Southeastern’s helping hands
ANTHONY SMITH, Transport Focus Chief Executive and National Rail Awards judge, explains why Southeastern was a worthy winner of the NRA Customer Service Excellence award
Noah, one of Southeastern’s Customer Ambassadors, could see that the woman at Charing Cross station was not in a good way. She was crying, visibly upset, and looking confused.
Noah calmly approached her, started to talk to her, and sorted things out. A few things had gone wrong in her life that day, but Noah made sure she was OK, established if she needed extra help, and made sure she got home. One very happy customer.
Not every day is like this, but Southeastern’s Customer Ambassadors, like many railway staff, have to deal with some real challenges as well as more everyday enquiries. Tough work, but really rewarding when it goes right.
Transport Focus’ research into passengers’ views on staff offers a number of things to consider. Passengers like visible staff. They would like to see more staff. The contact they have with staff very often exceeds their expectations. The rail industry often focuses on the equipment and trains they operate, but the railways remain (and always will be) a people business.
In the past few months there has been a lot of negative coverage of rail staffing issues around the ongoing, sapping industrial action by the RMT. So it felt really good to be giving the top award for Customer Service Excellence to a staff, people-focused entry.
Southeastern broke the mould on this one at Charing Cross and Cannon Street - both busy commuter stations. It recruited customer ambassadors who had no job description other than to help people. It gave the ambassadors high-quality and distinctive uniforms - no high-visibility vest in sight! It gave them coffee vouchers to hand out to keep people warm - especially necessary if they are distressed or in need of help.
The ambassadors have no office and no help desk. They are told to roam and approach people to ask if they can help. They are equipped with a credit card and a budget to get people on their way - no questions are asked about how they spend this money. iPads allow instant, visible access to information and advice. The ambassadors are recruited for their positive, people-focused attitudes - they are taught about the railway afterwards.
The effect has been great… and there’s nothing like hearing it direct from the great British public:
“I have been using the Sidcup-Charing Cross service for 41 years, not always to my satisfaction. I had a working life of 56 years, all but six years of which were dealing with the public in one form or another, and I am therefore well aware of how demanding (at least) this can be. The two young ladies on duty on the Charing Cross concourse at approximately 1130 were not merely helpful, but most pleasant and charming.”
“I remember his name because he introduced himself by name and made me feel completely at ease and very relaxed. He sat me down, and ran and got me a bottle of water and some ice from a fast food store to cool my head. I felt like he was not distracted by anything else at the station and was completely focused on me.”
“The staff members on the concourse were all interacting with customers or making themselves available should customers need to ask for their assistance.”
And from Twitter: “@ Se Railway saw these lovely customer service ambassadors at Charing Cross. Very smart indeed. I thought they worked for airlines.” The ambassadors love it as well: “The best thing about the job is the freedom we have. I worked behind the help desk at Victoria, but now I escort passengers who need assisted travel, those who speak limited English. And I can take people out of the station if they don’t know how to get somewhere.”
“You have to be very positive, patient, not content with giving a basic answer, but go that bit further. All of us are smiley, happy and optimistic. We offer an extra level of customer service.”
“If I can see that a person needs something more from me, I can take them to the Strand or the Embankment, walk with them to the Underground station and talk with staff there if an Oyster card isn’t working.”
When I and my fellow judges (Campaign for Better Transport Chief Executive Stephen Joseph and former railway manager Richard Wallace) met the ambassadors, we were bowled over. Positive, smiling and enthusiastic - great!
The facts back all this up. Mystery shopping results show customer satisfaction at these two stations rising from 50% at Charing Cross and 80% at Cannon Street to both over 90%. Concourse, platform and gateline experiences all boosted.
Transport Focus’ National Rail Passenger Survey shows that Southeastern’s overall satisfaction score has risen to 81%, a three-
year high and an 11% increase on previous waves. Satisfaction with information about train times and platforms has increased, and the score for helpfulness and attitude of all employees is also up.
The initial pilot has now proved a success, with all the initial ambassadors offered permanent positions. And this will be built on at other stations - Chatham, Lewisham and Bromley are among those that will soon also have ambassadors in action.
But maybe the best overall effect is bringing all the train company and Network Rail staff at these stations together. It is clear the ambassadors have had a galvanising effect. Ticket office staff have come out from behind the screens to help passengers at ticket machines. Network Rail staff see what the ambassadors are doing and join in.
The ‘one team’ dream at each station, which passengers really need and want to see, has come one step closer to reality.