Having joined the Taoyuan Metro company in Taiwan just over a year ago, President Pu Her-Chang is focusing on the nuts and bolts of the service it provides while also planning the extension of the airport line. “We have been doing our best to maintain the punctuality and the reliability of our system, so that our passengers can manage the travel time of their trips in advance,” Her-Chang reveals.
Aside from the system enhancement, Her-Chang has been looking to improve the Metro’s overall customer satisfaction rate by implementing various changes to its offering. These include mobile payments being added to the automatic fare collection system, an optimisation of the ticketing system, further development of the passenger mobile app, and assisting passengers whenever they need help.
He is also hard at work with the opening of the Taoyuan Metro green line and the extension of the airport line which, he says, “will connect our metro line to many other important development projects in Taoyuan City, and increase the overall benefit of the Airport Line”.
Currently, the company faces various challenges which, Her-Chang says, are both financial and strategic. “Since our competitors include other public transportation » services, taxis and private cars, one of our biggest challenges for stimulating ticket income is to understand different passengers’ needs and then provide the best service accordingly.
“Also, as our facilities’ warranties are expiring, the cost of operation and manpower has increased. Maintaining the growth of riders and the ticket/non-ticket income are key to financial stability.”
Her-Chang adds that his biggest challenge with the technology industry is following protocol. “The view on the technology industry is all about creative thinking and innovation, while here in Taoyuan Metro we need to strictly follow the SOPs (standard operating procedures) in almost every step we take to make sure the system is operated in a safe manner.
“There’s one important thing I learned during the process: Innovation is also critical in the transportation industry. There are so many other things we can do to enhance the system safety; for example, implementing scientific measurements to analyse train operation data and foresee potential problems,” he adds.
“Innovation is also critical in the transportation industry.”
Her-Chang’s next goal is to grow the business while improving the service, and to optimise procedures and facilities, while also improving passenger satisfaction. “We plan to start making customised advertising plans for different target customers, to attract more potential passengers to use our trains. Hopefully, we can reach our goal of breaking even within six years,” he adds.
In terms of keeping his team motivated to succeed, Her-Chang says he believes in leading by example. “I believe I should practise what I preach, making myself an example to be positive and enthusiastic, to inspire my employees to have passion in their day-to-day work.
“I often ask our senior executives to take their responsibilities seriously, which means different departments should solve problems together as a team instead of blaming each other. Executives should also make sure everyone on the team has access to resources whenever they need them, as well as equal opportunity to perform. And they should be encouraged to do so.”
“I believe I should practise what I preach, making myself an example to be positive and enthusiastic, to inspire my employees to have passion in their day-to-day work.”
Her-Chang’s top tips for creating a successful team culture:
- Promote teamwork and solidarity
- Lead the team in the right direction, cultivating the corporate culture and values
- Make employees believe in their own value to the corporation
- Make company strategies and goals approachable for everyone
