Case Study #1: DB

Departmental Responsibilities and Authority

•  DB Dialog, which is a unit within Deutsche Bahn (DB), is responsible for customer relations and communications.
• DB Dialog manages customer complaints; questions about DB services such as fares, schedules, trip planning; refunds; lost property; questions concerning its customer loyalty program: and, new technological solutions for providing timely customer responses (for example, the adoption of an artificial intelligence solution for handling the volume of customer calls/texts effectively).

Department Operating Model

• DB Dialog employees customer service clerks at its four call center locations in Frankfurt, Berlin, Hanover, and Schwerin. These clerks manage customer relations through email, phone calls, and letters.
• Clerks also store the information received from customers (complaints and queries) in the customer database, coordinate external services for customers, and find solutions for routine concerns.
• Customers can contact DB Dialog via phone, email, or letters. Customers can also text questions to DB Dialog, which are handled by the artificially intelligent DB Reisebuddy ("travel buddy"), or post questions to Twitter and Facebook.

Organizational Position and Structure

• The President of DB Dialog is Andreas Jung while Carola Gutjahr heads Human Resources, Finances, and acts as the Controller.
•  Personnel Consultants manage the Customer Service Clerks within DB Dialog.

Case Study #2: OBB

Departmental Responsibilities and Authority

• OBB (Austrian Railways) has a customer service department that solicits feedback for changes and improvements and helps customers locate lost bags/items, and arrange accessibility services.
• To handle complaints or refunds, OBB directs customers to Agency for Passenger Rights (APF), which helps them get refunds for poor service, food, file complaints about accessibility issues, lost or damaged luggage, or late responses from OBB.

Department Operating Model

• OBB Customer Service can be contacted via email, online form, telephone, at the ticket counters, or in the OBB travel agencies.
• Customers can seek out OBB Customer Service to make reservations, arrange accessibility services, locate lost luggage or personal items, or to offer feedback.
• The feedback is then utilized by the department to implement changes such as airport tickets (streamlining travel to and from airports), quiet zones on the train, ticket machines, and more stations.

Organizational Position and Structure

• Customer service is part of the larger unit of the company, Passenger Services, that includes the above customer services (accessibility, lost items, handling customer feedback) as well as ticket sales and travel planning, which are related to customer service as these travel agents handle customer requests.
• This unit is managed by three individuals: Michaela Huber, who oversees local and long-distance transportation, sales, and marketing; Heinz Freunschlag, who is the controller and oversees compliance, human resources, and digital mobility; and Klaus Garstenauer, who manages production, traffic and customer information.
• The various employee jobs within this unit focused on customer service include train attendants (check tickets, schedules, assist customers) and travel agents (book tickets, handle customer service requests, process customer feedback).
• The organizational structure of the APF includes the managing director, Maria-Theresia Röhsler, Norman Schadler, and Armin Trojer, both of whom are experts on railway arbitration.

Research Strategy

Case #1: SNCF Group

• SNCF Group is a state-owned public service company with its own customer service department that consists of three public rail companies: ÉPIC, Mobilités, and Réseau.
•  Customer service is available both online or by phone, and customers have the option of interacting with a live person or an automated bot.

Departmental Responsibilities and Authority

• SNCF's customer service department is responsible for not only handling customer comments, complaints, and concerns, but also for innovating the way in which customers use their services through technological advancements.

Department Operating Model

• Customer service employees include but are not limited to station attendants, chat representatives, insight analysts, and customer relations managers.
• Chat and phone representatives are the point of contact for customers and are in charge of handling their comments, complaints, and concerns.
•  Station attendants provide assistance to customers in-person at the station. This can include anything from helping elderly passengers board to directing passengers to the correct platform.
•  Customer relations managers are responsible for moderating the quality of customer experiences by studying feedback and implementing various customer engagement activities.

Organizational Position

• All customer service employees, from chat representatives to insight analysts, are the responsibility of Chief Communication, External Relations and Dialogue Officer Marc Berthod.

Organizational Structure

•  Marc Berthod reports to Chief Communications and Image Officer Agnès Ogier, who reports to the Group's three Chairmen: Frédéric Saint-Geours, Jean-Pierre Farandou, and Patrick Jeantet.
• The three chairmen essentially report to the French public as they are a state-owned company.

Case #2: Eurostar

•  Originally owned by SNCF and others, Eurostar is now a privately-owned train company that makes its commitment to customer service clear by publishing a yearly charter detailing the actions they take to improve their customers' experience.
•  Customer service is available in-house by phone or email for most topics, with the additional option of writing a letter to the company.

Departmental Responsibilities and Authority

• Eurostar's customer service department is responsible for customer comments, complaints, and concerns, loyalty programs, travel ancillaries, and everything else involved in the overall customer experience.

Department Operating Model

• Phone, Twitter, and email representatives directly address customer comments, complaints, or concerns as they receive them. Written requests are answered through their respective stations.
•  Insight analysts monitor ongoing customer trackers, analyze the resulting data, and use that data to act as the voice of the customer within the organization.
•  Business sales managers manage portfolios of international corporate clients, building rapport and ensuring customer and corporate satisfaction.

Organizational Position

• Chief Customer Officer Marc Noaro is responsible for the customer service department and reports directly to CEO Mike Cooper.

Organizational Structure

• Those responsible for product and service development, data and insight, travel ancillaries, and the overall customer experience, report directly to the Director of Customer Experience, Amber Kirby. The Director of Customer Engagement, Richard Sherwood, is responsible for keeping the company customer centered and oversees the loyalty, digital, sales, and marketing teams.
• Both Directors report to Marc Noaro, who oversees station operations, on-board services, security, traveler care, catering and human relations.

 Case 1: Nederlandse Spoorwegen  

Departmental Responsibilities and Authority

• Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)'s customer service department can be contacted to make changes on NS tickets, such as account details, payment methods, and ticket class.
• The department also helps passengers who have forgotten to check-in or check-out and bring their OV-chipkaart, NS business card, or identification.
• Passengers may request refunds from the department regarding ticket-related issues, such as delays, loss, or theft, and forgotten check-in and check-out fees.
• The department is also where passengers can report lost or stolen items, and retrieve found items.
• Aside from receiving payment, termination or cancellation of season tickets, and replacement of damaged tickets, the department also offers bicycle storage and rents out OV-fiets bicycles in 300 locations.
• The department has passenger web portals Mijn NS and Mijn NS Zakelijk, where users can view travel history, manage account information, request refunds, and view order status and invoices.

Department Operating Model

• NS has a community website where passengers can register and get helpful information from fellow passengers and the customer service department.
• The department can also be contacted through the NS website's live chat feature available every day from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
• Aside from call hot lines for NS consumers and NS business, the customer service department can be contacted via Twitter and Facebook, with a response time of 15 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively.
• NS customer service department does not show an e-mail address on its website. According to NS annual report, passengers who reached out to the customer service department through live chat or telephone rated the services better than passengers who sent letters or e-mails.

Organizational Structure

• The customer service department is handled by the Commercie & Ontwikkeling (Commerce & Development), a separate group from Operations.
• The group, with a staff of 700, is also responsible for "the development of train services and timetables in the medium and long term, as well as the sales and service activities associated with domestic and cross-border train transport."
•  Tjalling Smit has been the Director of Commerce & Development in NS since April 2017.
• Nederlandse Spoorwegen's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Roger van Boxtel while the Director of Operations is Marjan Rintel.
• A high-level organizational chart was featured on NS' 2018 annual report.

 Case 2: Renfe

Departmental Responsibilities and Authority

• The services offered by the Renfe's customer service department include providing travel information, ticket reservation, telephone sales, making changes and cancellations.
• The department also offers online sales assistance, with dedicated services for people with disabilities (ATENDO Service).
• Renfe's customer service department can be contacted for tourist train rides and special arrangements for groups, agencies, companies, executive rooms, fairs, and congresses.
• The department also handles passenger incidents and claims, as well as lost and found items.

Department Operating Model

• Renfe's customer service department has several call hot lines.
• Alternatively, the department can be contacted through Renfe's website, where virtual assistant Martin helps passengers get the services they require.
• The website also has a passenger comment form where customers can voice their concerns.

Organizational Structure

• Renfe's four areas of activity are Manufacturing & Maintenance, Rail Material Rental, Merchandise, and Travelers. The customer service department is under the Renfe Viajeros or Travelers group.
•  Ramón Azuara Sánchez is the General Director of Renfe Viajeros, and is under the supervision of the José Luis Cachafeiro Vila, General Directorate of Operations.
• Renfe Viajeros group's organizational chart is featured on Renfe's website.

CUSTOMER SERVICE STRUCTURE IN AMTRAK — OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE

1. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS AREAS OF AUTHORITY

• The National Railroad Customer Corporation (Amtrak) is committed to ensuring that all passengers, including those with disabilities, are provided with quality customer service and everything needed to make their trip safe and enjoyable.
• Customer Service Commitment — The company will not, either directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements, discriminate against any otherwise qualified individual with a disability.
• Improving customer experience is an overarching goal for the company and is embedded in initiatives for each service line.

2. USEFUL INSIGHTS

• Amtrak is an industry leader in safety, error-free operations, and security centered on a Just culture.
• They are committed to customer service and act as a responsible, effective steward of taxpayer investments.
• They promote open and honest communication which embraces and encourages change, innovation, and employee involvement in a meritocracy.
• Amtrak operatives treat each other respectfully and recognize individual contributions.
• The department operates with superior environmental performance and incorporates sustainability into decisions and practices.

• The customer service quality supervisor, customer service representatives, and employees of Amtrak are in charge of giving quality customer service to every passenger, including those with disabilities and providing them with everything necessary to make their trip safe and enjoyable.
• Customer service representatives are responsible for providing the passengers with superior customer service from behind the ticket counter or on the station floor or platform.
• They possess the ability to maintain a positive, good-natured attitude.
• The representatives are responsible for greeting, servicing, and the general comfort of each passenger.
• Customer representatives must be comfortable interacting with customers, speaking on a public address system, and using Amtrak computer systems.

• Customer service representatives assist customers with boarding and detraining.
• They provide directions to passengers when searching for the correct train or proper car location.
• The agents meet and greet all passengers and offer assistance as needed.
• They also provide useful information in an easy-to-understand language while avoiding railroad jargon.
• Other activities include responding to passenger questions courteously and helpfully, listening to passenger complaints, ideas, and suggestions.
• They also take the appropriate steps to resolve passenger complaints, look for service recovery opportunities when passengers have expressed dissatisfaction. [Source 1]
• Customer service representatives look for opportunities to enhance passenger comfort and satisfaction, assist disabled passengers with meal service, the movement to a feature car (if requested), restroom, etc.
• They help customers with wheelchair and wheelchair lift operations as necessary.
• They must be knowledgeable about stations and connecting services, offer suggestions regarding Amtrak products that might increase passenger travel comfort and satisfaction, and thank passengers warmly for their patronage.

• Stephen Gardner — Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Commercial Officer. Gardner is in charge of the day-to-day operational leadership for Amtrak. He is responsible for operations, safety, marketing and revenue, strategy and planning, information technology, product development, and customer experience, and government affairs and corporate communications.
• The duties and responsibilities of a Senior Manager of Product Development & Customer Experience (PD&CX) are to assist in leading PD&CX efforts, including developing and executing the PD&CX strategic plan in alignment with the company's corporate strategy as well as all the PD&CX components. This position works under the authority of the Director of Product Development & Customer Experience. [Source 7]

•  Richard H. Anderson — President & CEO.
• Christian Zacariassen — Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer.
•  DJ Stadtler — Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer.
• Dennis Newman — Executive Vice President, Planning & Strategy. 
• Eleanor D. Acheson — Executive Vice President and General Counsel & Corporate Secretary.
• Roger Harris — Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer.
•  Scot Naparstek — Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
• Stephen J. Gardner — SEVP, Commercial, Marketing & Strategy.
• Steve Predmore — Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer.
•  Tracie Winbigler — Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

CUSTOMER SERVICE STRUCTURE IN NSW TRAINLINK — OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE

1. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS AREAS OF AUTHORITY

• The customer is at the center of everything we do, and we are committed to connecting communities by delivering excellent customer service every day at NSW Trains. The company's focus remains on creating a better experience for its customers, and they look forward to welcoming two new train fleets in the coming years to deliver a safer, more reliable, and comfortable journey.

2. USEFUL INSIGHTS

• NSW TrainLink delivers quality day-to-day customer service by providing visible and empowered staff, accurate and timely information, a safe and secure journey, and clean, well-maintained stations.
• A key focus is to improve customer journeys continually, exceeding the standards our customers expect. Their network operation starts from track to train to signal and customer service, as well as maintenance of our assets and those of NSW TrainLink.

• The customer service attendant will be required to undertake a broad range of station functions with a sound knowledge of policies, procedures, and guidelines. Their tasks will include train operations, customer service, and station presentation.
• They aim to deliver consistent, predictable, good quality customer service every day through our visible and empowered staff.

•  Customer service attendants help customers by answering their queries, assisting them with their luggage, and giving them information about train services.
• Their role is to answer customer queries for the whole day, inspect station environments, records train movements, deliver information on delays, and support with crowd management.

• Julian Narborough A/Executive Director Customer Service — He built best-in-class, customer-centered operations, defining and leading transformational strategies that engage teams from concept to completion. Whether leading operations, technology, or service teams, his message remains clear: "the customer is the center of everything". He provides clear direction during periods of transformation and expertly navigates change in complex environments that are often resistant to change.
• Customer service attendants fall under the customer service delivery team.

• The directorates include customer service, operations delivery, train crewing and support, engineering and maintenance, finance and business services, group rail, people and corporate affairs, group rail, safety, environment and risk, planning and portfolio delivery, and future network delivery.

• Howard Collins OBE — Chief Executive Sydney Trains/Master of Business Administration Fellow Member of the Institute of Directors Fellow of Institute of Civil Engineers.
• Julian Narborough — A/Executive Director Customer Service/Masters of Business Administration Advanced Management Program (Harvard Business School).
• George Stojkovski — A/Executive Director Operations Delivery/Diploma in Business Management.
•  Hayden Donoghue — Executive Director Train Crewing and Support/Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness) Master of Business Administration Graduate Certificate Supply Chain and Logistics.
•  Stewart Mills — Executive Director Engineering and Maintenance/Bachelor of Science (Hons) Mining Associate of Camborne School of Mines, Executive Fellows Program Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
•  David Callahan — Executive Director Planning and Portfolio Delivery/Master of Business Administration Bachelor of Social Science, Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors, Executive Fellows Program, Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
•  Anthony Eid — Executive Director of Future Network Delivery/Advanced Diploma Management.
• Nev Nichols — Executive Director Safety, Environment and Risk, Group Rail/Bachelor Degree Electrical Engineering Post Graduate Diploma Management Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology Fellow of the Institute of Railway Signal Engineers.
• Peter Crimp — A/Executive Director of Finance and Business Services, Group Rail/Bachelor of Commerce Masters of Commerce (Hons) Chartered Accountant.
• Meg Graham — Executive Director of People and Corporate Affairs, Group Rail/Bachelor of Business Management.
• Irene Rusak — General Counsel/Bachelor of Laws Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance Fellow of Governance Institute of Australia.
• Michelle Sloane OAM3 — Director Communications, Media and Government Affairs/Master of Arts (Psychology) Masters of Business Administration Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

Train Company Case Studies (Part 5): Current Trends in Customer Service Management and Satisfaction of Train Travelers in Europe

Train-Travel Service Providers are Adopting Environmentally Friendly Practices

• A joint study about sustainability that was conducted by Virtuoso and YouGov concluded that 37 percent of train travelers in Europe are interested in companies that are “adopting environmentally friendly practices.” According to this study, 41 percent are likely to pay more for “adopting environmentally friendly practices.”
• Eurail’s North American Market Manager, Clarissa Mattos notes that eco-conscious travelers are considering traveling by train to be more energy-efficient than other modes of transportation such as flying. “There is an increased interest in rail because it fits in with the concerns of customers right now who want to reduce the carbon footprint of their holiday,” she stated. In a Eurail Customer Survey conducted in 2019, Mattos notes that 71 percent of train travelers — around 20 percentage points higher than in 2017-agreed that “the low carbon footprint of rail travel was relevant in their decision about the mode of transport for a holiday.”
• "Local climate policy and planning aimed at carbon emission reduction in cities and regions are causing a modal shift towards rail transport." For instance, the Netherlands started a business initiative involving more than 50 companies to increase the "use of rail as a carbon-neutral mode for business and commuter transport." The ambition of this initiative is "to reduce GHG emission of travel by 50 percent in 2025."
• EU countries are "promoting a shift to low emission mobility and tackling negative externalities." Countries are becoming more concerned with adopting alternative fuels that are environmentally friendly for all transport modes. "Kim Johnston, manager of the Leisure Department at Travel Leaders in Tacoma, Washington, notes that 'all travelers want to believe that they can make a change in the way their travels impact the environment.'"

Adoption of Smart Ticketing Systems

• There is continuous innovation taking place in the railway industry/train travel in Europe that is aimed at improving the customer experience as the future of the European Railway System is becoming customer-focused to deliver high-quality service. "For instance, the South Western Rail in the U.K. launched Tap2Go, which removes the need for customers to buy a ticket before their journey. Passengers touch their card at the gates and validators at the start and end of their journey." The system will then calculate the best fare and the travel charges will be deducted from the client's account a day after their travel.
• The adoption of smart ticketing solutions by railway companies in Europe means high operational efficiency and improved security against fraud. This is "expected to contribute to the market growth." Additionally, the smart solutions support quick payment transactions and provide travelers with "flexible travel options such as part-time season passes."
• Eurail was founded in 2001 and it "promotes the Eurail Pass, which is an all-in-one train ticket giving non-European tourists flexible access to most trains across the continent. Travelers can simply flash the pass as they board trains, which liberates them from fixed timetables."
• The global smart ticketing system market size will reach a revenue of $33.7 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 14.9 percent between 2019 and 2026.

Increased Opportunities for Customers to Have Authentic Experiences

• Developments in train-travel in Europe has not only provided a way for travelers to escape over-tourism (tourism overcrowding) but also offer them opportunities to have a taste of authentic Europe enabled via stops in small villages. Customers can interact with locals as they unravel unexpected places and experience, opportunities that they would have missed if they had traveled by plane. "Seeking authentic experiences" is among the five Top Travel Motivations in the 2019 Virtuoso Luxe Report.
• Travel by trains across Europe enables a “connection with culture that starts as soon as you get on board. When you travel in Europe on the train you are already in an authentic mood”, explained Mattos. Travelers will connect with the locals and the environment in a more natural, relaxed, and authentic experience.
• The travel planning provided by travel advisers for train travelers in Europe also includes local immersion opportunities. “It is so much fun to see my clients’ faces when we offer a cooking lesson in a farmhouse, the chance to take a small boat to go fishing off the coast of Spain or to have a private wine tasting with a sommelier,” says Bradford.

The Power of Personalization

• 2019 was noted as the year of ultra-personalized travel in a Virtuoso Luxe Report as client requests indicate the desire to have highly personalized and memorable experiences. Mattos sighted train traveling in Europe as a good example of this kind of unique personalization because it provides such diverse interests. European train travelers have several opportunities to come up with adventure and outdoor itineraries, create a culture focused on dining and wining, or design and fashion, and even leave space/time for spontaneous travel via rail passes.
• Rail passes such as those offered by Eurail Pass offer train travelers unlimited possibilities when exploring Europe. The various types of trains available on this network make it possible for travelers to have customized and authentic experiences. Regional trains that do not require reservations make it possible for travelers to make spontaneous choices. With Eurail Pass, train travelers in Europe can travel across several famous cities including Geneva, Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam and have a truly exciting experience.

Research strategy