Customer Satisfaction Rises

MTA Long Island Rail Road customers rated their overall riding experience as better last year, according to the just released 2007 LIRR Customer Satisfaction Survey. The 2007 overall customer rating went up to 6.7 (out of ten), compared to 6.6 in 2006. This is the second highest overall rating since the LIRR began measuring customer satisfaction in 1991.

Significantly, the overall on-board train service rating last year went up to 6.8 from 6.6 in 2006. The 6.8 on-board service rating is the highest recorded since the customer satisfaction survey began.

LIRR President Helena Williams said, “The Customer Satisfaction Survey is a good tool to help determine how we’re doing in areas that our customers consider important during their time using our service. It’s encouraging to see that overall our ratings are improving. We will continue to work on those areas that need improvement and strive to do even better in those areas that are showing improvement.”

Among all on-board service ratings, the highest rated attribute was courtesy of crew with a 7.6 score. The lowest rated attribute was restroom cleanliness at 4.9 which was unchanged from 2006. Boarding station ratings went up to 7.1, their highest rating in five years. The overall rating for Penn Station remained at 6.8. The highest attribute at Penn was police presence which garnered a 7.7 rating. The overall rating for Flatbush Avenue Terminal went up point two to 5.4. Jamaica Station saw an overall rating decrease of point two to 7.0.

Customer Satisfaction Surveys were distributed on westbound morning peak trains on all LIRR branches last fall. More than 11,000 were completed and returned.