Keolis Nottingham has become the first light rail operator in England to achieve formal recognition for its commitment to customer service excellence.

Following a rigorous assessment process, the company, which runs Nottingham’s tram network, has been awarded ServiceMark accreditation from The Institute of Customer Service.

 

The highly respected organisation also praised employees at all levels for embracing a culture that puts customers at the heart of its operations.

 

Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service said

“By achieving ServiceMark, Keolis Nottingham has demonstrated it understands the importance of a sustained focus on their customers’ experience. By acting on the insights gained from customer and employee feedback as part of the ServiceMark accreditation, Keolis Nottingham remains in a strong position to offer customers what they want, when they want and how they want it.”

Paul Robinson, Keolis Nottingham’s Managing Director, commented:

“This recognition from The Institute confirms Nottingham Express Transit (NET) as one of the most popular light rail systems in the country, based on the findings of previous customer satisfaction surveys.

 

“We’re proud to be able to become the first tram operator in England to achieve the highly-valued ServiceMark. The achievement is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team here in Nottingham.”

 

As part of its accreditation process, The Institute found the operator scored an impressive 83 out of 100 in its Business Benchmarking results, based on a survey of customers carried out last year.

 

In The Institute’s UK Customer Service Index (UKCSI), the average benchmark score for all UK businesses currently stands at 77, with the average for the transport sector at 71.

 

Keolis Nottingham also scored highly in a survey of employees, which showed staff bought into a company-wide culture that encourages them to ‘think like a customer’.

 

In an accreditation report, The Institute assessor said:

“The focus on delivering great service, consistently and in everything the business does, was evident from the start and throughout the assessment.

 

“It was also clear that this is driven from the top of the organisation and championed by the senior leadership team. Everyone I spoke with, employees at all levels in the organisation, seem to take personal responsibility for delivering great experience for the customer with every journey.”

 

An independent membership body for customer service professionals, The Institute helps organisations improve their business performance through customer service excellence.

 

Since becoming a member, Keolis Nottingham has introduced a wide range of measures to enhance the customer experience, including initiatives to improve customer communication.

 

Constantina Samara, Customer Services Manager, explained:

“Thanks to our revamped social media channels, helpful customer service staff and more members of the team out and about on the network, it’s never been easier to get service updates or to get in touch with us.

 

“This approach has clearly been welcomed by our customers as well as being recognised as an example of service excellence by The Institute of Customer Service.”