The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Rail Team of the Year

Ryan Lewsey

Said the following about Customer Information Team:

“The Greater Anglia Customer Information team are natural problem solvers that provide a ‘can do attitude’ and take the lead during both normal running and service disruption. They are able to clearly communicate their innovative thinking and ensure that the information provided is both informative and consistent. They are industry leaders in ensuring customers receive the information they both want and require. Within the spring 2017 National Rail Passenger Survey results, for the category 'Provision of information (train times/platforms)', the Customer Information team managed to achieve an improvement of 6% on last year to 87%, which 3 percentage points above the LSE sector average.

The Customer Information team based within the Romford Rail Operating Centre are responsible for the information provision across all Greater Anglia stations in the Anglia region. The team consists of over 25 members of staff that provide a 24hrs a day service for our customers.

The Social Media area of the information team are key colleagues within the team and are always looking to utilise new ways of working to address the fast paced world of social media. They have recently addressed an issue with customers having to turn off notifications due to the sheer number of posts that Greater Anglia communicates daily. With this new way of working we are able to target customers in specific service group areas, with information they want, when they want it.

A new addition to the information provision over the coming weeks will include the ability to communicate directly with train drivers from within the Control room, rather than passing messages through Network Rail. This will ensure that drivers are fully up to speed with the current situation and the evolving incident. The team will also be able to make announcements to customers on-board a train directly from the Control room, again, ensuring the information provided by Greater Anglia is consistent.

Some of the areas that the Information team excel when conveying information to our customers are:

• Professional and friendly station announcements

• Ensuring that the information screens at all Greater Anglia stations are displaying correct and relevant information

• Ensuring that any disruption information on: The Greater Anglia website, Stansted Express website and social media is both informative and consistent

• Replying directly to customers over social media accounts within the fastest possible timescales

• Arranging alternative transport during service disruption and ensuring that it is sufficient for the customer needs

• Internal Greater Anglia messaging and speaking with station staff to ensure they have the required tools to answer face to face questions from our customers

The Greater Anglia Information team are the ‘Rail Team of the Year’.“