By
Rebecca Gibson |
Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries has just submitted an application for an initiative that proposes e-commerce and IT upgrades that will drive significant customer service improvements and offer more booking options and fare choices.
Designed to align with a number of the recommendations outlined in the BC Ferries Commissioner’s 2012 Review of the Coastal Ferry Act, the Fare Flexibility and Digital Experience Initiative is currently in the planning stages.
It has been developed to help BC Ferries will modernise the way it sets pricing, sells travel and manages loads. It is hoped the initiative will shorten wait times, improve the customer experience and operational efficiencies. It will also reduce upward pressure on fares and enable the operator to offer discounted fares at off-peak travel times.
“BC Ferries has heard from our customers that they want more flexibility in how they book travel in the future, more certainty at the terminal that they will be able to board the sailing they want, and more opportunities for discounted fares,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ president and CEO. “We plan to invest in IT and e-commerce systems that will meet those goals while incrementally increasing traffic and keeping fares lower than they would be under the current business model.”
The two-pronged imitative includes the Fare Flexibility and Revenue Management Strategy, which sets out a new system to manage fares and improve operational efficiency through better capacity management.
Meanwhile, the Digital Experience Strategy will provide customers with a modernised e-commerce platform, greater online functionality and booking options, and better access to BC Ferries through systems and apps designed specifically for mobile, tablet and desktop channels.
The initiative builds on ongoing efforts to control expenses and implement programmes to make BC Ferries as safe, efficient, cost-effective and customer-focused as possible. Efforts include expanded choices in food and retail, the conversion of two ferries to dual-fuel, and three LNG newbuilds that are expected to save CAD$12 million per year.
“We will continue to look for cost savings, performance improvements, and the best and most creative ways possible to meet the needs of BC’s coastal communities, who rely on us to connect them to the places and people that are important in their lives,” said Corrigan.
If approved by the BC Ferries Commissioner, the initiative will be implemented in phases starting in 2017. Initially, it will be introduced to customers on the Metro
Vancouver-Vancouver Island routes, who will be offered discounted fares for off-peak travel times and the ability to book in advance without a reservation fee.