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Case Study: Central Ohio Transit AuthoritySnapshotType of operation: Fixed route Business ProblemThe Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), based in Columbus, OH, delivers fixed route services to residents of Franklin County and parts of three neighboring counties. The agency receives an average of 3,200 - 4,000 calls per day for route, schedule and trip planning information. The legacy information system, however, was proving difficult to maintain and upgrade and costs were climbing while the need for better service was pressing. COTA realized it needed to replace its itinerary planning, bus schedule and service information system with something that could provide automated 24/7 information in a reliable and cost-effective way. GoalsTo build public goodwill and increase ridership, COTA recognized it needed to offer telephone and web-based schedule and trip information services that were convenient, accessible and easy to use. The agency identified clear requirements for the new system. “The primary objective was to achieve excellent customer service,” says Sherri Lowe, Manager of Customer Service. “We required a system that was responsive to the needs of both our ridership and our customer service representatives.” The new system would have to capture at least 90% of all calls, and the computerized voice portion would need to handle at least 25% of incoming calls. Overall, the average answer speed needed to be 30 seconds or less. SolutionIn July 2001, COTA selected Trapeze Software to implement its new customer information system. Using a three-phased approach, Trapeze began by implementing the agent-attended portion of the INFO solution, enabling call center agents to access scheduling data available in Trapeze FX, which COTA had previously installed in 2000. The second phase, slated to launch in August 2002, will integrate INFO with a third party IVR system to enable the public to access schedule and itinerary planning information over the phone. Phase three will see the integration of the Web module from INFO to provide itinerary planning functionality on the agency’s web site. Also in the third phase, the COM module will go live in the call center to capture customer feedback. According to Mark Nawrath, Director of Project Management at COTA, the installation of the first phase was the easiest that COTA has experienced. “The plug-and-play design of the INFO application and the easy migration of the fixed route schedule data were big contributing factors to the success of the project,” he recalls. He also notes that since INFO met most of COTA’s requirements, few customizations of the software were required. ResultsWith phase one fully implemented and phase two underway, COTA is enthusiastic about a customer service solution that will enable riders to access up-to-the-minute information on the Web and through the IVR system and to connect easily with a call center agent when they require additional assistance. The INFO system has already resulted in efficiency and productivity gains in the call center. Once 25% of calls are handled by the IVR system, COTA will be able to reduce call center hours, reduce part-time staff and redeploy full-time employees to other tasks. Lowe is confident that when the web-based trip planning component is launched, call center costs will decline even further. “Most importantly, Trapeze and COTA developed an effective partnership that was based on good communication, common core competencies, and a shared vision of the solution,” she says. In the longer term, COTA plans to integrate its paratransit schedule data with the fixed route information to provide an integrated information service to transit users in Central Ohio. Bottom LineWith the IVR system in place, COTA estimates annual cost savings in the area of $50,000, and likely higher once the Web module is live. The agency is already seeing improvements in customer satisfaction. |
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