finding patterns of failure in components and systems in specific fleets and have engaged our engineers and inspectors to address these issues. Through these efforts, we’ve increased our Mean Distance Between Failures (MDBF) by almost 60 percent from Fiscal Year 2008 to 2011. Finally, MARTA continues to improve the transit experience by providing excellent customer service. In another interdepartmental effort, the Training and Bus Operations teams have combined their expertise to roll out a Customer Service Impact (CSI) training program that offers operators communication skills and tools to achieve excellence in service delivery. Operators are provided with guidelines on how to work with customers to diffuse difficult situations and achieve resolutions. The program also establishes clear lines of accountability. Once operators complete the training, they start with a clean slate on their customer service records. At the same time, new guidelines hold operators accountable for their actions. Customer complaints are often deemed non-valid due to a lack of objective evidence. This initiative establishes that the fourth non-valid customer complaint an operator receives may be deemed valid due to the fact that it indicates a pattern of behavior. As a direct result of our team’s ongoing commitment to providing excellent customer service, bus complaints per 100,000 boardings have been reduced by 51.5 percent since 2008. While the severe economic downturn has significantly impacted how we do business, it has also reminded us that we can still do great work with very limited resources. As we move forward toward what we hope are better financial times for transit, we must continue to apply the lessons we’ve learned during these difficult years. By working together, leveraging the talents of our staff, communicating regularly with employees and customers and maintaining an unwavering commitment to excellence, we can always find ways to maintain high-quality transit service to our communities. BR Dr. Beverly A. Scott is the general manager and CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
BUSRide
September 2012
37