TOTO
all a matter of touch

It’s not a pop group and it’s nothing at all to do with the Lone Ranger.

TOTO stands for Touch On, Touch Off – and it’s what we hope will make travelling by trent barton easier, cheaper and faster.

We’ve been trying to reduce the time spent collecting fares at bus stops for some years. Each transaction clocks up precious time which we can ill afford in today’s traffic. The need to solve the problem becomes more and more pressing as traffic congestion gets worse and really effective bus priority measures are few and far between. Meanwhile all of us are getting more and more accustomed to cashless trading, but on most buses customers generally have to find their fare.

So enter TOTO – a smartcard which acts as an electronic purse – you charge it up online or at a roadside machine with your credit card, then when you get on the bus you simply ‘Touch On’ against a reader, which recognizes who and where you are. When you leave the bus, you ‘Touch Off’ at another reader by the exit. The system uses GPS technology to identify where you got on and off the bus, calculates the cheapest fare for the journey and deducts the sum from your balance. A screen displays your journey details and price charged.

We can programme the software to credit cash back to frequent users as an incentive to travel more often, and we can make sure that if a number of single journeys are taken in one day that the total deducted is no more that the price of a ZigZag ticket. We can also vary the tariff by time of day, day of week etc to encourage people to travel when we have seats available.

We would offer our TOTO customers a lower general tariff than cash customers; after all they are helping us to improve our timekeeping by speeding up boarding times so its only right that we should offer them something back in return.

These contact-less cards don’t even need to be taken out of the customer’s purse or wallet to work. So boarding and alighting really is as quick as getting on and off the bus.

Commercial Director Ian Morgan said:

“We’ve had our sights set on a system like this for some time now, and we’ve been looking for a supplier prepared to join up with us for a serious trial on a busy route.

“We can see really good benefits in a system which makes things better for our timekeeping, quicker and easier for customers, simpler and more secure for drivers, and with the potential for database discounts and marketing. If TOTO can deliver, it could revolutionise bus travel in the East Midlands.

“We want to be up-and running with a trial in the next 12 months – so if our partner can deliver the software and hardware we will be ready to start the revolution.”

Free FRIO's by phone

We have claimed more than our fair share of past successes with vouchers – money off deals delivered to people’s homes aimed at encouraging new custom or persuading existing customers to travel more often or bring a friend.

Simple as vouchering is its success for us lies in the fact that it’s a Sprat to catch a Mackerel – we give away one or two free journeys and convert the recipient to regular bus travel with substantial paybacks as time goes on.

But Telemarketing goes significantly further. It uses a sophisticated database to identify people in our ‘near market’ – those who are strong potential customers. These people are then contacted and offered a free trial. They can be kept track of to see how the trial is progressing and whether they are still travelling. This in turn builds up further data for future promotions.

Unlike voucher schemes, Telemarketing targets only people who are not currently customers and then remains in contact with them.

One of the big national bus operators has already reported success in this field and we are striking out with our first Tele-promotion, on the spondon flyer brand this month.

Marketing Manager Sarah Taylor explained:

“Non-bus-using Spondon residents in the target market will be offered a voucher for a complimentary FRIO to use on the spondon flyer, together with an information pack containing a timetable and a few FAQs about buses.

“They’ll hand over the voucher on their first spondon flyer in exchange for a FRIO.

“The main reason we have such high hopes for Telemarketing is that we know we have a good product. Existing customers say so. If we can get new customers across the threshold, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t keep a good proportion of them.

“Of course, there’ll be plenty of people who resist the first approach by phone; but then the same goes for vouchers – a lot of those get thrown away unopened.

“But we were heartened in a recent trial project to find that out of 100 non-customers, 41 said that they would be willing to be called at home.

Gradually Going Green…

One at a time the four buses on our popular Heanor – Derby direct H1 route are being taken into our workshops for a complete makeover, inside and out.

The first is due to emerge very soon in its strikingly-different green livery, complete with an interior refit.

The Optare Solo buses are not yet five years old – so why the refurbishment?

Commercial Director Ian Morgan said:

“This particular model is still in production and more or less has the market to itself. We could buy new buses to replace those that are 5 years old – but that doesn’t make much sense – we wouldn’t be doing much more than buying the Registration Plates.

“Far better to refresh these buses which have bedded in well in our fleet, and invest in making them more appealing and more comfortable for customers.

“It’s just the same at home – you can change your lifestyle and add value by redecorating without buying a new house!”

Proof of the refurbishment pudding first came from our radcliffe line brand where customers said that the ‘new buses’ (actually refurbished Optare Solos) were their favourite change when the brand was launched.

We hope that our H1 customers will be similarly impressed particularly as we have added an extra ingredient to this refurbishment project which might literally turn a few heads!

Roadworks misery hits Stapleford

Water main replacement has hit Stapleford near Nottingham with a vengeance in a phased programme of works which started (ahead of schedule) in mid January and is set to continue until April.

The work includes a number of complete road closures and diversions, in an area already infamous for its traffic – the main road through Stapleford is a known rat-run for motorists avoiding the A52 and M1.

While all this is going on, we have added an extra bus into the Route 15 schedule to try and maintain timekeeping and the rainbow 4 team is also standing by to feed in extra resources if the need arises.

“Ilkeston? No thanks”

By the end of March, Kirk Hallam shoppers will have a choice – catch a 23 or 21 to Ilkeston Town Centre – or go direct to the Tesco Superstore.

Ever since the pedestrianisation of Ilkeston town centre 12 years ago, shopping in the town by bus has declined, as we predicted. In time this has led to some local routes being completely withdrawn. We have also been able to take shoppers elsewhere – Nottingham on our improved rainbow 2 and Derby on the ilkeston flyer.

The recent closure of Morrisons (Safeway) in the Albion Centre has hit the town yet again – and this has reduced trade on our 25 route from Kirk Hallam.

So we’ve done our research.

84% of our Kirk Hallam customers on the 25 used to go to town to shop at Safeway.

Now 53% go to Tesco (and of course many of these are currently going by car or Taxi). Only 33% now visit the town centre for their shopping.

A massive 80% think that the 25 should go to Tesco – indeed, only 10% think that the 25 should keep going in its current form.

So that’s the plan. From April 30 we’ll be offering Kirk Hallam customers a choice – 21 or 23 to the Town Centre or go straight to the Superstore on the new half-hourly tesco xprss (which will replace the 25).

As they say, Every Little Helps.

Good Signs for Chaddesden

After months of glitches, the *star track digital display signs at Chaddesden bus stops are correctly showing the times of the next rainbow 4 and 5 buses.

Drivers and customers will have no doubt been bemused by the intermittent array of dots, double dashes, double X displays or completely blank screens.

This has baffled the experts but now the German manufacturers, INIT, have tracked down the obscure fault which was causing the signs to have nervous breakdowns, and all are now back on line.

More roadside signs for rainbow 4 through Stapleford and Bramcote will be up and running soon.

Trotting for a grand

Under the picturesque guise of the Trent Trotters, a team from Sutton depot ran the Robin Hood half marathon in September, raising an astonishing £1,076 for the Mansfield, Ashfield and District branch of the Alzheimer’s Society.

In this splendid picture, Society chairman Pam Andrews is readily distinguished by her lack of ‘official T shirt’. Left to right are Trotters Heather Gough, Bernard Crocker, Trina Wallace and Bronwyn Smith. Out of picture, but very much in the running, are Adrienne Waite and Richard Hill.

What a magnificent achievement.

Paul and Jamie take final 2005 trophies
14 in running for £1,000 top prize

Seasoned Driver of the Month campaigner Paul Storey was back at the top in November when he took his third Driver of the Month title for Langley Mill.

Come December and it was Jamie Eccles of Broadmarsh whose name was on the certificate and £100 cheque.

November’s commendation winners were Mick Smith from Derby, Deborah Milnes of Sutton and Steven Loakes from Broadmarsh.

In December, commendations went to Stephen Mufarinya from Derby, Jean Cheetham and Stephen Woodruff of Langley Mill, and Kev Morton from Sutton.

Congratulations to all.

Thanks to double winners we have no fewer than 14 contenders for the Driver of the Year title with the top prize of a £1,000 holiday plus an extra day’s paid leave every year.

Stuart Wardle got 2005 off to a flying start for Broadmarsh. By the end of the year his colleagues Steve Toombs, Dave Richardson, Dennis ‘Bones’ Dutton, Dave Branston and Jamie Eccles had also claimed success.

Glyn Whaley and George York made it a Langley Mill double in February when they were both awarded the Driver of the Month title. Glyn was back for a second helping in June, but not before our twice-Driver-of-the-Year Maggie Fox had finished top in May. Dave Henson took the August title and in November Paul Storey guaranteed his place in the final.

Kate Holland from Dove Holes was April’s winner, whilst Glyn Cook’s September performance put him at the top for Sutton – followed the next month by Hucknall’s Dennis Brooks.

All the Drivers of the Month and Commendation winners (and their guests) will shortly be invited to the really good service awards which will be held in Nottingham on Wednesday April 5th.

Final shortlists are also being drawn up for the Outstanding Achievement and Award of Merit presentations.

Customers say thanks.....
Flying High on Skyline

“I would just like to say how pleased I am with your Skyline 199”, writes customer Mrs Ward. “Besides short trips from Whaley Bridge I also use it for the Airport. I see it passing by where I work and we can almost set our clocks by it. The buses are always very clean and tidy as are the drivers who are very polite, helpful and friendly too”.

And... special thanks to rainbow 5's Carlos

Youth Club Leader Audrey Garber has written in praise of rainbow 5 driver Carlos Barreto:

“I took a group of young people with learning and physical disabilities out on the bus to give them confidence in using public transport.

“This young man gave them time to get on, put down the ramp, and explained the fares, change and how the tickets worked.

“Before moving off he checked that they were all safely in their seats, and when we reached our destination he helped them all off and said goodbye and thank you to each one.

“He was so very good with young people. Can I ask that you pass on my thanks”.

Best Bus Satisfaction Scores ever

Government survey figures for the latest available quarter (up to the end of September) show the highest ever levels of performance and customer satisfaction.

The index of overall satisfaction for bus services across England rose by two points to a new high of 82.

During the same period, operators ran 98.9% of their scheduled mileage, which was reflected in a record satisfaction score for bus reliability.

There are of course many regional variations. The Customer Satisfaction index for trent barton services, which is assessed route by route, is seldom out of the 90s.

And finally…
Tim to the Rescue

Brand Manager Adrian Cadd has sent in this superb story about Tim Barnes who is a regular on the one – our new-look Ashbourne brand.

Tim was on his last journey of the day. A customer boarded and asked if he would drop him ‘where Bernard usually gets off’. Tim, knowing that Bernard usually gets off at Mumsford Drive, was more than willing to oblige (a remarkable enough story in itself!). Upon arrival the customer had not made any attempt to move, so Tim announced to him that they were there.

Well guess what? Wrong Bernard! Unbeknown to Tim, his customer was referring to a completely different Bernard who doesn’t travel by trent barton at all, but catches the 109 to Mercaston.

After various discussions about trains, planes and automobiles, the customer decided that he’d best complete his journey by Taxi.

Meanwhile Tim finished his shift, parked the bus and was on his way home in his car when he spotted the man still apparently wondering how he was to get to his destination.

So he did no more than pick him up and deliver him right to the door.

Adrian commented:

“I’m really proud of Tim. Only a few days previously when we’d set aside a Sunday of team briefing for the one, we’d talked about going out of our way to help customers – it didn’t take Tim long to put it into practice!”