"We apologize for this..." What does Deutsche Bahn's culture of apologizing for disruptions and delays reveal about the company?
Uwe Ebbinghaus
Editor in the Feuilleton.
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Tobias Rohl:
First of all, it is striking that Deutsche Bahn and the transport company feel compelled to apologize to the customer.
When I get stuck in a traffic jam, no one apologizes to me.
In contrast to private transport, on the train I transfer the responsibility for my punctual arrival to an organization.
This also has to do with the fact that, historically speaking, the railways are a technology that promises to rationalize space and time.
Mobility became plannable with the railway.
The railway follows the logic of industrialization, there are timetables that state that I can arrive at my destination at a precise time.
In the case of public transport, there is also the fact that it is considered a public good.
Therefore, there is also a transport obligation.
Public transport should serve the common good, secured by Article 87 e.
Deutsche Bahn is now responding to these social expectations.
It not only has to prove itself economically - like other private companies - but also has to serve the community by getting us to our destination on time.
From my point of view, this double role is the reason for the conspicuous accumulation of excuses that can be found in public transport for every small disruption.
by getting us to our destination on time.
From my point of view, this double role is the reason for the conspicuous accumulation of excuses that can be found in public transport for every small disruption.
by getting us to our destination on time.
From my point of view, this double role is the reason for the conspicuous accumulation of excuses that can be found in public transport for every small disruption.
Shouldn't Deutsche Bahn make it clearer that the expectations placed on them are difficult for a large mobility company to meet?
On the one hand yes, especially since there are actually a lot of disruptions, on the other hand the expectations of the customers are not unfounded.
After all, a relatively high proportion of trains still arrive on time.
Even in the last few months of the crisis, this was still the case for well over fifty percent of long-distance trains and for over eighty percent of local trains.
Do you think Deutsche Bahn's apologies make sense?
I find them useful.
From the customer's point of view, it is initially a reassuring moment when you notice that someone is declaring themselves responsible and accountable.
It is particularly stressful for customers when they notice that something is wrong, for example because the train stops far too long, but the transport company does not react and the disruption is not discussed.
On the other hand, with the many requests for apologies that one encounters, there is a suspicion that they are just empty phrases.
In your habilitation, you examined what customers expect from error messages. What information should they contain - and are the expectations met?
First of all, customers expect that in the event of a fault the reasons will be given and that a promise to repair or rectify the problem should be made, if possible with an indication of the time.
And they actually welcome expressions of regret, they want empathy to be shown.
But it has to be authentic.
Your book, in which you analyze disruptions in public transport from a technical and organizational sociological point of view, is called “Distributed Accountability”. What role does this term play in mobility companies such as Deutsche Bahn?