Operators in public passenger transport (PPT) provide their services directly to the customer. Therefore, the service quality perceived by the customer will have a significant effect on the selection of the provider.
EN 13816 is the Standard for evidencing quality capability of transport providers in public passenger traffic, which is valid all over Europe. It serves as a guideline for defining and measuring service quality in contracts for buyers and providers of PPT services.
The European Standards establish the definition and specification of objectives and targets and measurement of quality of services provided in public passenger transport (PPT) and includes suggestions for selecting the adequate measuring techniques.
In EN 13816, quality is rated as being the degree of customer satisfaction. In this respect, customer satisfaction is understood as being the degree of congruence between performance expected and required by the customer and the services provided by the transport provider.
Integration of EN 13816 in a quality management system or an integrated management system will lead to a continuous and uniform system. This helps to reduce the scope of documentation as compared to single systems. Furthermore, conformity to EN 13816 supports the company in using the resources in such a well-aimed manner that the customer wishes can be fulfilled and will thus lead to additional customer satisfaction and thus to a commensurate increase in sales volume.
The advantages of EN 13816:
- increasing customer satisfaction;
- increasing the share of regular customers;
- increasing the advantages relating to revenue at official RFQ's (requests for quotation) (evidencing quality capability);
- internal increase of efficiency;
- systematically establishing the relations with buyers and suppliers;
- making the quality criteria of the service provided measurable
EN 13816 is to promote quality philosophy in public transport and invite companies to direct their attention to the customers' needs and expectations. This includes establishing a strategy, definition of service quality, informing the employees and conceiving and conducting measurements (technical and customer specific measurements). Analysis and benchmarking help to achieve continual improvement of quality.
The requirements of this Standard are chosen as to enable large-scale and small contracting parties, e.g. private and municipal transport providers, their subcontractors, public authorities and regulatory bodies, to profit from establishing and implementing this Standard.
The partners involved in providing the service (subcontractors, transport companies) will have to establish a quality management system that demonstrably ensures the following:
- identification of explicit and implicit customer expectations;
- considering and keeping legal, political and financial imperatives;
- identifying quality levels and opportunities for improvement;
- implementing measurable objectives and targets and quality criteria;
- selecting and establishing criteria;
- establishing the targeted performance level;
- measuring the service provided;
- measuring methods;
- measuring frequency;
- evaluation and validation;
- documentation;
- preparing and taking corrective action;
- customer rating relating to the perceived performance;
- preparing and implementing suitable action plans
