Transport for Greater Manchester have released some interesting statistics on complaints against bus operators in the county. According to the Manchester Evening News, for the second half of 2013, twice as many people complained about First compared to Stagecoach.
But the bigger shock is when you look at how many complaints were made against each company in proportion to how many journeys they deliver. Per 100,000 passengers, First attracted 10.9 complaints, with Stagecoach on a more impressive 4.2. But journey for journey, more people complained about Arriva (16.3 per 100,000 passengers) than any other Greater Mancunian bus operator.
Bank cards can currently only be used to pay for bus travel on TfL's red buses in Greater London. But Get Reading reports how that's about to change as Reading Buses introduce the technology to their Greenwave route.
Arriva - now there is a surprise (or not IMHO).
ReplyDeleteHave just noticed on another news feed that they failed to operate one route in Staffordshire for seven hours between 0900 and 1600 approx on one day. How could they not be aware at the time that it was happening?
Again IMHO if you have the right initial customer interface many issues can be solved before they become a complaint. It also needs a strong management of operations and awareness of what is happening on the ground. From what I see of Arriva (in this area) it simply does not happen with management spread far too thinly, closure of most 'enquiry offices' and 'customers' pushed onto a call centre 60 miles or more the other side of London. There is no local identity or contact point any more - there are notices banning visitors from entering the the local head office building (which for many years had been the enquiry point for the council buses).
So when someone complains it really is a complaint and they already feel devalued.