Focusing on service quality
Veolia Transport proposes a bottom-to-top progressive quality process with five levels. This helps us to better respond to the wishes of our passengers and clients:
Quality process
The final part of the process: Certifies the agreed procedures.
Commitments to the rider and the transport authority.
Sanctions the results of the quality process as defined by contract.
Measurement of satisfaction and the performance of achieved quality.
The base: applied to everything that the company does.
- The first level concerns the management of the quality within the company.
- The second level consists of the quality tools necessary to measure the satisfaction of the customer (quality perceived) and the performance quality of the operator (quality achieved).
- The third level covers the quality approach as contractually defined. A win-win for the transit authority, the traveling public and the operator.
- The fourth level is based on a communication tool which clarifies the Veolia Transport's commitment to the rider and to the transit authority.
- Finally, the fifth level is the conclusion of the process outlined here which drives the operator to a contractual certification of performance.
Quality management
For Veolia Transport, the management of quality is based on a decentralized organization that involves everyone within the company. Internal communication is essential to ensure the involvement and motivation of personnel. The development of the coordination and the interface between all areas is the key in achieving quality of service. The implementation of concrete actions leads to an increase in quality of work by reducing or eventually eradicating root causes to problems.
Veolia Transport has obtained a number of certificates (ISO 9000 and ISO 14000): several operations in France (for all or part of their activities), 1 certification in Australia, 4 in Sweden, 16 in Germany, 15 in Belgium, 4 in Finland, 3 in Denmark, 3 in the Czech Republic and 1 in Bogotá, Columbia.
A partner approach with the transit authority
Veolia Transport establishes a true partnership on the quality approach with the transit authority. We consider this is essential to correctly define, improve and consolidate the quality process.
Once the objectives and the scope of the project are agreed between the authority and the operator, a reporting tool is produced to provide a regular update for the transit authority on the actions carried out and their results, and to agree on the next steps. This reporting tool is based on clear indicators, and includes an analysis and interpretation of all measurements.
Quality measurement tools
Veolia Transport bases the measurement of quality on two main tools, which can both be used as internal management tools:
- Customer Satisfaction surveys
Customer satisfaction surveys measure Perceived Quality, which refers to the quality perceived by customers when using the service. The customer satisfaction survey measures overall levels of satisfaction with the service provided and identifies key drivers of satisfaction according to each customer group.
- Mystery shopping programs
Mystery Shopping measures Achieved Quality which refers to the quality level provided by the operator in normal operating conditions. Service malfunctioning, due to operator fault or other, is taken into account.
A mystery shopping program experiences the service anonymously, posing as a regular rider, to experience and evaluate the level of customer service provided. It evaluates the system, not the people.