GTR has selected Acteol, part of Access Hospitality, to provide its Customer Engagement Platform (CEP) and Customer Data Platform (CDP) technology, supporting more personalised and timely communications across its four rail brands.
Operating Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, GTR manages 236 stations and accounts for 18% of UK passenger rail journeys. The partnership will help the operator bring together customer information, better understand passenger behaviour and deliver more relevant communications throughout the travel experience.
Acteol will bring GTR’s customer data together into a more connected view of its customers. GTR will be able to segment passengers based on their preferences and behaviour, and deliver personalised communications across multiple channels. Messages can be triggered by customer activity and relevant events, including disruption, so that passengers receive relevant information when they need it. Acteol will also support consent and preference management, helping GTR respect passengers’ communication choices across campaigns.
The platform will integrate with GTR’s existing technology, with Acteol working alongside the operator’s CRM implementation partner to support data integration, campaign development, and migration from legacy systems.
Pearl Griga-Bardi, category manager – procurement at GTR, said: “Our priority is to make travelling with us as straightforward as possible, and clear, timely communication is an important part of that. We want to make better use of the customer information we have to understand what passengers need and provide updates that are relevant to their journeys.
“Working with Acteol will help us deliver more personalised communications across our services, particularly when plans change and passengers need accurate information quickly. We’re looking forward to developing these capabilities and improving how we engage with our customers.”
Martin Verdon-Roe, chief commercial officer global F&B at Access Hospitality, said: “Hospitality has always been about knowing your guests well enough to say the right thing at the right moment, and passengers deserve the same attention. We’re delighted that GTR has chosen Acteol to support its customer engagement strategy. When operators can connect customer data with the way they communicate, they can provide passengers with information that reflects their journeys, preferences and changing circumstances.
“Our experience in the rail sector has shown the difference personalised communication can make and we look forward to working with GTR to help deliver a more personalised experience across its network.”
Image credit: GTR/Acteol