MONITORING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE FROM THE PASSENGERS' PERSPECTIVE

Management's concern with customer satisfaction and the common methods of gauging patrons' assessment of service are discussed. A method of performing surveys of trains and stations based on sampling techniques is then described. Performed on a periodic basis, the studies have an audittype quality that helps alert management to potential problems and areas needing further investigation. The results of the studies are reviewed, and sample tables and graphs are presented. As a result of the data generated by the surveys, changes in train schedules were developed and further studies of the vehicle-cleaning process initiated. The increased reliability of the system is shown dramatically in a graph of published travel time variance.