According to the national industry body, The Institute of Customer Service, Northern Trains has shown the biggest improvement in customer service satisfaction in the rail industry, with a third consecutive rise in customer scores.
In January this year, Northern scored 72.4 out of 100 compared to 68.6 in July 2021, and 62.5 in January 2021. That increase of 9.9 points compares to a 5.2 point rise across the rail industry at large.
As well as topping the rail industry's ‘most improved' chart, Northern was also named the sixth most improved organisation in the UK from any sector.
Northern operates services across the north of England, including Manchester, Liverpool, Preston area, Cumbria and North Lancashire, Leeds and West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humber, and the North East. It also operates some services in Scotland.
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) is the national barometer of customer satisfaction published twice a year by The Institute of Customer Service. It is an independent, objective benchmark of customer satisfaction on a consistent set of measures on over 272 organisations and organisation types in 13 sectors.
Based on responses from an online customer panel, the UKCSI asks customers to rate their experience of an organisation against 25 metrics, including: Experience, Complaints, Customer Ethos, Emotional Connection, and Ethics.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director, said: “Everyone at Northern has worked incredibly hard over the past 12 months, in very challenging circumstances, to deliver for our customers – and the UKCSI data is testament to those efforts.
“That said, we certainly won't be resting on our laurels. We have an ambitious and ongoing programme of improvements to our stations, not to mention the rollout of our refurbished digital trains that are out and about on the network.
“Listening to our customers and acting on their feedback is key to our approach and we look forward to building on these scores in the future.”
I don’t think Northern will find many users of the Hull-Halifax service will agree. Since covid the service has suffered with umpteen timetable changes from what was a very efficient ‘clock face’ one. Trains not reinstated until national timetable changes. Two additional Selby/Leeds morning peaks reinsteted but not the two in the evening peak time leaving an imbalance. Then with the variant suspend a mid morning/mid afternoon and evening trains again.
So much for catering for people now able to go back to work.