How Do You Best Connect With Your Riders?
People today have so many touch points. The key for any organization, particularly transit agencies, is to streamline their feedback loops.
First, let’s start by defining “connection” for transit systems. The word connection means different things to different brands, but for transit, connecting with riders likely means:
- Giving an opportunity for feedback
- Making the transit process as seamless as possible
- Taking the burden out of using mass transit
There are a few main ways to connect and communicate with riders today:
- Ask drivers to pass along information they hear from riders
- Providing relevant information to your riders when they need it
- Rollout a digital solution (whether it be social media, texting or an app) because that’s where pretty much everyone under the age of 40 is now
The problem with the first one is drivers have a lot of responsibilities, such as keeping their eyes on the road and their hands at 10 and two at all times. So, making announcements and relaying information — which could be changing in real time, by the way — is not their priority.
Now, drivers are often the ambassadors of any system. While no amount of technology can replace that personal connection for many, the goal is to use technology to enhance operations and improve the overall customer experience.
At the same time, a phone number is important, but many passengers who have feedback are unlikely to take the next step and place a phone call. Unless they have a big complaint or effusive praise, passengers may not write down a phone number and call. This causes you to miss out on valuable feedback that could help improve the passenger experience.
With this in mind, a solution geared toward people on mobile devices is your best bet to connect and build a rapport with your riders.
People today do everything on their phones — from mobile banking to staying up-to-date on world events to connecting with friends and companies on social media. So, having a social media or mobile presence is no longer a question.
That’s why we created BusBuzz™. Passengers can use social media or directly text to suggest improvements, report issues, give compliments and register for alerts to remain fully connected with their transit system.
Responses are tracked in the TextConnect Dashboard™. Managers can follow the history of a conversation, see who responded and what they said, and monitor reports and trends to help realign future communications with riders’ expectations.
Our internal research found that BusBuzz Text Connect™ customers typically experience an average increase of 40-70 percent in passenger satisfaction within the first three months of implementing the system.
For more information, call 800.520.0277 or visit passiotech.com. We are happy to arrange a demo of our capabilities.
