Queensland Rail

Solution

WebVantage provided a cloud based system that facilitates the following outcomes:

Customers can login to the QR website and look for available lockers in nearby suburban train stations;

If there is no availability, they can be placed on a wait list;

If there is availability, they can confirm the reservation and make the payment through the integrated payment gateway;

Staff at each station can manage logistics such as issuing keys and providing customer service;

The centralised support unit can manage escalations and have a holistic view of the operation of the whole system;

The solution was delivered using the Booking Management System, Resource Manager, and Instant Payment System applications – all powered by the WebVantage Application Matrix.

Website integration – new customer acquisition

The bike locker booking system is fully integrated into the QR.com.au website. The customer is not given any popups or redirections to third party systems. The interface that the customer is presented with has been designed to reduce support calls and to facilitate a seamless booking process.

During the booking process, the customer has the option of using a graphical search tool powered by Google Maps. Stations with availability in nearby suburbs are clearly identified, reducing the time needed to find a free locker to book.

Ongoing customer relationship

Once the customer has completed their booking, they are issued a username and password to the Customer Portal. This is delivered as a secure web based application that is also integrated into the overall look and feel of the website. From the customer’s point of view, QR’s website is used to book and manage their locker booking.

Through this facility they have the ability to perform commonly needed customer service functions without having to visit a station or call the service desk. The customer can perform actions such as: renew the booking upon expiry, request new keys, update contact details, and view their transaction history.

Integration into the business

Management of the system’s functionality is performed through a secure administration portal. Since this is delivered as a web based application, QR did not need to deploy any additional IT infrastructure. Given the physically diverse nature of their operation, adding any requirements to access terminals would have resulted in significant costs being incurred. Existing computers and network connections were sufficient to facilitate staff access.

Staff at train stations are able to view and manage the engagements with customers at their location and the centralised business support unit is able to oversee the operation of the entire system.

Training and support

WebVantage structured a training and support package in line with QR’s requirements. Due to the large number of people involved in managing the ongoing running of the system, both these components required a customised approach. Training was broken down between staff who perform customer service functions and those who oversee the operation of the system and perform administration tasks such as user account creation and level one support.

A formal train the trainer package was designed and delivered in a classroom format using QRs training facilities to ensure that the enablement of all needed staff could be performed in a timely manner and in a way that did not cause business disruptions.

Administration staff were given training appropriate to their roles and are backed up the WebVantage service desk for issues that exceed their ability to solve.