VIRGIN Trains has drafted in a senior airline consultant and turned to sister company Virgin Atlantic to help improve customer service.
Rob Ayling has joined the rail operator on a six-month contract as service strategy manager. He was previously general manager sales and marketing at British Airways franchise carrier Maersk Air.
He has been given the task of looking at long-term improvements to customer service on-board and at stations served by Virgin Trains, which has a franchise operation with West Coast and Cross Country Trains.
Ayling will report to Brenda Klug, recently appointed executive director customer services.
Virgin Trains is also increasingly drawing on the customer service and brand experiences of Virgin Atlantic by taking personnel on secondment from the airline.
Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, worried about the poor performance of his rail operation, has called on his team to focus more on customer service.
A spokesman for Virgin Trains said the company was exploring ideas used by Virgin Atlantic to see whether they can be adopted by the rail company.
“We have asked a few people at Virgin Atlantic to look at some areas with us. This includes holding seminars and some airline personnel being seconded to Virgin Trains,” he said.
n Luton Airport marketing director John Kingsford has quit to fill Ayling’s position at Birmingham-based Maersk Air. Kingsford takes up his new job next month.
His successor at Luton is Marcus Balmforth, who joins in the newly-formed role of commercial director encompassing all marketing functions, brand-development and retail activities.
Balmforth was with airports operator BAA as group specialist shop manager.