5 Reasons Rider Feedback Matters in Public Transit
Getting on board with rider feedback can be tricky. Today’s world is so fast-paced, riders can send out negative comments across the world using the internet while they’re still on a bus or a train. Finding a way to gather good, beneficial, and constructive comments is a challenge, but if done well, provides extremely useful data for your transit agency. So you understand how this data can impact your business, here are 5 reasons rider feedback matters in public transit
1. It Gives You a Modern-Day Advantage
If you plan on competing in the modern world of high-tech transportation solutions, then you need to provide riders the ability to leave feedback. If you let them know you want their opinions, then they feel more valued. If you allow them an easy and modern way to leave their opinions, then you look “with-it” and relevant.
Riders are looking for companies that keep up with the latest technologies, apps, and services, including updated rider feedback systems. This indicates positive growth and change in the right direction for a public or private transit provider. Having a digital interface, an app, or a hash-tagged code for riders to text feedback also allows for safe, pandemic-proof information exchange.
2. Riders Expect to Provide Feedback
In today’s instant world of social media, riders want to have a say about what is bothering them or making them happy. This includes the way they perceive services on public or private transit, and especially on mass transit systems. Gwen Chisholm Smith, senior program officer of the Transportation Research Board, said, “Transit customers are increasingly reporting transit-related issues using web-based tools and expecting both response and action.” If riders have any issues and want to leave a comment but have no idea where to go, that instantly downgrades the experience they have.
Your transit company needs a rider feedback system in a position to meet this demand. Also, if they are contacting you to request Information, online request areas should include categories of customer service, such as security, safety, and maintenance concerns.
3. Lack of a Feedback System Can Compromise Safety
According to a report in ScienceDirect, passenger safety and feedback systems go hand in hand. Security for riders commuting, whether for a ride-sharing service or public transit, requires feedback. This is the easiest way for transit providers to know what features their riders need the most.
For example, dash cams and distress alarms, along with indoor lighting during the evening hours, may greatly improve the security and safety of your rider service. However, you may never know this unless you have the chance to talk to your riders. The lack of a system for providing feedback is problematic and puts your business at risk for insurance and rider safety compliance issues. However, with the right kind of feedback system in place, riders can easily report a light that’s gone out or a suspicious person they’ve seen. Your riders become the eyes and ears that assist you in providing better security. Passio offers Passio Vision, which uses live cameras on-board and stores everything within our system, and has the ability to send real-time alerts and messages to management.
4. It Provides Stellar Customer Service
When you are providing customer service for thousands upon thousands of riders each day, getting in front of each one for a survey is not possible. However, rider feedback systems allow you to do just this. If there is input to be provided, either good or bad, rider feedback solutions let individuals say this in a safe and efficient manner. Once you’re better informed of issues, you can address them more promptly, providing better service and better experiences for your riders. When they have better experiences, they’ll be encouraged to ride more often. Passio Navigator, the “brains” of our transit solutions, allows our client transit agencies to see all feedback and even monitor their customer service response times.
5. It Gathers the Data Needed for Efficiency
As a result of the information, rider feedback provides, you gain a tremendous amount of data. This rider data can inform the policies and experiences your transit team creates in the future. The Chicago MTA recently collected feedback from riders to determine who’ll be returning to their pre-COVID level of use and who might continue remote or hybrid work, limiting their use of public transportation. This is a great example of how rider feedback can aid transit systems in anticipating ridership in order to plan routes, stops, and frequency during times when it might be more unpredictable. The information then helps agencies prevent under-providing, causing transportation issues and upset riders, or over-providing, which is costly and inefficient. Passio’s solution BusBuzz allows rider data to be filtered into our management dashboard for transit agencies.
Discover More Intelligent Rider Solutions
Passio Tech’s software and solutions improve overall rider feedback and ensure a professional and safe collection of rider feedback as well. Our mission is “making every passenger count,” and we want to work with you to do the same. Thanks to our years of transit experience and passion for technology, Passio has developed intelligent transit systems for the university, aviation, healthcare, and municipal industries, and more with solutions like BusBuzz for rider feedback or our app Passio GO. Give Passio Tech a go for collecting passenger feedback, counting passengers, navigation, or other vehicle intelligence services.
