Purpose
This procedure provides service information for all customer service representatives to ensure they can provide customers with real-time next stop departure information, public service messages, and trip information. Customer service staff can also encourage riders to use the myStop® applications ( phone app, agency website) to create an account, setup alerts and view schedule information independently, whenever needed.
Operational Impact and Metrics
Operational Impact: Real-time passenger information tools are designed to allow customer service representatives and riders with an easy way to see where buses are in real time, determine bus location and depart times from stops, capacity, on-time performance, and next stop departure information for trip planning purposes. Failure to use these tools can lead to increased customer call times, incorrect information provided to a rider, and a decrease in customer satisfaction.
Metrics: Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Definitions
| ITS | Intelligent Transportation Systems |
| CAD/AVL | Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location |
Frequency
Daily, ongoing during route operations
Positions and Responsibilities
Implementation of this SOP is the responsibility of Customer Service Representatives or whomever communicates with customers to assist in finding their bus. myStop tools provide real time vehicle and route information to answer customer questions.
Procedure
Customer service representatives (CSRs) use myStop real time passenger information tools to provide service information for customer requests. CSRs can also provide support for customers who want to download and use the myStop phone apps.
Provide customers with stop and departure information:
- Open the InfoPoint (myStop) bus tracker website
- Click the desired route from the ‘Routes’ menu for the rider requested departure information
- Click the stop from the map to pull up departure information or click the ‘Stops’ pane and locate or search for the desired stop to provide departure information
Provide customers with real-time Public Service Messages:
- Open the InfoPoint bus tracker website
- Click the “Public Service Messages” pane
- Provide the rider with any important public message information that they should be aware of related to their requested route
Provide customers with trip planning information:
- Open the InfoPoint bus tracker website
- Click the ‘Trip Planner’ button
- Enter the customers ‘From’ and ‘To’ locations
- Enter customers desired departure/arrival time and date and click the ‘Plan Trip’ button
- Provide the rider with the best options to go from location A to location B using the bus system
Encourage customers to use the Avail real-time passenger information tools:
- Reinforce to the caller the convenience of using the free myStop®
app or bus tracker website to plan travel independently, when needed - Encourage customers to create their own account to setup customized reoccurring alerts and to subscribe to public messages
Supporting Articles
1. Real Time Passenger Information Tools - myStop & SMS Alerts
2. myStop®Text for Stop Information