Little Things
Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit
Traveling around as I do, you get to experience a lot of transit agencies. Most of the time it’s a guided tour, so it’s not exactly a full immersion, but you do get to see what the agency’s local riders see. I’ve been warned off by transit police for taking photos. I’ve had another rider help me figure out a ticket machine as I fumbled with my change. I’ve talked to riders on buses and trains and stops and platforms. And the thing you remember most is good customer service from agency staff.
As Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) general manager, John Catoe, recently said to me, “It’s every employee’s responsibility to provide customer service. And if I can do it as general manager, it’s my expectation that every other executive and every other manager in this agency doesn’t just go out there and look. It’s not always that terrible, but take an action, everyday take some small action to improve the service to our customers.”
My publisher and I were at the APTA Legislative Conference earlier this week in
Getting our tickets, we headed down to the platform and then stood dumbly looking at the signs as we discussed the different ticket stalls above. It was just then that we were approached by a WMATA employee who had obviously seen our suitcases and stares at the system map and (correctly) figured we needed some help.
Now I’ve ridden Metro several times before this and so has my publisher. We would eventually have gotten our bearings and got on the right train, but it was so nice to have someone come up and offer help without asking and without figuring you were stupid for not knowing the local system (I’ve had that happen, too).
The WMATA employee, told us what train we needed to take, where it would be coming from and, taking his lunchbox in hand, headed up and out of the station. He wasn’t a station manager, either. No, just a passing employee who thought he’d follow Catoe’s advice — even if he didn’t know it — and take a small action to help someone on the system.
Sure, we could have made it on our own, but it was just that little bit of customer service that made a big impact. I remembered it the whole way home and I won’t forget it the next time I ride the
I know agencies all over are looking for ways to increase revenue and ridership, but in the end it’s good to remember that it’s the little things that sometimes count the most.
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Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,
March 14th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Fred,
There is NO prohibition against photographing transit vehicles or facilities from public property. NJ Transit (being one of the more bold about it) threatened numerous such photographers with arrest, until the late George Warrington wisely put an end to the practice.
Chip Walker
Rochester, NY
March 14th, 2008 at 11:00 am
That is the wonderful thing about providing customer service; it’s easy, does not take up much time, gives the person providing the customer service a chance to show off their knowledge and you get a good feeling assisting either someone you know or a complete stranger. I passed on your entry and asked that the post be part of our newletter. Can I have your permission?
Respect,
James
March 14th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
what’s also good is when riders feel ownership of the system enough to give advice on how to get around. E.g., I tell many WMATA riders about the machines, and how, unless they are buying a particular type of card, that the blue machine (probably the one you went to) is much more complicated than the rider needs if they are buying a one way ticket…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I agree. It doesn’t take much and the rewards are great. I often ride our buses, just to see what’s going on. The best trips are when I see somebody make a difference for another by a simple observation and an extra effort to help. I never want to be too busy or important to provide the best customer service.
March 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Two scenarios:
1) Arriving at the station just as the train’s there, and loading passengers. You rush and cross the pedestrian crossing across both the outbound and inbound tracks in front of the train, turn to board. But the door’s closed and the train starts. You’re left to wait for the next train, the only person left on the platform.
2) You, having had the experience above, mosey down the walk, figuring that the train will leave before you even get to the near outbound track, but no, it waits and so you hustle across those two tracks and then find that the door’s still open, and she’s waiting for you to get on board.
A little thing in both cases, but which one do you think makes the passenger feel more valued??