Commercial Department In Indian Railways

General Foundation Functions of Commercial Department

• To issue reserved and unreserved tickets to passengers. 
• Booking, loading / unloading and delivery of Goods traffic
• Booking, loading / unloading and delivery of parcel and passenger luggage. 
• Booking, loading / unloading and delivery of livestock.
• Checking of tickets at stations and in trains. Collection of Charges from without ticket and irregular Travellers. Charging of unbooked luggage.
• Accountal of cash received from above mentioned activities and remittance to Chief Cashier through Station Master / Cash clerk.
• Preparation and submission of Balance sheet at the end of the month and other statements time to time to the Accounts Office.
• To provide facility of enquiry regarding reservation and running of trains.
• Disposal of claims and taking measures to prevent claims.
• Maintain public relations.
• Disposal of public complaints.
• To provide catering service and other passenger amenities and upgradation of provided amenities.
• Commercial publicity – Publicity of services / amenities provided by Railways and earn through advertisements.
• Marketing and Sales.
• Traffic Survey.
• To co-ordinate with other modes of transport.
• To provide catering service, alternate transport services to passengers and payment of exgratia at accidental site.
• To conduct meeting with railway users at Station, Divisional, Zonal and at the Railway Board level.
• Opening of halt station, City Booking Office, City Booking Agencies, Out agencies and Sidings. Appointment of contractors for sale of tickets at halt station.
• Disposal of station outstandings. 

Public Complaints

Definitions: – A complaint is filed when a traveler experiences any difficulty or a lack of services or amenities. It indicates that the complaint is a charge made against the management of the railway. 

General Causes for Complaints –

• Theft of passenger luggage in train.
• Entry of unauthorized passengers in passenger coaches.
• Delay in running of trains.
• Damage to booked luggage / parcels.
• Improper cleanliness in trains and stations.
• Dirty bed rolls in the trains.
• Regarding settlement of claim.
• Regarding corruption
• Deficiency catering service.
• Discourteous/non cooperative /rude behavior of commercial staff.
• Improper facility of drinking water.
• Improper functioning of electrical equipments.
• Incorrect information and improper guidance provided to way customers on enquiry.
• Railway employees’ ignorance about rules.
• Inadequacy in amenities provided to railway customers.
• Accidents to passenger trains and improper disaster management in case of accidents.
• Over charging from railway customers.
• Not attending telephones in enquiry office.
• Over carriage of parcels and luggage.
• Gents travelling in ladies coach.

Disposal of Complaints

• If a complaint is received about non-availability of water or non functioning of lights/fans in coaches, in the coach, the assistance to render to the passengers, concerned employee should be informed immediately and the problem should be resolved.
• If gents are traveling in ladies coach, they should be requested to leave the coach; otherwise assistance of the security personnel should be sought.
• If reserved accommodation could not be made available to passengers, they should be helped.
• It is the duty of railway employee to work according to rules, so that complaints do not arise.
• Employee should always be vigilant on duty.

Complaint and Suggestions Book

Every organization needs Complaint and Suggestions Book because the employees of a organization can not find deficiencies of the organisation; hence the complaints or suggestions are always welcomed.

The complaint book is available at all the stations with Station Master, the guards and Conductors of all passenger trains, in refreshment rooms and in reservation offices. This is a numbered book with are 3 foils of each number:-

1) Record; 2) Passenger; 3) Divisional office.

The complaint should contain name of Complainant, address, reason of complaint, signature etc. particulars and it should be signed by Station Master .Efforts should be made to dispose off the complaint immediately at the same time. Third foil should be sent to DCM office by first available train. The complaint books should be made available immediately to the passenger on demand, other wise departmental action can be initiated against the railway employee.

Customer Satisfaction

There are two types of Customer Satisfaction.

1. Physical Satisfaction.
2. Mental satisfaction.

Indian Railway is a commercial organisation. It should be the prime motto or principle of every commercial organisation that every customer should get mental and physical satisfaction. The first object of Indian Railway is to serve and then earn the profit. The working of any organisation denotes the quality of organisation. The higher the quality of service will be, the customer’s satisfaction will be higher. It is not enough to earn profit for the progress of any business, but it should be seen that quality services should be provided by which customer will get mental and physical satisfaction.

_________If we are not satisfying our customer is fully, the image of railway will be negative day by day. So, customer satisfaction is major part of our work. For the satisfaction of customer it is essential to follow the principles of Public Relations. It is essential to reach the passenger, its luggage, parcels, goods etc, as early as possible at destination safely.

To improve the customer satisfaction, the following steps are taken by railway administration.

1. Running of super fast Trains.

2. Weekly Trains are run on daily basis.

3. Tickets are issued by computerized system.

4. Provision of catering services.

Courtesy

The meaning of courtesy is humble, manners and helpbehavior. Courtesy is the relationship between good people courtesy is inherent in a human being since childhood otherwise due to his bad behavior he well destroyed his name as well as his bad behavior such misbehavior. The railway employed can destroyed the name of this department and also of the Indian Railway.

____________Indian Railway is the property of Indians. The main object of Railway is to serve people and then to earn profit. Indian Railway sales transportation services. So that the business of railway is fully depend upon the co-operation of public. For getting the co-operation from the public the courteous behavior of railway employees are essential.

Thank You