New technology improves service at Metro Mobility
Two new online tracking systems have improved Metro Mobility service to customers while saving the agency time and money.
One system allows Metro Mobility’s street supervisor to monitor several routes and route changes simultaneously – and in real time. The second system is a more useful and efficient database to process customer complaints.
Metro Mobility field supervisor Brian Montgomery calls up the latest information – in real time – while monitoring paratransit service on the street. Accessing data with new wireless technology has greatly improved accountability and customer service.
In both cases, Metro Mobility staff have powerful new tools that speed up response time and make better use of agency resources. The bottom line: better service.
“In just a short time, these new systems have led to better accountability and customer service, and made our staff much more productive,” said Andrew Krueger, Metro Mobility’s manager of customer service. “All applications were developed internally, which saved us a substantial amount of money compared with purchasing them.”
Metro Mobility is the state’s largest transit service specifically designed for people with disabilities.
‘Road Supervisor’ system
Drivers and vehicle routes are routinely monitored by Metro Mobility to assure quality service, customer care, punctuality and other aspects of service on the street.
With the new “Road Supervisor” system, a field supervisor working from a laptop in his car can select specific routes and drivers to monitor – or he can select a geographic area and pull up every vehicle and trip that goes in and out of that area. The new software system allows him to monitor 15 or 20 routes each day, compared with only two or three routes previously.
If a route changes due to a late cancellation or late addition, the field supervisor now will know right away. Previously, route schedules were printed up one day in advance, and a supervisor had to hope the itinerary hadn’t changed much.
“Having access to route information and route changes in real-time is a huge improvement in accountability, quality control and productivity,” Krueger said.
‘Issue Tracking’ system
The new “Issue Tracking” system is a quantum leap forward for managers who track customer complaints and make sure they are resolved quickly and effectively.
Complaints entered into the system are automatically forwarded to Metro Mobility’s contracted providers, who actually deliver service on the street. Service providers typically have up to 72 hours to respond to complaints. Metro Mobility’s customer service manager reviews all provider responses and accepts or rejects the provider’s resolution.
The new system can generate reports by sorting for the driver name, contractor name, routes, incident type, dates, complainant name, complaint type, customer name and more. Until now, that kind of parsing of information was simply not done (except in rare cases) because it took too long.
Another benefit: the new tracking system works seamlessly with other Metro Mobility software – like those used for scheduling rides and for generating reports. The information also is accessible in real-time by the road supervisor for monitoring purposes.
Developed in-house by a couple of Metro Mobility’s self-described “computer guys,” -- Matt Yager and Joe Liljedahl -- the new Tracking System was implemented on a pilot basis last October and put into full service in November. Comparable store-bought software would have cost the agency $60,000 to $100,000.
The system is now being used by Metro Mobility’s “core providers” – Transit Team and First Transit – which form the heart of the operation. In the second phase of the planned rollout, the system will be made available later this year to additional paratransit providers in Dakota, Carver, Scott and Washington Counties.