Customer satisfaction
The customer is at the center of our actions
High product quality is one of the most important prerequisites for implementing our Strong Rail strategy. The greatest levers for improving product quality include a high level of punctuality, the use of modern vehicles, reliable and comprehensive customer and transport information, the quality and reliability of the services offered, and appropriate travel and transport times. That is why we continually invest in our fleet and infrastructure, and optimize cooperation with our suppliers and sector partners. We are also intensively exploiting the opportunities of digitalization.
Improving punctuality is particularly important as it is the key factor influencing customer satisfaction and therefore makes a positive contribution to meeting our customer needs, also in the context of increasing mobility needs.
Only if our transport services are provided in a sustainable manner with a high degree of punctuality will passengers use rail transport over the long term, thereby guaranteeing that a sustainable transport transition will be successful. Punctuality is also the key factor in the stability of production systems. In the long-distance and freight transport sectors especially, delays lead to impaired vehicle and personnel cycles, which in turn have a negative effect on maintenance delivery. This ties up the capacity and resources that are urgently needed for the desired growth in traffic in both passenger and freight transport. From an economic point of view, a high level of punctuality also minimizes the risk of contractual penalties in contracted local passenger transport as well as compensation via passenger rights in long-distance passenger transport.
The importance of punctuality is also demonstrated by the fact that it is a determining factor in the amount of the variable remuneration received by executives.
Development in the year under review
Customer satisfaction / grade | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DB Long-Distance | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
DB Regional (rail) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
DB Regional (bus) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
DB Cargo | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
DB Netze Stations (passengers/visitors) | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
DB Schenker | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
As part of the further development of the Strong Rail strategy, we have standardized the reporting of customer satisfaction scores by switching to grades. This reflects the level of customer satisfaction on a scale of 1 (very satisfied) to 6 (very dissatisfied). At the same time, the customer satisfaction indicators at DB Long-Distance and DB Regional (rail) were even more closely aligned with the customer experience.
One of DB Group’s top targets is to achieve a consistently high level of customer satisfaction. In passenger transport, in addition to the development of operational key indicators such as punctuality and capacity utilization, ticket purchase, offering, seat availability, comfort and providing information, play an important role. Regular measuring of customer satisfaction is hugely important. The results of the entire travel experience are discussed in regular performance dialogs and efficient management of customer satisfaction is ensured. The data is gathered in each case anonymously by independent market research institutes. The aim is to conduct a direct survey after the end of the trip in order to better assess the relationships between buying decisions and repeat use. The identified drivers of satisfaction are ranked against each other.
Details on development in the individual business units can be found in the chapter Business unit development.
Outlook - Strong Rail top targets
Anticipated development | 2023 | 2024 |
Condition grade high-performance network 1) (grade) | 3.1 | 2.8 |
Customer satisfaction DB Long-Distance 2) (grade) | 2.7 | 2.6 |
Customer satisfaction DB Regional (rail) 2) (grade) | 2.2 | 2.2 |
Customer satisfaction DB Cargo 2) (grade) | 2.8 | 3.0 |
1) Newly included in 2024 as a Strong Rail targetµ 56 ff.
2) Figure converted to grade in 2023.
Customer satisfaction:
- DB Long-Distance: We expect customer satisfaction to improve slightly at DB Long-Distance in 2024. The persistently challenging operating quality and the intensive construction work have a dampening effect.
- DB Regional (rail): Challenging conditions are also expected for the development of customer satisfaction at DB Regional in 2024. With the start of the general modernizations, additional train cancellations
and replacement services are to be expected, which will have a negative impact on customer satisfaction. In view of the parallel improvements in product quality, for example, due to new vehicles, expansion of services, new replacement service concepts and further developed passenger information systems, a stable development of customer satisfaction is nevertheless expected. - DB Cargo: Due to the unchanged situation with regard to construction activity in the network and due to operational restrictions, a further slight decline in customer satisfaction is expected.