Our Stakeholders
We regard our stakeholders as partners in the business. Understanding and managing our stakeholders' expectations is pivotal to our success and therefore continual engagement with our key stakeholders is vital. Below we summarise our methods of engagement and the key issues for each of our main stakeholder groups.
Customers and the community
To retain our customer base and attract new customers to our services, it is essential that we manage their expectations and those of the communities in which we operate.
Engagement methods
We constantly engage with our customers across the business. Most of this engagement takes place at local level. We engage in a number of ways, including customer surveys, focus groups, meet the manager sessions, customer forums and stakeholder events. In North America we meet those with whom we have contracts on a regular basis.
Key issues
The key issues for our customers in the UK are the punctuality and reliability of our services. Customers may also raise other issues pertaining to the local operations they use. In North America our customers expect us to meet the performance targets in our contracts and address any local concerns that may arise.
Issues raised through customer feedback are often unique to a particular area of operation or contract. Formal feedback sessions always involve local senior managers who are best placed to determine appropriate action. Where our own or national customer satisfaction surveys are conducted, this information is used directly by the companies or divisions involved to identify areas for improvement.
Employees
Our employees are central to the success of our business. Effective engagement is a key part of motivating our workforce to provide high levels of customer service.
Engagement methods
Ongoing communication with employees is encouraged across the business. This includes one-to-one meetings with managers, site meetings, newsletters, e-mailed news updates, communications from the Chief Executive, annual conferences and team meetings. We combine this with more formal feedback in the form of employee opinion surveys and focus groups.
Key issues
Through our employee opinion surveys we have identified the main issues that influence employee engagement in different parts of the business. These vary slightly for the different operating divisions but generally include people's perception of their managers, effective communication and customer satisfaction.
We are developing plans across the business at both divisional and local operating company level to respond to the results of the surveys. This will help us to improve employee engagement.
Government
Government is a key stakeholder in the business as changes in policy can directly affect our business. At a local level our relationships with local authorities are important in improving service delivery.
Engagement methods
In the UK we respond to consultations regarding issues relevant to our business, we are invited to participate in stakeholder sessions and from time to time we meet with government ministers. We maintain dialogue with the local authorities where we operate to improve local transport services.
Key issues
The UK government and more recently the United States Administration are developing policy in relation to the climate change agenda, including the role of transport. Public transport forms part of local authority transport plans.
Investors
Engagement methods
We engage with our investors throughout the year via dialogue and one-to-one meetings. Investor roadshows take place twice a year.
Key issues
Our investors are looking for return on investment. They want to know that we effectively manage our financial and broader CSR risks.
Responding to feedback
We respond to feedback from our investors whenever required in an appropriate manner.