After years of complaints, SEPTA goes from loathed to loved

Since taking over as SEPTA’s general manager in 2008, Joe Casey has emphasized customer service for a system once plagued by bad press thanks to recurring financial problems and aging infrastructure. It seems that Casey's preaching is paying dividends.

For the fourth consecutive year, SEPTA has seen an increase in the number of commendations from customers, and commendations through Dec. 15 are already up 20 percent from 2010. As the nation's sixth-largest transit agency, it has also seen a steady rise in ridership.

“Most of the commendations, I’d say 95 percent of the commendations, have nothing to do with the way they drive a bus or a trolley or how they collect fares," said Kim Scott Heinle, who was promoted to assistant general manager for customer service and advocacy in 2008, “It's the amazing things they do and the people skills that draw the most attention.”

The agency has changed the way it recruits employees through its qualifications tests, focusing more on people skills than just technical skills, Heinle said, noting that they still have “a lot more work to do.”

Part of the reason for the change in perception is Casey’s willingness to listen, said rider advocate Matthew Mitchell.

“If there’s been one hallmark of Joe Casey’s time it's that he’s listening and he gets out on the system and sees what’s going on. It's really important from a customer service standpoint,” said Mitchell, of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers. “You can’t fix something unless you know there’s a problem.”

And while commendations have risen steadily, so has the number of complaints, although they remain flat from 2010. Heinle says that's a product of encouraging more customer feedback.

"Complaint reduction is not our objective," Heinle said. "It's responsiveness to complaints and the measurement of employee satisfaction."


Things that have helped customer perceptions:

1. QuietRide: SEPTA’s initiative to designate one “quiet” car on busier Regional Rail trains has       received positive feedback overall.

2. Stable fares: SEPTA has raised fares once since 2007. It's a lot easier to like the system when fares don't jump every year.

Things that have harmed customer perceptions:

1. Phillies parade debacle: The only thing more   memorable than Chase Utley's expletive is the     thousands of people waiting for the Broad Street Subway.

2. Antiquated equipment: The fact that customers still can't buy tokens with debit cards or even purchase tokens at some stations still frustrates many.

More than a grand worker

Wade Gordon, a district clerk receiver for SEPTA at the Midvale bus depot, was one of two employees recently commended for returning a passenger's wallet which contained more than $1,000. He hears from plenty of relieved customers, but he also deals with his share of angry passengers.
“My aim is to try to do my job to the best of my ability because I'm here to deal with customers,” said Gordon, a 25-year SEPTA employee.