TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Kathleen Kelly, Interim General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Customer Services Quarterly Metrics
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving an update on FY 2024-2025 Second Quarter Customer Services Metrics.
Staff Contact:
Claudia Burgos, Interim Executive Director of External Affairs, Marketing & Communications
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
This report provides a general overview of the quarter’s customer service-related activity, including rider and customer feedback, summaries of recent fare media sales, and institutional pass ridership and penetration. Staff leverages in-person interaction and proven technologies, many of which are available 24/7 across diversified, user-friendly, and accessible platforms. Staff continuously looks for ways to employ new channels and methods that enhance the customer’s AC Transit experience.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Customer Service Center (Attachment 1)
The Customer Service Center (Clipper Customer Service Center), monitors Clipper-related requests, sells AC Transit passes and other fare media such as paratransit tickets, and Bike Link tickets; provides bus schedules and maps; works with the Regional Transit Connection (RTC) Discount ID Card requests; and manages the Districts’ Lost and Found. The Customer Service Center also assists District employees with Dependent and Pensioner ID cards.
In Q2 of FY25, fare revenue totaled $420,240, reflecting a 3.5% decrease compared to Q1 of FY25. This decline is attributed to the holiday season, during which schools and organizations reduce their bulk ticket purchases. December historically trends as a low revenue-generating month.
The Day Pass (Adult) was the most popular fare media in Q2, with over 12,000 passes sold. Additionally, the 31-day local and 10-Ride local passes were also in high demand. A total of 905 31-day local and 773 10-Ride local passes were sold for Q2.
The Customer Service Center processed a total of 606 Regional Transit Connection (RTC) applications for the 2nd quarter of FY25, reflecting a 3% increase in application processing from Q1 FY25. There were two RTC outreach events that the Customer Service Team attended in November. One was held at the California School of the Deaf, while the second was held at The Transition program in Richmond. These events resulted in the collection of 98 applications.
Customer Relations (Attachment 2)
The Customer Relations department manages the District’s feedback resolution process. Staff monitors all incoming feedback through the Customer Relations (CusRel) ticket database. Feedback is received through various channels, including phone calls, emails, walk-ins, letters and social media. Customer Relations collaborates with various District departments to ensure a timely response to customers. Additionally, staff provides data and statistics to appropriate internal departments as well as external stakeholders (such as ILC’s and the General Manager’s Access Committee), as part of an effort to determine areas needing service quality improvements.
Customer Response Times - Board Policy 421, the District’s Customer Contact Policy, states “Customers submitting feedback online or via the Customer Service Call Center will receive acknowledgment and a ticket number upon submission for tracking purposes. Departments shall respond to the customer within five (5) business days.” Division staff met the five-day response time goal on 81% of all CusRel tickets, down from 86% in the previous quarter. District-wide, the number was 77% for the quarter. A recent reorganization of Division leadership is expected to strengthen awareness in ensuring that all staff is aware of the District’s Five-Day Response goal.
Contact Sources - AC Transit customers continued to choose the AC Transit official app as their preferred method for submitting feedback. Almost half of all customer comments were received via the app.
Customer Feedback - From October through December of 2024, Customer Service received 2,659 unique customer contacts, approximately 28% more than the previous year’s same quarter (2,084 contacts).
Top Five Feedback Categories (Reasons)- From October through December of this year, the top five reasons for customer feedback were split between operator-related issues (pass-up, operator misconduct, hazardous operation) and service issues (no-show, late).
Commendations - Division 2 received the most commendations from riders, who specifically called out operators on the 51B-line on 13 different occasions. Below is a selection of reported commendations:
“Today's bus ride from Rockridge BART to UC Berkeley was probably the most enjoyable in my 50+ years of using AC Transit. After Titus "convinced" an obnoxious, crude, and verbally belligerent passenger who boarded at Rockridge to off-board, he explained to the rest of us that he took that action because he did not tolerate the discomfort this passenger was placing on us. Then, as we got closer to campus and more and more students would board the bus, he would share uplifting remarks encouraging students to be humane, courteous, and smart "good citizens" who were attending a prestigious University.”
“Wanted to compliment the driver for managing a difficult passenger. She did a great job of protecting other passengers and keeping everyone safe with a difficult male passenger. Please let her know she's been seen and appreciated!”
“51B bus driver always gives pep talks, is incredibly friendly, and is always watching out for others! Goes above and beyond helping those with physical disabilities getting on and off, wonderful person. Not sure of his name, but he usually wears the bus driver cap and wears eye glasses.”
Clipper-based Institutional Pass Programs (Attachment 3)
The institutional pass programs (EasyPass, Student Transit Pass Program (STPP), BayPass Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Regional Pilot, City of Alameda (Senior and Person of Disability Free Pass Program) enrolled 5,959 new participants this quarter, bringing the total number of eligible participants to 93,954.
Compared to Q1 FY25, there is a dip in the number of users. Since the student population makes up most of the institutional programs, there is a decrease of activity as students settle into their classes. Additionally, the Student Transit Pass Program examines its participation list every winter and removes students who are no longer eligible for the program (usually graduates or students that have moved), resulting in a decrease in the number of users.
Although users decreased, Clipper card ridership increased by 22% compared to the last quarter (Q1 FY25) and 10% compared to Q2 FY2023-24. A total of 1,954,749 rides were taken through the institutional programs in the second quarter of FY25, reflecting strong usage and continued demand.
Clipper Usage
MTC provides monthly Clipper data to the District which allows us to examine trends in Clipper boardings and mobile card usage. The monthly clipper data uses the National Transit Database (NTD) ridership data to calculate Clipper market share (trips taken with Clipper). AC Transit averaged slightly over 50% of market share, which is higher than the average for Transit Agencies with mixed-fare media (that includes cash fare collection) for Q2.
AC Transit continues efforts to promote Clipper usage through Clipper START promotions and community engagement. Additionally, marketing efforts include partnerships with MTC to support regional campaigns through donated advertising space. Clipper START application submissions remained flat for the quarter compared to the previous quarter, totaling 5,819. However, applications are being submitted and approved at a higher rate than Q2 of FY24.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
There are no notable advantages or disadvantages associated with this report.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
This report has no alternative analysis, as no recommended action is provided.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
None
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Customer Service Center Metrics
2. Customer Relations and Call Center Metrics
3. Clipper Usage and Institutional Pass Program Metrics
Prepared by:
Debora Garcia, Customer Services Manager
In Collaboration with:
Dionte Delcambre, Customer Services Supervisor
Dan Talbott, Program Specialist
Annie Chau, Program Specialist
Approved/Reviewed by:
Nichele Laynes, Director of Marketing, Communications & Customer Services
Claudia Burgos, Interim Executive Director of External Affairs, Marketing & Communications