Background
TfL manages London’s rapidly growing transport network, including the London Underground. Faced with the challenge of meeting growing demand and customers’ evolving expectations of a more personal service, TfL launched the Customer Services Transformation Programme (CSTP) to deliver transformational change to the Underground on a massive scale. Revolutionary new processes were introduced to replace those in place for over 100 years. Restructured teams and new roles created a vital need for an integrated learning and development programme to reach 5,000 employees on all levels of the organisation.
"TfL delivers transformational change to the London Underground on a massive scale"
Approach
Interviews and focus groups helped to identify the key requirements for improving overall customer experience, which were addressed in approximately 3,000 hours of coaching. Clear targets were tracked and measured over a four-year period.
Peer-to-peer learning was a key enabler for individual transformation in leadership and management, facilitating behavioural change, ticketing knowledge and skills to meet customers’ evolving needs.
Outcome
The programme has been highly effective – not only is the feedback from employees overwhelmingly positive, the March 2017 customer satisfaction survey shows that staff helpfulness at ticket machines has improved by a third. The programme contributed savings of £50m per annum within the business plan period up to 2019.
Additionally, 30,000 days of staff release were saved, equating to productivity savings of £4.4m and 90% achievement rates. TfL’s largely successful flagship programme has achieved shifts in mind-set and behaviours of leaders and employees alike, transforming the approach to development in the London Underground.