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Chapter 2 - Customer focus
Where the Agency is now
Meeting customers' needs
The network provides a vital service to commerce and industry, but it also has a huge impact on the lives of the public. The Agency has a wide range of customers including road users, those who live alongside the network or are affected by it, the Agency's contractors and suppliers and its partners and stakeholders. It values their views and is continually seeking ways to consult and work with them to identify key issues.
Where the Agency is now
The Agency publishes and regularly updates a Road Users' Charter (see Annex A7), setting out its standards of service on the network and carries out regular road user satisfaction surveys. These help the Agency to keep up-to-date with the opinions and priorities of road user customers and identify areas for improvement. Local area managers also keep in contact with customers through meetings, correspondence, and by publishing leaflets. The Agency also produces a leaflet explaining its complaints procedure.
There is regular consultation at national and regional level with road user and environment committees. The Agency also consults with local authorities both on an informal basis, and more formally as part of the planning process to co-ordinate works on both the strategic and local road networks. The Road Users' Charter sets out standards of service on the network
Where the Agency wants to be by 2004/05
The Agency is committed to providing a better service. It will continue to be more responsive to customers (see chapter 8, 'Modernising the Agency') and work to keep customers better informed, for example through the Traffic Control Centre (see chapter 6, 'Better Information'). A new Road Users' Charter will be published by March 2004, updating the Agency's standards of service.
What the Agency will deliver in 2002/03
The Agency will continue to consult and meet with its customers at national and regional level (through road user and environment committees and other groups) to seek their views and identify their priorities.
The Agency will continue to develop route management strategies for the core network.
The Agency will also continue to meet the Whitehall standards listed in Annex A8. These are Cabinet Office standards for responding to customers, consulting users and dealing with complaints.
How performance will be measured
The Agency will carry out a new road user satisfaction survey during 2002. This will measure the level of satisfaction with the services provided by the Agency across a wide range of business and private road users. The results of the survey will be published by March 2003.
Route management strategies
The Agency is currently developing route management strategies for its network. These describe how the network is performing and set out priorities for maintaining, operating and improving each route over a period of about 10 years. At key points there is consultation with road users, local authorities and other groups.
