Formed almost a decade ago, when the former Queensland Transport and Department of Main Roads merged, TMR moves and connects people, places, goods and services safely, efficiently and effectively across Queensland. TMR plans, manages and delivers Queensland’s integrated transport environment to achieve sustainable transport solutions for road, rail, air and sea.

TMR is responsible for shaping Queensland’s transport system, building the network, managing use of the system, and providing passenger services for all Queenslanders. TMR delivers public transport and transport infrastructure to connect Queensland and ensure the infrastructure built and maintained is efficient, reliable, safe and accessible to all.

In 2015, TMR’s Director-General outlined his vision to transform TMR’s culture so that the customer is at the centre of everything TMR does. TMR’s Customer Experience Transformation Program (CETP) was subsequently established with the clear objective to work with the business, with its people and with its customers. This program works across the department to support and continue to build TMR’s capacity to listen to the voice of its customers. TMR does this by utilising human-centred design methodologies and practices to provide a seamless customer experience across all its customer touch points.

TMR’s Customer Value Proposition (CVP) was developed through in-depth customer research with over 1500 Queensland citizens and 500 organisations. Customers told TMR they want customer care that is respectful and responsive, a user experience that is efficient and affordable and information that is timely and accurate. The CVP ensures the department provides customers with a seamless experience, regardless of transport mode or which part of the department they are dealing with.

A vital component of TMR’s organisational culture change is enabling the department to bring the voice of the customer to the business. The creation and development of TMR’s online community, Transport Talk, was a fundamental component of the CETP. Transport Talk improves TMR’s capacity to connect a diverse spectrum of customers across Queensland, in a single and united way. Utilising data gathered from research conducted with the online community and mapping this against TMR’s CVP, TMR can investigate and understand customers’ true experiences. It also offers teams in TMR visibility of change requirements in the way they work so that they can put the customer at the centre of what they do.

In a rapidly changing world, it is vital to monitor the customer experience to continue to meet evolving customer needs and expectations. Transport Talk is a whole-of-department initiative that helps TMR better understand and connect with customers and to design and deliver products and services that meet their needs.

Transport Talk’s application is both internal and external. Its objective is to support TMR to integrate the voice of the customer into everything the department does. TMR is building a community membership that is broadly representative of Queenslanders, ensuring business areas can access insight from across the customer community the department serves. This includes making sure vulnerable customers and customers with disability have a voice in the Transport Talk customer community, and in turn, are integral to the co-design process.

TMR is the first Queensland agency to invest in a dedicated online community to engage with customers at scale. Transport Talk is aimed at building the capacity of the department to gather customer insight, change what TMR does in response to that insight and track how well customer needs and expectations are being met over time.

For more information on the Department of Transport and Main Roads go to tmr.qld.gov.au