Tube modernisation set to improve customer service
23 Apr 2014 03:33 PM
LU’s proposals would see unparalleled
levels of face-to-face customer service, as seen during the London 2012
Games.
- More staff than ever before visible and available rather
than under-used ticket offices – turning public areas of stations into
'personalised customer service centres
- Bearing down on transport fares made possible by
modernising and improving transport while reducing overall
cost
In
an open letter to the millions of customers who use the Tube each day, Mike
Brown, Managing Director of London Underground, set out how LU's
modernisation plans;
- will radically improve customer service while bearing
down on transport fares; and
- guarantee fairness to all LU staff.
Under LU's proposals the public areas of stations -
ticket halls, gate lines and platforms - will become personalised customer
service centres, replicating the standards LU were able to offer during the
London 2012 Games.Staff will be brought out from behind glass screens and
hidden back offices to serve customers better.
Even More Staff Available To
Help
Everything that customers can do at a ticket office
window will be available to them more readily, with LU staff helping, at ticket
machines, on-line or by telephone.
There will be even more staff available to help
customers with disabilities.Given the success of Oyster and advances in on-line
and ticket machine technology, the use of ticket offices has dramatically
fallen.
Less than 3% of journeys involve a visit to a ticket
office.
This trend is set to continue with the introduction of
contactless bank card payment later this year.
When customers do use a ticket office, it is for three
main reasons – to buy a ticket, fix a ticketing problem or get
information.
By
making more staff available in the public areas of stations – at ticket
machines, gate lines and platforms – these services will be significantly
improved for customers.
Safety And Security Will Never Be
Compromised
Ticket office staff do not control safety and security -
a dedicated Station Supervisor or a separate control room do
that.
This will continue, and safety and security will never
be compromised.
At
the busiest stations – Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross St Pancras,
Liverpool Street, Paddington, Piccadilly Circus and Victoria, as well as at
Gatwick Airport – new Visitor Information Centres (VICs) will ensure that
those unfamiliar with the Tube, including tourists and visitors to London, are
provided with the service and assistance they need.
VICs will also continue to sell tickets at these
locations.
Under the proposals there is an overall reduction of 950
roles as a result of LU being able to deliver better customer service in a
modern and efficient way.
However, it does not mean that 950 people physically
need to leave.
Due
to the 650 staff already wishing to leave under the generous voluntary
redundancy arrangements, the need for an additional 200 staff for the new 24
hour service at weekends, existing vacancies and natural staff turnover, not a
single member of staff is being forced to leave.
Savings Will Be
Reinvested
The
savings made in closing ticket offices - around 50 million pounds each year or
270 million pounds up to 2020/21 - will help to bear down on fares and will be
reinvested in further improvements such as more frequent and reliable train
services, air-conditioned trains and extending WiFi.
LU
has made five commitments to customers:
- All
stations will remain staffed and controlled at all times, with more staff
visible and available to help customers and keep them safe and
secure
- A
new 24-hour service on core parts of the Tube network at weekends from
2015
- More frequent and reliable train services with better,
more accessible stations
- Simpler ticketing, including contactless bank card
payment with daily and weekly fares capping
- The
best possible value by running our services as efficiently as possible while
improving customer service
Mike Brown said:
'Our proposals mean radically improved customer
service while allowing us to bear down on the cost of transport
fares.
We
will be emulating the levels of face-to face customer service we gave during
the 2012 Games, with more staff available in the public areas of stations to
help and advise passengers and keep everyone safe.
'Ticket offices do not control the safety and
security of stations.
Station supervisors and dedicated controls rooms do
that, and this will continue.
Every station will remain staffed and controlled at all
times, and new ticket machines, contactless payment and a 24 hour service at
weekends will further improve life for our customers.'
'We cannot stand by and force customers to pay for
ticket offices through their fares when a far better service can be provided
more efficiently.
The
Mayor was able to keep fare increases this year down to the rate of inflation
as a result of our being able to modernise and improve London's transport
while reducing our overall costs.
We
want to continue doing so, helping us to further bear down on
fares.'
During an intensive period of talks, spanning eight
weeks and 40 meetings, LU made highly significant changes to its proposals to
reflect the feedback of staff and unions, so that a Customer Service Supervisor
will staff smaller, local stations at all times, no supervisors need reapply
for jobs, all applications for voluntary redundancy will be honoured and we
will look to ensure that no staff lose pay.
There will be no compulsory redundancies and there is a
job for every member of staff who wants to be part of LU’s future and is
willing to be flexible.
All
four trades unions have been invited for further daily meetings with LU this
week.
One
union, the RMT, has demanded that all modernisation be stopped and have
threatened strike action, having given no credible alternative
suggestions to deal with a changing world.
Mike Brown added:
'We recognise that the strikes the RMT propose from
next week will be hugely disruptive.
I
hope that they can be averted - but that is up to the RMT.
The
sensible thing to do is keep talking.
'If the strikes go ahead, we will work hard to
provide the best service we possibly can.
Many of our staff will come in to work and we will also
have our Travel Ambassadors out in force to offer help and
advice.'
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