AGENDA ITEM 10-A
INFORMATION ITEM
TO:
CHAIRMAN ZIMMERMAN AND THE VRE OPERATIONS BOARD
FROM:
DALE ZEHNER
DATE:
AUGUST 21, 2009
RE:
REVIEW OF CUSTOMER OPINION SURVEY FROM MAY 2009
VRE conducted its Annual Customer Opinion Survey on May 6, 2009. The
annual survey measures the perceived strengths and weaknesses of VRE
service and programs. Overall, the results are slightly better than the 2008
survey.
Most of the report card categories (38 in all) improved from 2008 to 2009, with
the exception of twelve. Of those twelve, six were the same as last year and six
declined, but all only declined by one or two percentage points. The level of
overall service quality is 75%, which is 4% higher than last year and the highest it
has been since 2003. 41% of respondents cite on-time performance as their
primary concern, down from 52% in 2008. Similarly, when customers were
asked to grade our on-time performance in a different question, the ratings went
up 11% from last year. This can lead one to say the customer feels significantly
better about this metric. Concerns over cost and lack of seats are up from last
year, 11% to 17% and 5 to 7%, respectively.
The survey results are illustrated in an attached summary. Full results are
available on the VRE Website as downloadable Microsoft Word or PDF files.
2009
Passenger
2008 Passenger Results
Survey Results
Survey
Rider Demographics
Age
Gender
64% Male
36% Female
Years Riding
Sector of Employment
59% Government
9% Military
25% Private
4% Association
1% Self Employed
2% Other
Household
Income
Has Service Improved?
Top Concerns About Service
 


 


 


On-Time Performance - 41%
Cost - 17%
Frequency of Service - 12%
Top 3 Reasons
for Switching to VRE
1. Traffic
2. New Job
3. New Home
Riders Traveling On
Monthly Tickets - 65%
Ten-Trip Tickets - 27%
Five-Day Passes - 4%
Transit Link Cards - 2%
Did You Know?

64% of Our Riders Come From Five Stations:
Broad Run, Manassas, Manassas Park, Fredericksburg and Leeland Road
29% of Riders Indicate that They Use Facebook
17% of Riders Have Been Riding VRE 10 Years or More
54% of Riders Live Within 5 Miles of The Station
18% of Riders Say That They Have Always Used VRE
40% of Riders Drive to Work Alone When They Don’t Use the Train
63% of Riders’ Final Destination is L’Enfant or Crystal City
VRE Report Card
% of riders who rated us with an A or B
Customer Service:
Responsiveness of VRE Staff
Friendliness of VRE Staff
VRE Follow-Up to Delays or Problems
Lost and Found
Usefulness of Rail Time
Timeliness of E-mail Responses
Quality of E-mail Responses
Quality of Website
Timeliness of Website Information
Timeliness of Train Talk
Quality of Train Talk
Overall Communication with Passengers
2009
82%
80%
51%
69%
69%
54%
62%
75%
68%
67%
68%
65%
2008
79%
81%
48%
69%
65%
51%
57%
75%
65%
63%
64%
63%
Train Crew Members:
Are Knowledgeable About VRE Operations
Are Helpful
Are Courteous
Make Regular Station Announcements
Make Timely Delay Announcements
Check Tickets Regularly
Present A Professional Appearance
Overall Crew Performance
88%
86%
82%
75%
67%
75%
89%
84%
87%
86%
83%
72%
66%
75%
90%
84%
VRE Operations:
Convenience of Schedules
On-time Performance
Cleanliness of Trains
Cleanliness of Stations
Communication between VRE Staff & Riders
Automated Telephone System
Reliability of Ticket Vending Machines
Ease of Buying a Ticket
Ease of Using Metrocheks
Station Parking Availability
Public Address System On Train
Public Address System On Platform
Timeliness of Platform Information
Personal Security at Station & On Train
Safety of Train Equipment
Station Signage
Lighting at Morning Station
Lighting at Evening Station
Traffic Circulation
Level of Fare for Quality and Value of Service
Overall Service Quality
59%
58%
86%
80%
67%
60%
40%
65%
61%
63%
51%
51%
43%
64%
79%
68%
78%
79%
55%
55%
75%
57%
47%
82%
77%
66%
57%
39%
65%
62%
58%
48%
47%
39%
63%
74%
70%
N/A
N/A
N/A
56%
71%