1. Fares Linda McCord Transport Focus 8 July 2015

2. Independent consumer watchdog for Britain’s rail passengers and bus, coach and tram passengers in England outside of London New role representing users of England’s strategic road network Aim is to make a difference and be useful Robust, evidenced based research and policy Represent users’ priorities and experiences...pro consumer! Bringing our understanding of the consumer experience to secure a fair deal for passengers

3. Give passengers what they want …not what we think they want my journey, not the journey-a customised, flowing experience Passengers want choice – this adds complexity Are walk up fares too expensive? Good fares available in advance. Industry needs to explain better

5. Products for today’s market Get rewarded for going in off peak Carnets that work. Incentivise flexible working – save money, not sense that are wasting season ticket. Cost of buying a through ticket should not exceed the cost of the individual legs

6. Underlying fares anomalies Split ticketing issue, some passengers will continue to pay more than they need You lose out unless ‘in the know’ – and even then.... Feels underhand, undermines trust An example of where the unwary pay more than necessary is Leicester to Aberystwyth: the Anytime Single through fare is £61.00 an Anytime Single Leicester to Birmingham (£17.00) plus an Anytime Single Birmingham to Aberystwyth (28.80) comes to £45.80.

7. TVMs – my ticket isn’t there…… Some stations are missing entirely (e.g. Melton Mowbray not on some machines at St Pancras, Stratford Parkway not on some machines at Marylebone) Off-peak tickets not ‘showing’ in time to buy one and catch the first train on which that ticket is valid GroupSave tickets are not generally available PlusBus offered only by some machines All lead to hassle for passengers Some lead passengers to overpay Most undermine trust

8. Passengers’ relationship with the rail industry The further you get away from the actual ‘in the moment’ journey the lower the satisfaction recorded. Trust in service Punctuality value for money helpful staff Focus on the core product Trust in relationship  being truthful  acting with integrity  building relationships  communicating well Build customer relationship through engagement and communication Trust in judgement  do the right thing (even when no one is looking)  being truthful  acting with integrity  building relationships  communicating well Build brand awareness

9. How brands build affinity and trust RATIONAL EMOTIONAL Good value for money Consistent & predictable Feeling in control Personalisation / feeling valued Staff excellence Good product Going the extra mile Affinity with service brands starts with more practical factors, however, the more emotionally engaging factors are more likely to be the ones that build trust Role in building trust Honesty and transparency Visible choice Effective problem resolution DIALOGUE WITH CUSTOMER EMOTIONALLY ENGAGING PRACTICAL Message reinforcement

10. Trust – key relationship issues? TOCs act with honesty and integrity – key for passengers: feel like on my side can I trust you to sell me best fares heavy policing if get it wrong desire for personalisation and control ( carnets) Build long-term relationships new channels of communication loyalty rewards value for money

11. What needs to change  Guide passengers to their ticket – don’t make them guess what they need  Make sure TVMs can sell the full range of tickets – the industry cites TVMs as an alternative to a booking office, but there are significant gaps  Fix the underlying issues with the fares structure

12. Quick wins? –TVMs and tickets should show travel restrictions –Any time tickets showing when cheaper tickets are valid –recognise change of commuter travel patterns – flexibility –Single-leg pricing (ability to mix and match tickets – ie Advance on way out but off-peak for way back to add a bit of flexibility) Build passenger trust – value for money and flexible fares.