Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne is now able to report back to Mull Community Council on the in-depth customer survey on Mull conducted recently to assess customers’ perceptions of the services offered.

The survey was commissioned by CalMac following meetings held on the island when the Company was criticised for allegedly "pandering to tourists" and failing to put islanders’ interests first. The results are now to be reported to the Mull Community Council at a meeting on the island, provisionally scheduled for December 19.

The survey took place over a three-week period in October and involved a total of 527 respondents of which 151 were island residents. Regular commuters resident on the mainland made up 121 of those surveyed. A total of 255 tourists and holidaymakers were interviewed.

The survey was conducted onboard MV Isle of Mull, at various locations on Mull and at terminals, and was undertaken by independent analysts. A representative of Service Science Limited, the independent consultants who carried out the survey, will be on hand to make a presentation to the Community Council next month.

CalMac Managing Director Lawrie Sinclair said: "We said we would report back as soon as the analysis was complete and that is now where we are. I am delighted with the cooperation we got from island residents and tourists alike and the feedback we have had has been both useful and encouraging. It will come as no surprise to anyone that island residents in particular want cheaper fares and more frequent services. Indeed, one resident called for free ferries. We are, as we have stated before, constrained with respect to some changes currently until the tendering process is resolved and the fares are dependent on the level of Deficit Grant we receive. That finding would probably be the outcome of any survey on any route. However, there are clearly some issues to be addressed, which we can now target for action. There is a perception, for example, amongst some that island residents do not get discounted travel they do in fact, through paying the cheaper winter fare all year round and also through multi journey tickets. It is significant I believe that only 40% of Mull residents surveyed stated that they had concerns about the service. This is not the overwhelming opposition to our services which has been presented in some areas. We will present our findings to the Community Council next month and bring some proposals to that table on actions we propose to take on what we have found."

The survey considered a number of issues relating to ferry travel and the analysis has been broken down into island and non-island resident groups. The survey provides information on customers’ experiences onboard and at terminals and also their assessment of the booking process and port staff. It also focused on purpose of travel, mode of transport and ticket types being used.

Mr Sinclair added: "Clearly, the results of our survey show that we have some work to do to raise the level of performance to match customers expectations onboard, but we believe we can do that and that we will be able to meet the challenge. There are some operational issues which have been highlighted which we will take a close look at. I am, however, encouraged by the high scores allocated to the ship and shore staff with regard to their performance and also the general satisfaction with our terminals and facilities."

 For further information on the contents of this News Release, please contact Hugh Dan MacLennan, Head of Communication and Customer Care, Caledonian MacBrayne. Tel: 0776 435 4021; e-mail

 Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Limited

 Issued: Tuesday, November 27, 2006 : 0900