Developing A Service Improvement System for the National Dutch Railways

Peter C. Verhoef (), Martin Heijnsbroek () and Joost Bosma ()
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Peter C. Verhoef: University of Groningen, 9712 CP Groningen, Netherlands
Martin Heijnsbroek: MIcompany, 1017 HL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Joost Bosma: National Dutch Railways, 3511 ER Utrecht, Netherlands

Interfaces, 2017, vol. 47, issue 6, 489-504

Abstract: Customer satisfaction is essential for public and railway services, because firms in these industries have contracts with governments requiring them to achieve specific customer satisfaction targets. In this paper, we describe a National Dutch Railways project in which we identify the major determinants of customer satisfaction. By combining multiple data sources, we link operational and marketing data to customer satisfaction. Our models show that train punctuality and sufficient seating within a train are important factors in customer satisfaction, as are other service elements, such as the availability of Wi-Fi in a train and the condition of facilities at a station. Drawing on the model results, the National Dutch Railways pursued initiatives to increase customer satisfaction. Among these initiatives is the development of an application that allows passengers to check seating availability, the design of a marketing dashboard reflecting developments in customer satisfaction, and the creation of a tool to identify the most critical determinants of customer satisfaction.

Keywords: customer satisfaction; public transport; big data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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