TICKETING
Train operators can vastly improve the way they sell tickets with careful use of technology, according toGraham Bodman, head of transport products and strategy at Atos Origin UK.
A
s rail enters another era of change with a recession and significant pressure on government spend-
ing, there are opportunities for longer franchises, which enables train operators to take a more long-term view of their in- vestment to change the customer experi- ence.
Retailing is a key part of any such change, and while it is a cost to the business it is also a key shop window for promoting products and the brand. Atos Origin, an international IT services company and a leader in hi-tech transactional services, has been working with a number of train operators to enhance their retailing.
Understanding customers is increasingly important, and there is a need to segment by type and value so we understand who is buying and we can offer extras based on their importance. Knowing who you are dealing with is particularly important when up-selling or managing complaints. Many operators have multiple sources of customer data but they rarely have a sin- gle database of all activity across all sales channels and other touch points. Through our work on web ticketing we have a deep understanding of customer relationship management (CRM) and the value it can bring not only for online channels, but in- tegration of all data from all channels.
Most customers buy through a variety of channels depending on circumstances, in- cluding some of the most valuable business customers who use the travel management
companies their corporate policies dictate. Using cost-effective and proven multi- channel CRM solutions it is possible to create a single customer view which cre- ates enormous potential for exploiting this data.
A single customer database is also a basis for understanding actual travel patterns, rather than just purchase histories. As more tickets are machine-readable through barcodes or embedded chips it becomes much more cost-effective to gather data about ticket usage. This information can be used to improve revenue management, longer-term service planning and to man- age complaints and refunds. AVANTIX Mobile can collect data from magnetically encoded tickets, barcodes and now ITSO, since recently being certified as a smart card inspection device. Soon it will also in- clude the ability to read EMV contactless cards (the global standard agreed between Europay, MasterCard and Visa).
“Data from machine readable tickets isn’t just useful for the commercial department; operations departments can also use it to make better- informed decisions on how to handle disruption and reduce customer inconvenience and complaints.”
Contactless EMV is one of the emerging methods of carrying a ticket as well as pay- ing for one. The concept of anyone with the right kind of bank card being able to use public transport just by waving their card at a reader is an exciting way of at- tracting occasional travellers, as well as reducing requirements to issue tickets. However, there are also risks around rev- enue protection and fraud which need to be managed. Atos Origin is working with a number of transport bodies to ensure there is the right balance between an at- tractive customer experience and cost and risk for the operator. In this area we are applying our wealth of experience as an international payments provider as well as our in-depth knowledge of retailing.
62 | rail technology magazine Feb/Mar 11
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