melbourne, Australia decided more needed to be done in terms of warning passengers about rail safety and so, in 2012, they released their video 'Dumb Ways to Die'. The cartoon public service announcement campaign was set to improve injury and death statistics on their line, but happened to go viral and has been an internet hit ever since. Have a look at it for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw.
6. Eco-Friendly
An increasing concern in the world of customer service in transportation is whether or not options are good for the environment. Of course, taking public transportation is already taking a positive step towards environmentally friendly travel, but many are willing to take this even further. Doing something good for the environment makes people feel good, reduces guilt and gives people a much better travel experience overall.
Who's doing it best?
The famous 'Boris Bikes' dotted around London are a great example of how the transportation industry isn't just buses and trains. This eco-friendly alternative to public transport, was an attempt to ease congestion, reduce emissions and offer tourists and locals alike a new way to get around the city. The scheme was a great success, a bit of fun and provided visitors to London a travel experience to remember.
7. Informative
What's worse than having your train delayed, or your bus not arriving? Not having a clue what is going on. So much of a great customer experience within this area is travelers knowing what’s happening and being kept in the loop. Transportation services that are offering the most transparent services, letting customers know what is happening and when, especially when things are going wrong, are real positives during the stress of travel.
Who's doing it best?
Transport for London, the people behind the London Underground, are working this summer to improve their information systems more than ever, and what’s the best way to do this? Twitter of course. Their website home page urges users to look at travel updates on Twitter, as well as letting people sign up for email updates, follow specific tube lines on twitter for real-time service information and follow 'The Tube' on facebook, for all the travel information you could need.
If you want to find out how else you can build a great customer experience, either in transport or any other industry, get your name on the list for our upcoming event on CX Day at LEGOLAND Windsor!
