Quality Care

The Quality Care and Quality improvement programs are vital to every successful organization. There are several Quality Care initiatives adopted by these organizations. According to a report on Driving for Change and Quality Customer Care in the Public Sector at Bus Átha Cliath, the Quality Care Improvement Plan was also drawn up based on the Business Plan –which defined the Quality Standards and Quality Care to be achieved the following:

• Customer Focus project to be launched
• Greater customer awareness throughout the Company
• Selected services – to achieve improved quality
• Pilot work towards Customer Charter
• Set up external Customer Panels and Liaison Groups
• Customer Charter to be introduced
• Implement a system of on-going internal monitoring of quality of product
• Set up Internal customer teams in each operating centre
• Build involvement and ownership of quality at all levels – together with
• Employee Quality Award Program
• Establish a system of continuous improvement

To ensure Quality Care independent evaluation of the performance of the pilot Quality Bus Corridors was carried out by an independent professional company on behalf of Bus Átha Cliath. The findings from such professional customer survey work provided a very good feedback for identifying the important issues from a customer’s point of view and their perception and assessment of the Quality Care being provided by the pilot Quality Bus Corridors. This work was very detailed ranging from time band travel to previous form of travel and frequency of use and possession of a car or not and was it available for use. Age, gender, journey purpose and a whole range of satisfaction measures from awaiting the bus, covering every aspect of the journey to overall standard of Quality Care and assessed value of money to assessments of priority measures on each route and the worst and best aspects were part of this work.

This work was repeated a number of times with a few months interval and the trends established changes or improvements in response to the ongoing customer research work to provide Quality Care. This data helped to formulate the key and important aspects to be incorporated in the Company’s Customer Charter which was then drawn up. It was fully discussed with the management team, trade unions and all employee groups throughout the Company and then introduced. The Charter confirms that Dublin Bus is committed to providing a Quality Care and efficient service. Targets in terms of standard of service, reliability, accessibility, capacity etc. are set out in the Charter. Independent professional market research on the Dublin Bus services is carried out continuously day by day and results are made public.

A revision of the audit is carried out periodically in order to establish new findings on customer needs and Quality Care. Criterion weighting is applied during the analysis of the information and performance indicators are established regarding delight or dissatisfaction with regard to the range of measures. Research methodology consists of customer interviews on-bus and by telephone using mystery shoppers and trained evaluators and customer survey. The independent researchers are trained to become expert evaluators using predefined scores and standards. The mystery shoppers act as customers on buses and in the lost property office and seeking information at the Customer Sales Office and enquiries by phone and from the website and ticket purchase.