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SCMP Reporter

KMB has set up various communication channels for people to voice their opinions and enable the carrier to better understand and meet the needs of customers.

 It believes feedback is important if it is to continue to improve efficiency and provide the public with a 'safe, reliable, comfortable and friendly bus service'.

  Most popular of the services is the KMB hotline. The 24-hour service gives customers an opportunity to obtain bus route information and express their opinions on the services available.

  The hotline service is in Cantonese, Putonghua and English with 72 telephone lines providing callers pre-recorded messages on more than 380 KMB routes. Operators are also available during office hours.

  Other features of the hotline include the bus arrival timeline (BAT) and fax-back route information. If a caller inputs the BAT code for a specific bus stop, the system automatically provides the arrival time of the next two departures for routes running overnight (midnight until 6 am) only. KMB operates 13 overnight routes.

  Callers who input their fax number into the phone will automatically receive the most up-to-date route information. The hotline has been averaging about 500,000 calls a month and can be reached at 2745 4466.

  For those looking for more personal service, the KMB Service Centre in Sha Tin has been successfully operating for the last six years. Located in shop 182 on the ground floor at the New Town Plaza, the centre provides bus route information and collects opinions from passengers.

 The popularity of the centre led to the launch of a mobile service centre three years ago. The single- deck air-conditioned bus travels to different communities throughout Kowloon and the New Territories each week with KMB staff providing route maps, fare tables and gathering customer opinions.

  Winnie Ng, KMB commercial director, said the mobile centre was an important outlet for receiving feedback and allowed the company to reach customers who might not normally go to its Sha Tin centre.

  'This is a popular service and people queue up to make visits. Being mobile means we are more flexible and it allows us to reach different customers at their convenience,' she said. 'Their opinions help us to increase our understanding of their needs.'   Another forum for the public involves passenger liaison group meetings.

  Each year, KMB advertises through leaflets, newspapers and posters for members for its small focus groups. The groups meet six times a year.

 Ms Ng said unlike the company's other service centre initiatives, the liaison groups were more qualitative with the focus on a one-to-one service.

 She said group findings centred mainly on what services the public wanted to see introduced, specific route development issues and an increase in the number of buses with air-conditioning.

  'The main issue is quality of the service in terms of buses, the routes they are taking and the performance and attitude of the bus captains,' she said.

  Additional information about KMB can be found by accessing the company's Web site.

  The interactive site has the latest KMB news, route information, sales items and the company song.

  Another feature is the bus parade featuring details about all the vehicles operated by the company during its 66-year history.

  The site can be accessed at www.hkstar.com/netmarket/kmb/ 



Busy hotline provides firm plenty of customer feedback