Metro: Bus complaints are up and we're victims of success!
KHOU-11 tells a tale of Metro's fine customer service:
As the workday ends, the adventure begins for Veronica Young. She is not a fan of the bus system, but a passenger anyway.
“They run stupid. I hate the way they run,” said Young. "You'd rather ride a car than take a bus."
This year there are more people like her than ever before.
According to METRO's year-end report, customers are losing patience with Houston’s public transportation system.
Complaints about buses being late are up 39-percent. Complaints about bus driver behavior are up nearly 43-percent.
Metro's excuse?
"We're almost a victim of our own success,” said METRO’s Raequel Roberts. “We have a much better call system now, so the wait time is less than a minute on most calls.
“So, people realize if I do call, I will get somebody that'll take my complaint. And if you realize you're going to get somebody you're more likely to call."
"We're almost a victim of our own success." I think we've heard that before out of a Metro official -- maybe Frank Wilson. Ms. Roberts is keeping up with the talking points!
So, Metro's customer service problems are because it has a better complaint call system now? It couldn't possibly because Metro has put so much emphasis on light rail that it has shortchanged bus service, now could it?
After a wave of retirements, 310 new bus drivers were behind the wheel this year. Roland Perez is sure he's been a passenger with one of them.
"I've been on one bus where everybody had to tell (the driver) where the route was,” said Perez. “He skipped like three or four stops and went the wrong way."
Maybe there's a hint in there!
METRO tells 11 News it's looking into why complaints are up.
Metro needs to commission a study.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/21/07 04:53 AM | Print |
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