SOUTH Western Railway has been recognised for achieving the national standard in customer service.
Every aspect of the company’s customer-facing departments underwent 18 months of rigorous examination before being awarded the Putting the Customer First accreditation earlier this year by Customer First UK.
More than 250 staff were surveyed or interviewed by assessors, who visited the train company’s operations facilities in Basingstoke and conducted secret shopper visits at some of the busiest stations on its network.
Christian Neill, South Western Railway’s deputy customer experience director, said:
“We’re delighted to have been awarded the Putting the Customer First accreditation as it recognises how we’re putting the customer experience at the centre of everything we do.
“Government lockdown restrictions mean many customers are not currently using our services, but this doesn’t mean we’re resting on our laurels. We’re doing all we can to deliver a great experience for customers at every part of their journey in preparation for when they return in better times.”
SWR has also invested in its network to prepare for the return of more customers.
Ted Stone, chief executive of Customer First UK, said: “This is a great accolade for any organisation during normal business cycles, but the determination demonstrated by SWR to continue their efforts during the pandemic is particularly impressive. It clearly represents their forward-thinking business approach and awareness that commitment to customers should increase in times of difficulty.
“We are proud to welcome SWR to the collective of accredited organisations and look forward to working with them in future as they continue expanding their customer centric offering.”
