By Dave Millhouser

"Ye-ouch," Bob yelped as he flopped back into the drivers seat after a quick coffee stop. When his back hit the seatback he felt a nasty prick.

Bob drove a 70-mile line-run between Salida, Colo., and the molybdenum mine in Climax. (Betcha you didnt think I could spell molybdenum.)

The route was through rugged terrain, climbing above 11,000 feet, and virtually all his passengers were miners.

While Bob was getting coffee, the passengers took an informal survey regarding his aggressive driving style, and he came up short. To make the point (pun intended), one miner shoved his knife blade through the seat back, giving Bob a different sort of "tip".

This early (and effective) means of measuring customer surliness might not work well in todays environment, but the need to gauge client satisfaction remains important.

A commendable movement is afoot stressing, on the national level, the comfort, simplicity, fuel efficiency and "greenness" of motorcoach travel. That effort will likely bear fruit.

On the other hand, we still need to look hard at why folks ride our buses, and see how well we are serving them. Id submit that altruism is not high on the customers wish-list when theyre booking a ride on a line or charter bus.

Too often, when a media person reports on a bus trip, the reporter does not have wonderfully kind things to say. If were going to fill seats, we need to understand what passengers really want . . . and deliver it to them.

Price is always important. Heck, if folks had the money, theyd own a helicopter.

We do offer genuine value. However, some of us succumb to a tendency to treat "price buyers" disrespectfully, which may be why so many choose another method of travel as soon as they can afford it.

One of the finest line operators in the country once said to me: "My competitor aims all their efforts at the lowest 10 percent of the economic spectrum, and thats what they get. We aim at the lowest 80 percent, and treat every customer accordingly."

The same guy said: "I run my bus line as if every passenger was my mother or my child. I want them to feel safe and be treated like family." He puts substantial effort into surveying passengers, keeping track of how hes doing, and fixing small problems.

Ticket counts measure current sales, but improving customers experiences ensures future revenue.

Its worth the effort to determine what your customers really want, and to find ways of measuring performance.

Perceived safety is a factor, and most companies work at it. In addition to the obvious, there are some subtle facets.

One large line operator polled customers and learned many folks didnt mind riding buses ... but they hated bus stations. Depots were seen as threatening (and dirty). Changing the location and sprucing up can help, or choosing good curbside pickups.

Customers want reliable buses, on time, and they want to be treated like people. Bus companies have long measured "operational" performance, but surveys and anonymous, mystery shopper-type passengers can give real insight into how customers are being treated. Ride your competitors coaches, see what they do well, or poorly.

The charter business is different, but there are ways to see how youre doing. Calling a group leader after the trip will get you feedback (and the chance to see what their future plans are).

Keep track of driver requests. The drivers your customers love are doing something right. If you cant clone them (not sure of union rules on that), see if you can get them to share their secrets with other drivers. Revenue should climb, along with tips.

Track requests for specific coaches and look for a pattern that may be a template for future bus or equipment purchases.

Pass out surveys at the end of trips ... and look for patterns.

Surely YOUVE never done it, but some companies call others, posing as clients, to sample pricing. Dont just ask about price, but see how they answer the phone and treat people. THEN have someone call your place and see how your folks do.

Have a computer novice try and negotiate your website.

None of this is expensive. Its a mind set. Try to make an ongoing effort to evaluate customers experiences with your company. If we assume people are only interested in price, and treat them as commodities, theyll think the same of us. Treat them as though they have choices, and theyll chose us.

The late writer and humorist Lewis Grizzard wrote what I consider to be a great example of Southern literature (and a lousy business philosophy): "Shoot low boys, theyre riding Shetland ponies."

Dave Millhouser is a bus industry marketing consultant and freelance writer. Contact him at: dave_millhouser@hotmail.com.