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Agenda Item # 11

BOARD MEMORANDUM

Background:

At prior CTA meetings, committee members have asked for information about the number and types of accessible service customer comments VTA receives and processes through the Customers Are Resources for Excellence (CARE) complaint resolution database.   This memorandum presents summary information about the customer comments VTA Customer Service staff received from persons with disabilities or their representatives between June 1 and September 19, 2006. 

Comments from passengers with disabilities were received at a rate of 1.8 per 100,000 boardings between June 1 and September 19 of both 2005 and 2006.  Total comments from all passengers were received at a rate of 18.2 per 100,000 boardings during the 2006 assessment period and 17.7 per 100,000 boardings during the same period of time last year.  Bus and light rail ridership for the 2006 period of time increased 13% over the 2005 period of time.  Future Accessible Services customer comment summary information will be presented quarterly to assess customer comment trends over time.

Discussion:

VTA received 230 customer comments involving concerns of persons identifying themselves as having a disability between June 1 and September 19, 2006.   During the same period, a total of 2,288 comments were received from all customers.

Of the 230 comments from persons identifying themselves as having a disability, 204 (as of September19) had been closed by Customer Service staff.   Comments are closed after they are referred to the appropriate Division supervision or program management staff for review, discussed with personnel, and returned to Customer Service with a resolution response.   The 204 CARE reports were closed within an average of 12 days.  Prior to closing the individual CARE reports, Customer Service calls each comment provider who has requested a call-back.

The remaining CARE reports not closed as of September 19 included 5 reports returned to Customer Service for closure and 21 reports that have been accepted and referred to either Division supervision or program management staff for review and consultation with personnel.

The following table shows the top five comment topics that constituted 57.4% of the 230 comments received.

Top 5 CARE Report Topics Received Between June 1 and September 19, 2006                                                       

From Passengers Identified as Having a Disability                                                       

Passed-up stop: 49 CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Behavior: 26 CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Facility Related: 21 CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Compliment: 19 CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Lift Issue: 17 CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Top 5 CARE Report Total: 132        CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities                                                                          

Passed-up stop: 21.3%   of CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Behavior: 11.3% of CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Facility Related: 9.1% of CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Compliment: 8.3% of CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Lift Issue: 7.4% of CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities     

Top 5 CARE Report Total: 57.4%           of CARE Reports from Customers with Disabilities                                                                          

Passed-up stop: 2.1% of Total CARE Reports         

Behavior: 1.1% of Total CARE Reports         

Facility Related: 0.9% of Total CARE Reports 

Compliment: 0.8% of Total CARE Reports 

Lift Issue: 0.7% of Total CARE Reports         

Top 5 CARE Report Total: 5.8% of Total CARE Reports                                                                     

Total Number of CARE Reports From Customers with Disabilities: 230

Total Number of CARE Reports From All Customers: 2,288

Passed-up stop comments are the highest reported comment type.   These comments, as with reports of unprofessional behavior and lift issues, are referred to Division supervision for consultation with the respective coach operator.   Lift issues may also be referred to Division maintenance staff to inspect the coach involved in the reported incident.  Facility related comments are requests for bus stops, facility maintenance, accessibility improvements, or other facility problem concerns.  These reports are forwarded to facility planning staff, bus stop maintenance staff, or facility maintenance staff for review and response.  Compliments include comments of appreciation and recognition from customers regarding operator behavior or other VTA staff or service.  Compliments are forwarded to operators by memo or other means as determined appropriate by Division supervision/management staff.

In the CARE report process, comments are entered into the CARE database, reviewed for service information accuracy, referred to appropriate staff for review and response, and returned to Customer Service with a response statement.   For CARE reports involving operator interactions with customers, Division supervision staff summarizes action(s) taken upon consultation with coach operators by providing a general note of “come see me issued” or “noted for investigation” to Customer Service.   If a customer requests a call back regarding a resolution of a complaint comment, Customer Service will call the customer to advise of the actions taken in response to the complaint comment.  After the call is made to the customer, the CARE report is closed.

Customer service is critical to VTA’s transit operations.   The CARE report process allows VTA to investigate problems, implement corrective actions, enhance employee training, and assess needed service changes.   This process allows VTA to provide quality and effective service for all customers.

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