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7. The Customer Experience
Figure 7.5
Key frustrations and annoyances for road users.
Source: TfL Customer and Employee Insight.
Cycling is an active means of travel and maintaining momentum is a priority for
cyclists. The things that annoy them most are the behaviour of other road users and
having to stop and start in traffic. This is particularly annoying as it reduces the
feeling of being in control which is a key motivator for choosing to cycle. The
condition of the highway and provision of dedicated cycle lanes are also important;
potholes or a lack of cycling facilities makes cyclists feel that their needs are not
being addressed.
Walking can be an active choice or incidental to travelling and positive and negative
emotions can exist simultaneously. Pedestrians can feel their needs are not
prioritised. Control is less consciously noticed but still at the heart of pedestrian
satisfaction. This is closely linked to ease of movement, a relaxed experience with
pleasant interactions with others and personal comfort, such as places to stop and
rest. Stress is more of a secondary emotion as walking is generally associated with
lower levels of frustration. A pleasant environment and open spaces also make
walking an enjoyable experience.
Formulating a model of what ‘good service’ looks like
To provide good customer service and demonstrate that every journey matters, TfL
must consistently provide the things that customers expect as a minimum and
those things that show we are continually improving. Until we get the basics right,
which includes both hygiene and critical success factors in figure 7.6, we will not be
able to make a real difference to our customers’ everyday experience and
satisfaction.
129 Travel in London, Report 8