WHICH? REPORT ON FARE ADVICE “MISLEADING”
19th August 2009
ATOC
PRESS RELEASE
19 AUGUST 2009
EMBARGOED UNTIL 20 AUGUST, 2009, 00.01 AM
WHICH? REPORT ON FARE ADVICE “MISLEADING”
Responding to the Which? report published today claiming that train passengers are receiving poor advice from rail staff, Michael Roberts, the chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) says:
“This report is seriously misleading. Independent research last year, using a sample of passengers fifty times the size used by Which? and based on the kind of questions most commonly asked by passengers, found that the correct information on rail fares was given 99% of the time.
“To help us improve how we handle queries, we have asked Which? to provide us with the actual questions it posed but, for the second time, the magazine has declined to do so."
Ends
For further information, please contact the ATOC Press Office on 020 7841 8020.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Q&As
Q1. Why can rail staff not provide accurate information on fares to passengers when requested?
A. We will be studying the findings of the Which? report but it is seriously misleading in suggesting that “passengers will often pay too much for their tickets”.
Q2. How is the Which? report misleading?
A. ATOC conducts an annual comprehensive national mystery shopping survey every year for the Department for Transport, which is undertaken by a third party organisation. This is a regulatory requirement.
The most recent survey, conducted between May and September 2008 by GfK NOP, involved 7,500 station shopping exercises, 600 internet shopping exercises and 2400 telesales shopping exercises.
The overall results for our 2008 survey showed a 99.1% accuracy rate. The internet and telesales surveys involved different scenarios, covering the full range of common ticket requirements. In the case of the internet exercise, the accuracy rate was 100%, whilst for the telesales exercise the rate was 98.7%.
By contrast, the Which? survey involved 200 questions based on 20 different journeys, split between conversations at station ticket offices and with National Rail Enquiries’ (NRE) call centre staff.
NRE also commissions TNS to conduct an on-going mystery shopping exercise to test the accuracy of advice provided by its contact centre advisors. NRE is regulated by the Department for Transport and it sets the minimum service quality standards that NRE must deliver to passengers. Each year, 4000 calls are monitored using a range of scenario-based questions relating to the pricing of fares, Railcards and Travelcards. Advisors are also asked questions about timetables, and provisions for mobility impaired passengers. In the 12 months between May 2008 and April 2009, 98.5% of calls were answered correctly.
Train companies work very hard to improve the information they provide for passengers (see Q4), and to help us improve how we handle queries we have asked Which? to provide us with the actual questions it posed but, for the second time, the magazine has declined to do so.
Q3. Why are your survey results so different from those of Which? ?'
A. It would appear that Which? has asked a series of infrequently asked questions about journeys which are often characterised by unusual features. Nevertheless, we accept that we ought to be able to give the correct information about these journeys.
We will investigate the issues raised by Which?. But it is very misleading to imply in its report that the majority of passengers are given incorrect information on fares. Our own survey evidence is a far more reliable guide to retailing/information accuracy.
Q4. What are train operators doing to improve the quality of information that their staff provide to passengers?
A. All the train operators are signatories to the Ticket and Settlement Agreement, which sets out clear obligations for them on the standards they are required to meet with regard to the selling of rail tickets impartially and correctly.
Every train company employs retail training programmes for its staff which are designed to ensure that it meets these requirements, which is a condition of its franchise agreement (or its licence in the case of open access operators).
Best practice in retail training is shared through ATOC, which also provides training materials, support and briefings to train operators to ensure that they fulfill these requirements.
NRE call centre staff receive 10 weeks training, which consists of two weeks of communication skills, five weeks on processes and three weeks in the development centre. This training covers journey planning, systems, fares and times, Railcards, Travelcards and many other types of tickets.
Q5. Who sets car parking charges at stations?
A. At most stations this is done by the train operators. But, at certain major stations, car park charges are set by Network Rail or, in some cases, by private operators. The short stay car parks at Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central, quoted by Which?, are managed by Network Rail.
Q6. Why are your short term car parking charges so expensive?
A. Most stations provide set down/pick up points, which are free. Tariffs for short stay car parking are set to discourage parking for longer than a short period. We would not expect anyone to leave their car in a short stay car park for 12 hours. There is plenty of signage to highlight the charges.
Q7. Why do your car park charges vary so much station by station?
A. Car park charges are set at a level appropriate for the market and, in many (particularly urban) areas, are comparable to adjacent local authority or privately operated car parks. That is in order to avoid non-rail users from making use of station car parks, which is what would happen if they were markedly less expensive than others nearby.
Q8. Why can’t rail staff return lost property more efficiently?
A. We are pleased that the Which? research clearly shows a significant improvement over its previous survey. Staff do invariably try to return property to the person to whom it belongs if they are able to identify him/her.
As far as the individual case quoted for Luton, please refer to the train operator (First Capital Connect).
About ATOC
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) provides the official voice for the passenger rail industry by representing train companies to the government and other opinion formers on transport policy issues. Britain's train operators are working together to change rail travel for the better.
ATOC manages many joint activities for train operators including revenue allocation and settlement, impartial retailing, National Rail Enquiries, Railcard marketing, staff travel arrangements, international products and travel agent licensing.
19 AUGUST 2009
EMBARGOED UNTIL 20 AUGUST, 2009, 00.01 AM
WHICH? REPORT ON FARE ADVICE “MISLEADING”
Responding to the Which? report published today claiming that train passengers are receiving poor advice from rail staff, Michael Roberts, the chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) says:
“This report is seriously misleading. Independent research last year, using a sample of passengers fifty times the size used by Which? and based on the kind of questions most commonly asked by passengers, found that the correct information on rail fares was given 99% of the time.
“To help us improve how we handle queries, we have asked Which? to provide us with the actual questions it posed but, for the second time, the magazine has declined to do so."
Ends
For further information, please contact the ATOC Press Office on 020 7841 8020.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Q&As
Q1. Why can rail staff not provide accurate information on fares to passengers when requested?
A. We will be studying the findings of the Which? report but it is seriously misleading in suggesting that “passengers will often pay too much for their tickets”.
Q2. How is the Which? report misleading?
A. ATOC conducts an annual comprehensive national mystery shopping survey every year for the Department for Transport, which is undertaken by a third party organisation. This is a regulatory requirement.
The most recent survey, conducted between May and September 2008 by GfK NOP, involved 7,500 station shopping exercises, 600 internet shopping exercises and 2400 telesales shopping exercises.
The overall results for our 2008 survey showed a 99.1% accuracy rate. The internet and telesales surveys involved different scenarios, covering the full range of common ticket requirements. In the case of the internet exercise, the accuracy rate was 100%, whilst for the telesales exercise the rate was 98.7%.
By contrast, the Which? survey involved 200 questions based on 20 different journeys, split between conversations at station ticket offices and with National Rail Enquiries’ (NRE) call centre staff.
NRE also commissions TNS to conduct an on-going mystery shopping exercise to test the accuracy of advice provided by its contact centre advisors. NRE is regulated by the Department for Transport and it sets the minimum service quality standards that NRE must deliver to passengers. Each year, 4000 calls are monitored using a range of scenario-based questions relating to the pricing of fares, Railcards and Travelcards. Advisors are also asked questions about timetables, and provisions for mobility impaired passengers. In the 12 months between May 2008 and April 2009, 98.5% of calls were answered correctly.
Train companies work very hard to improve the information they provide for passengers (see Q4), and to help us improve how we handle queries we have asked Which? to provide us with the actual questions it posed but, for the second time, the magazine has declined to do so.
Q3. Why are your survey results so different from those of Which? ?'
A. It would appear that Which? has asked a series of infrequently asked questions about journeys which are often characterised by unusual features. Nevertheless, we accept that we ought to be able to give the correct information about these journeys.
We will investigate the issues raised by Which?. But it is very misleading to imply in its report that the majority of passengers are given incorrect information on fares. Our own survey evidence is a far more reliable guide to retailing/information accuracy.
Q4. What are train operators doing to improve the quality of information that their staff provide to passengers?
A. All the train operators are signatories to the Ticket and Settlement Agreement, which sets out clear obligations for them on the standards they are required to meet with regard to the selling of rail tickets impartially and correctly.
Every train company employs retail training programmes for its staff which are designed to ensure that it meets these requirements, which is a condition of its franchise agreement (or its licence in the case of open access operators).
Best practice in retail training is shared through ATOC, which also provides training materials, support and briefings to train operators to ensure that they fulfill these requirements.
NRE call centre staff receive 10 weeks training, which consists of two weeks of communication skills, five weeks on processes and three weeks in the development centre. This training covers journey planning, systems, fares and times, Railcards, Travelcards and many other types of tickets.
Q5. Who sets car parking charges at stations?
A. At most stations this is done by the train operators. But, at certain major stations, car park charges are set by Network Rail or, in some cases, by private operators. The short stay car parks at Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central, quoted by Which?, are managed by Network Rail.
Q6. Why are your short term car parking charges so expensive?
A. Most stations provide set down/pick up points, which are free. Tariffs for short stay car parking are set to discourage parking for longer than a short period. We would not expect anyone to leave their car in a short stay car park for 12 hours. There is plenty of signage to highlight the charges.
Q7. Why do your car park charges vary so much station by station?
A. Car park charges are set at a level appropriate for the market and, in many (particularly urban) areas, are comparable to adjacent local authority or privately operated car parks. That is in order to avoid non-rail users from making use of station car parks, which is what would happen if they were markedly less expensive than others nearby.
Q8. Why can’t rail staff return lost property more efficiently?
A. We are pleased that the Which? research clearly shows a significant improvement over its previous survey. Staff do invariably try to return property to the person to whom it belongs if they are able to identify him/her.
As far as the individual case quoted for Luton, please refer to the train operator (First Capital Connect).
About ATOC
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) provides the official voice for the passenger rail industry by representing train companies to the government and other opinion formers on transport policy issues. Britain's train operators are working together to change rail travel for the better.
ATOC manages many joint activities for train operators including revenue allocation and settlement, impartial retailing, National Rail Enquiries, Railcard marketing, staff travel arrangements, international products and travel agent licensing.
