Independent recognition for South Western Railway’s customer service training

Friday 12th April 2019

South Western Railway Customer Service Training Team
Our customer experience training team. Left to right: Susan Fishwick, Ann Hoad, Kirstie Angell, Silvia Follen, Michelle Elmes, Helen Pallot, Chris Whetren.

  • SWR’s Customer Experience Training programmes receive national accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service
  • Recognition for Customer Ambassador, Customer Service Assistant, Platform Staff and Revenue Protection training programmes
  • £4m investment in customer service and customer information over the next 18 months

South Western Railway’s Customer Experience Training team receives recognition for its training programmes by the prestigious Institute of Customer Service.

The Institute recognises SWR for its Customer Ambassador, Customer Service Assistant, Rail Operator and Revenue Protection training programmes. Accreditation is only given to organisations that are bench-marked and assessed to meet The Institute’s stringent requirements for:

  • Meeting Training Mark professional standards within the programme content
  • Ensuring effective processes are in place to assess individual customer service competence during and following the training
  • Ensuring programmes have sufficient strategic support from senior management

This accreditation reflects SWR’s wider commitment to customer service as £4 million is being invested in station staff and customers information over the next 18 months, including:

  • Over 120 new customer information screens at 89 stations across the network, including new service status boards at 13 of our busiest stations and at 17 of our busiest car parks
  • New staff screens across the network to make it easier for staff to access live train running information
  • Customer information screens at several stations, promoting local bus connections and links to local attractions

Sandy Clarke, South Western Railway’s Head of Learning and Development, said:
“South Western Railway is committed to improving customers’ experiences of our services, particularly during periods of disruption. Our highest priority is putting our customers at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make.”

“Gaining accreditation is concrete evidence of this, and shows we’re giving our staff the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to deliver world-class customer experience that we aspire to.”

“Staff who successfully complete SWR’s in-house customer experience training will receive a certificate from Institute of Customer Service and the transferable skills to help them develop their careers.”

Jo Causon, The Institute of Customer Service’s CEO, said:
“Organisations who invest in developing the customer service skills, knowledge and behaviour of their employees see improved employee engagement and customer satisfaction as a result.

“Sustained commitment to improving the customer experience has been proven to enhance operational performance and reduce costs over the long term.”