Meeting_Body
AD HOC CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 18, 2018
Subject
SUBJECT: CUSTOMER CARE OVERVIEW, COMPLAINT TRENDS
AND RESPONSE PROCESS
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report on the Customer Care Department, the trends in customer complaints and the process for responding to complaints.
Issue
ISSUE
Members of the Ad Hoc Customer Experience Committee have requested an overview of the Customer Care Department, the trends in customer complaints and the major categories received in Metro’s Customer Care Department by Metro customers, including those regarding cleanliness. The committee has also requested information on the process for addressing the complaints and responding to customers, including the agency’s systematic approach for addressing issues across departments and ensuring they are resolved.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Metro’s Customer Care Department is comprised of four functional areas: Customer Information (the Metro Call Center), TAP Information (the TAP Call Center), Customer Programs and Services, and Customer Relations.
Customer Information
• The Metro Contact Center assists customers with trip planning and provides information on schedules and fares. Agents provide regional information for 70 transit providers.
• Call 323.GOMETRO Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
TAP Contact Center
• The TAP Contact Center assists customers regionwide with all inquiries regarding TAP cards.
• Call 866.TAPTOGO or email customerservice@taptogo.net <mailto:customerservice@taptogo.net> Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Customer Programs and Services
• Four Customer Centers - Baldwin Hills, East LA, East Portal at Union Station and Wilshire/Vermont.
• The centers provide in-person customer service Monday-Saturday 6:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Reduced Fare - Processes 200,000 Reduced Fare applications a year for seniors, the disabled and students (K-12 and college/vocational).
• TAP Stockroom - Delivers 360,000 TAP cards and tokens annually to customer centers and third-party vendors.
• Mobile Customer Center - Assists over 7,500 patrons in underserved areas of LA County with fare media sales and Reduced Fare application intake services.
• Metro Mail - Processes $500,000 in fare media orders annually via email, mail and internal requests.
• Centralized Lost and Found - Receives and manages over 14,000 lost articles annually recovered from Metro buses, rail lines and facilities. Stores 700 bicycles on average each month.
Customer Relations
• Responds to customer comments, inquiries and complaints about Metro through the following channels:
o customerrelations@metro.net <mailto:customerrelations@metro.net>
o Call 213.922.6235 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Closed Saturday and Sunday.
o Walk-in customer service on Plaza level at Metro headquarters Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
All comments, inquiries and complaints are tracked and monitored in the Customer Comment Analysis Tracking System (CCATS). This system is also used by other Metro departments including the Office of County Counsel, Claims Service, Bus and Rail Operations, Office of Civil Rights, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Records Management.
The comment/complaint process is as follows:
• Comment received
• Comment entered into tracking system
• Form sent to relevant department
• Comment received and investigated
• Finding/resolution provided to Customer Relations
• Response sent to customer
• Matter resolved and documented in tracking system
• Item is closed
When analyzing the customer complaint data compiled by the Customer Relations unit from FY15 through FY17, the top ten categories include:
1. Passenger passed up
2. Late schedule
3. No show
4. Operator discourtesy
5. Unsafe operation
6. Accident
7. Operator conduct
8. Dispute/wrong fare
9. Schedule/bus stop comment or request
10. Carried past stop
Detailed charts can be found in Attachment A, but the top three complaints for bus and rail in each of FY15, FY16 and FY17 were:
Top Bus Complaints
Passed Up, Late Schedule, and No Show.
Top Rail Complaints
Ticket Machine, Passenger Security/Conduct Issues, and Rail Facility/Park ‘n Ride Complaint (FY15) and Miscellaneous Complaint (FY16 and FY17).
From FY15 through FY17, comments about bus and rail cleanliness have been minimal compared to other complaints. The common themes of cleanliness complaints revolve around the system being dirty, wet seats and trash.
Rail
• 125 cleanliness comments
o Red Line - 31
o Blue Line - 18
o Gold Line - 18
o Expo Line - 13
o Green Line - 8
• 3 graffiti comments
Bus
• 88 cleanliness comments
o Orange Line - 13
o Remainder spread across 62 bus lines
• 44 graffiti comments
The Operations Department has a process for addressing complaints in an effort to ensure continuous improvement:
• Complaints are reviewed by management on a daily basis
• ADA and Title VI complaints are resolved within three days
• All other complaints are resolved within 15 days
• Complaints Procedure
o Identify operator
o Gather all data, including audio and video
o Verify complaint
o If complaint is corroborated
• Provide counseling to operator
• Provide re-training
• Impose disciplinary action, if required
– If requested, Division Director will contact the customer upon resolution
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to providing this information about the trends and process for addressing customer complaints.
Impact to Budget
The processes shared in this report do not impact the budget, as they are a part of the Standard Operating Procedures of the Customer Care Department.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
This report does not involve a staff recommendation and requires no action by the Board of Directors or alternatives for consideration.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff regularly tracks customer comments including inquiries, complaints and commendations, and can synthesize the data and present it to the committee periodically.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - PowerPoint presentation on Customer Care, customer complaint trends and customer response process.
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Richard Saldivar, Analyst, Customer Relations (213) 922-1671
Anthony Roman, Manager, Customer Relations (213) 922-1681
Gail Harvey, Executive Officer, Customer Care (213) 922-1530
Reviewed_by:
Reviewed by: Pauletta Tonilas, Chief Communications Officer (213) 922-3777
