Loyalty in the rail industry

The rail market in Europe is currently undergoing many legislative changes due to deregulation. The opening of the rail passenger market has created opportunities for new market entrants, increased competition among operators in terms of price, quality and service, and allowed for new alliances between operators or between operators and non- rail industry organizations.

Furthermore, the travel industry is one of the most sensitive industries to any event that may translate into new consumer behavior or market changes. This exposure to trends has been aggravated by the commoditization of holidays and travel services in general. Customers’ expectations continue to evolve, notably in terms of value for money, variety of choices and quality but also regarding social relations, well-being and the time it takes to travel. This stands in the rail passenger industry as well.

According to a recent Accenture survey, nearly eight in 10 senior marketing executives said “growing profitably” was most important to their current marketing strategy. To support this renewed focus on growth, improving customer retention/loyalty was cited as the most important business issue to address by 79 percent of marketing executives.

The survey indicated that 62 percent of respondents believe that the marketing function will need to change fundamentally during the next five years to achieve these objectives. A key driver for this reinvention is changing consumer and customer dynamics.

The European rail industry is currently in a transition phase due to deregulation. Moreover, rail customers are changing their habits and expectations, and this is significantly impacting the rail industry.

The main challenge for historical operators as well as for new entrants is to ensure a relevant competitive positioning and to rely on strong customer knowledge. Accenture believes that a key aspect of this new strategy should be a heightened focus on building customer-centric loyalty.

1. The Rail Industry: A Fast-Changing Environment

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Redefined Rules of Engagement

Marketing executives are increasingly challenged by major changes in their customer base. Accenture research indicates that the economic downturn significantly altered customers’ overall purchase behavior and what they want from providers—and these changes are likely to prevail for some time. Now, a majority of marketing executives believe most, if not all, of their customers have:• Higherexpectationsforproductquality

(cited by 72 percent)• Expectationsformorevaluefortheir

money (71 percent)• Higherexpectationsforcustomerservice

(68 percent)

In the travel industry our research shows that one out of two has switched providers due to a poor service level.

As expectations along the life cycle continue to rise, customer loyalty is becoming harder for organizations to earn and even harder to keep. Today’s customers are generally better informed, less influenced by conventional brands and more likely to assess brands based on their own experience or the experience of someone they know. Customers are also increasingly aware of their power and are not shy in exercising it. Given these conditions, a growing number of companies must address several new and critical questions about their brands and customer loyalty including: • Howdowepositionourbrandsto

reestablish long-lasting attachments, particularly with customers who may defect to competitors offering more attractive terms?

• Howcanweofferapreferredexperiencethat is adapted to our customer’s preferences in order to maintain their loyalty?Howdowedetectthemomentswhen lapses in this loyalty occur?

• Howshouldourcompanyinvestincustomers based on their current and future loyalty?

• Whichcontrolleversshouldwefocuson:tangible (e.g. reducing price), emotional (rewarding best customers through nonmonetary benefits) or relational (catering to specific customer interests)?

• Howdoesourorganizationtakeadvantageof new technologies, such as real-time communication channels?

Price is always an important motivator for customer choice. Never the less, it is less and less the primary factor: 75 percent of consumers said price was their first criteria for choice in 2009. By 2010, that number fell to 59 percent.

2. Redefined Rules of Engagement

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Customers are increasingly demanding quality and value from the services offered. To motivate lasting loyalty, rail operators have to deliver valuable services or support at every stage of the travel experience, including ease of distribution, facilitated access to travel, door-to-door travel services, real-time information and innovative in-station and on board services.

Accenture believes that high performance railway companies are those that are agile, analytical, relevant and consistent. It is essential that they possess a depth of knowledge about customers, in particular high-value customers.

Yet few European rail operators have loyalty programs and nearly all need to improve their offerings. Most are based on point accumulation which compounds and results in ticket discounting. Very few loyalty programs offer privileges like enhanced services (newspapers, meals, access to lounge areas, seat upgrades etc.) as a result of frequent travel, and most benefits fall short of the perks offered by airlines, for instance. It is also critical for companies to

transform customer insights into innovative services to create a relevant customer experience and thereby solidify loyalty along the entire customer lifecycle.

Accenture research among executives in multiple functions and disciplines indicated that the vast majority (89 percent) rated innovation as equally or more important than other initiatives to help sustain customer loyalty and position their companies for future success.

However,accordingtoourexecutivesurvey,less than two-thirds of marketers said they had advanced capabilities to help them innovate. To effectively drive innovation, companies need to establish the structure, processes, people, accountability and systems that enable them to profitably translate customer insights into products, services and experiences that inspire loyalty.

Not doing so can have important consequences, even more so given the disruptive nature of emerging digital media such as blogs, forums, social networks and similar media. Indeed, today’s customers

are empowered to voice their opinion online, often triggered by emotion. Once launched into cyberspace, the information is difficult for companies to control due to the viral amplification of user-generated content.

Leveraging digital channels effectively is an integral part of customer experience delivery. As companies increasingly adopt digital channels, they must ensure they not only maintain a seamless and consistent connection among all their channels, but that they also tailor experiences for different customer profiles based on real-time insight. They must be as effective online and via mobile devices as in stores and call centers.

3. Deliver Innovation and Experiences that Drive Customer-Centric Loyalty

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Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais (SNCF)

Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais (SNCF)—the French state-owned railway company—is one of the key players in Europe’s vast and sophisticated land transportation network. In 2005, the company transported more than 100 million passengers and 135 million tons of freight, and in 2010, SNCF’s turnover grew by +4.1% and exceeded 30.5 billion Euros.1 Its business model makes customer satisfaction a priority.

Since 2005, Accenture has supported SNCF in developing a complete customer relationship management strategy and designing an action plan to identify, target, segment and satisfy their customers. WithAccenture’shelp,SNCFdevelopedadedicated capability to build a multi-brand loyalty program and create marketing campaigns for its most valued customers.

More recently, SNCF has engaged in an ambitious journey to transform its loyalty program into a stand-alone program that will serve its most valued customers, the latter asking for more ease of use and more generosity. In collaborating with SNCF to build this new customer loyalty program, Accenture applies its full suite of services - from consulting to systems integration to application outsourcing. This comprehensive approach to loyalty management not only helps further distinguish the rail operator in the competitive European travel market but enabled SNCF to take yet another important step on its journey to high performance.

Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn - the German railway company – recently launched a pilot mobile application called ‘DB Navigator’ which offers frequent travelers a set of integrated services. The app enables access to travel information and services. Information includes timetable and station information, and services include online purchase and ticketing capabilities. Since catching a train can be stressful, especially when travelers are unfamiliar with a location, the application includes a door-to-door planner with detailed directions to any given station.

iDTGV

In France, iDTGV – the low cost operator subsidiary of SNCF –recently launched an application on Facebook to encourage customer dialogue. Travelers not only have the opportunity to post comments about their iDTGV experience but also to plan activities such as games or a drink on board. They can even find information on people they could meet on the train. Applications like this enhance the onboard experience and build a sense of community that ultimately engenders loyalty.

Mobile ticketing capabilities

Several rail companies have recently launched initiatives to facilitate access to trains and routes for their customers through the implementation of mobile ticketing capabilities. SNCF in France, for instance, enables long-distance travelers to obtain and store their tickets on their phones. The ticket appears as a 2D bar code on the user’s mobile. Deutsche Bahn in Germany has implemented a single, country-wide mobile ticketing system available for all multi-modal transport with a post-paid pricing scheme. The solution called Touch & Travel is for long-distance travel as well as for local public transport across operators and local transport authorities. The solution, developed by DB, is based on mobile phones with NFC technology (Near Field Communication) and RFID tags in stations and public transport stops. Location-based services are also integrated into the solution to maximize user acceptance and access.

References

1 SNCF Group, 2010 SNCF Financial Report, page 39, http://www.sncf.com/Finance/pdf/fr/rapport_financier/ 2010/SNCF_RF2010.pdf

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Accenture helps organizations use innovation to develop compelling, profitable new value propositions, deliver tailored customer experiences and find answers to other loyalty challenges.

Our capabilities work to increase the loyalty of profitable customers while improving profitability and growth potential, using assets and capabilities in loyalty analytics, strategy and program development, and execution and measurement. Our proven approach for developing and quickly implementing loyalty strategies is based on these core principles:

Support brand fundamentalsBuild customer bonds to achieve name recognition, an excellent customer experience and an emotional attachment to the brand’s essence and heritage.

Enable deep customer insightUnderstand what matters most to customers in their purchase and repurchase decisions to help forge stronger relationships.

Personalize customer routesManage channels to key performance indicators as appropriate to presale, sale, complaint handling, product assistance and customer self-service.

Support the front-office workforceRaise awareness of the importance of delivering satisfying experiences and motivate employees by establishing a system of rewards.

Pilot investmentsManage marketing and commercial investments by devising pilot programs that establish the business case for larger investments.

Exploit new technologiesImplement technologies and mobility applications and services to render loyalty management programs more efficient and help increase the return on investment.

Accenture creates a framework and selects the best contact channels for making offers.Wealsoguideclientsinadoptingperformance measurements to gauge the profitabilityofloyaltyprograms.Whereneeded, we can support the implementation and day-to-day management of processes and tools, including outsourcing some or all of the customer loyalty operation, such as customer segmentation, marketing campaigns and performance analysis.

4. Accenture Supports Customer-Centric Loyalty Management

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Contact

For more information on how Accenture can help you boost your loyalty programs and capabilities, please contact:Anne Pruvot Anne.pruvot@accenture.com

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 236,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

About Accenture Research

Accenture Research is Accenture’s global organization devoted to economic and strategic studies. The staff consists of 150 experts in economics, sociology and survey research from Accenture’s principal offices in North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. This study involved our European and Indian experts in Transport Research.

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