1. Enhancing Customer Service through Market Research and Segmentation
February 27, 2013
Paula Edwards
Director Customer Care, GO Transit

2. GO Transit - Background
A division of Metrolinx
1967 first service launched
64 million passengers moved in 2012
260,000 passengers/weekday
80% Rail; 20% Bus
Connects 16 municipal transit systems
78 stations / terminals
66,000 + parking spaces

3. Turning Point for Customer Service
88% train on-time performance in 2008/09
Negative public and customer perception
Focus on operations and safety often compromised customer service
Lack of customer engagement
Led to a 3 year Customer Service Strategy that was approved in 2009

4. Research in 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey – 1st in 5 years
Origin/Destination bi-annual surveys
Reactive action based on customer complaints – no trending

5. Embedding the Customer into our Culture
Customer Service Training Roadmap
Research Road Map
Mystery Shopping
Usage and Attitude Study
Customer Experience Mapping
Retail Strategy
Customer Segmentation
Customer Satisfaction Executive Workshops
Work
Customer Online Advisory Panel
Customer Comment Dashboard
Established the Research and Business Solutions team
Passenger Charter Focus Groups
Customer Satisfaction Program
Excellence +
We Excel
Delivering Strategic Services
2013
We Anticipate
Moving Beyond Expectations
2012
We Care II
Reinforcing our Commitment
2011
Tiered approach was needed to get the organization ready to listen to the voice of the customer. Paired the research initiatives with our Customer service training roadmap to build a comprehensive view of the customer that is shared with the organization.
2010
We Care I
Serving our Customers
2009
Foundations

6. Let GO Know
Launched in April-2011 as a foundational tool to elevate research
Over 6,700 panellists
Average response rate of 41%
70% respond within 24 hrs.
Utilized for: - Concept testing for new products Insights for new programs and initiatives Feedback on existing products/services
Research now completed at 1/10th of the cost of traditional surveys

7. How We’re Listening Closing the feedback loop with customers
Website links survey results with action
GO News
Annual progress reports
Public facing scorecard

8. Evolving Research to Insights
Customer Insights
Customer Satisfaction
Origin / Destination Surveys
Let GO Know
Customer Comments
Ideas At Work
Focus Groups
Performance Analytics

9. GO’s Customer Segmentation

10. GO’s Segmentation Approach
Striving to be more than just a transportation provider
We learned from Retail;
Every Passenger is the Same
Everyone is Completely Different
Natural Grouping of Preferences
To believe in segmentation is to believe that people are neither completely and utterly different from one another or that each and every person is the same. Segmentation is about modeling the consumer space with the goal to provide clarity for business direction.
The role of research in this study is to bring order to a rather chaotic world for the marketer – to see the patterns, to see the groupings/segments of riders that share common behaviors, choices and feelings. Segmentation can help reduce the noise and bring focus.
Designed to create an actionable segmentation of GO riders in order to improve service and communications.

11. GO’s Customer Categories
GO’s Segments are based on:
Demographics and Psychographics
Media habits, Hobbies and Interests
Satisfaction with and Attitudes towards GO Transit
Activities on the GO
Reasons for Riding and Frequency of Riding on GO Transit
Travel patterns
Demographics: Refers to selected population characteristics as used in government, marketing or opinion research, or the demographic profiles used in such research; characteristics such as age, race, or gender. E.g.:
•Age: children, teens, young, middle, senior
•Gender: male, female, third gender (India/Hindu among others)
•Education: high school, technical, college, post graduate
•Income: poor, low, middle, upper, wealthy
•Marital status: single, married, divorced, significant other
•Ethnicity and/or race: White, Black, Aboriginal, Latino, European
•Family life cycle: newlyweds, married 10+ years, with or without children
Psychographics: Refers to variables of attributes relating to personality, values, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles.
•Lifestyle: adventurous, affluent, frugal, intellectual, trendy. E.g.:
•Political: Conservative, Democrat, Independent, Liberal, Republican
•Religion and/or belief system: Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim
•Social class: lower, middle, upper, blue-collar, white-collar
•Opinion: easily led or opinionated, helpful, negative, positive
•Activities & Interests: books, fitness, hobbies, shopping, sports
•Attitudes & Values: environmentalist, security conscious, vegetarian

12. GO’s Customer Segmentation
GO settled on 7 distinct passenger personas:
• “The Happy Rider”
• “The Working Rider”
• “The Rider that Wants to be Left Alone”
• “The Angry Rider”
• “The Social Rider”
• “The ‘Hip’ Rider”
• “The Student Rider”
“The Happy Rider”

13. GO’s Customer Segmentation
“The Working Rider”
“The Rider that Wants to be Left Alone”

14. GO’s Customer Segmentation
“The Angry Rider”
“The Social Rider”

15. GO’s Customer Segmentation
“The ‘Hip’ Rider”
“The Student Rider”

16. In Practice – GO’s Quiet Zone
Segmentation Research Found
How we used the Research
Celebrated among six segments
An opportunity to delight “The Angry Rider” and the “Rider who wants to be left alone”
Pay attention to “The Social Rider”
Would you use the quiet car?
The Rider that wants to be left alone
84%
The Student Rider
81%
The Angry Rider
The Happy Rider
78%
The “Hip” Rider
77%
The Working Rider
76%
The Social Rider
51%

17. Using Segmentation moving forward
Incorporating Segmentation into all research
Marketing Plan
Courtesy Campaign
Brand Design Refresh
Social Media
Communications Strategy
Next multi-year Customer Service Strategy
Executive workshops where segmentation will be applied to individual stations and bus routes
Segmentation is embedded in all research conducted with GO customers
Roadshows and information sessions for various departments and divisions so it can be incorporated into daily work/decision-making
Develop a full- ledged action plan that can be shared in the organization and identify the ‘low hanging’ fruit
Develop training modules and carry out front-line training as part of the “Excellence in Service - 5-year Training Roadmap”

18. How we’re doing:

19. What We’ve Learned It’s a journey – not a quick win
Have a Plan. “Without a destination, any road will do" 
It doesn’t need to cost a lot
Recognize the diversity/similarities in your customers needs
Engage executives early and take action
Close the feedback loop with your customers
I – A strong Market research program is not an easy fix, but takes dedication and commitment
II – The Plan guides you and keeps you accountable
III – You do not need huge consulting costs, a lot of this can be done in house. Also on line panels cut surveying costs substantially.
IV – Your market is not made up of all one type of customer nor is it completely fragmented…segments can be found!
V – Executive buy in is critical to ensuring they are asking about the customer and ensure you take action on the findings
VI - Closing the feedback loop with customers
Website links survey results with action
GO News
Annual progress reports
Public facing scorecard

20. Thank You!
GO, Union Pearson Express and PRESTO are divisions of Metrolinx, an Agency of the Government of Ontario