Metro News Release

For immediate release: November 18, 2004

Metro’s CEO outlines detailed plan to improve service reliability and customer service

At today’s Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board of Director’s Operations and Safety Committee meeting, Metro’s CEO and General Manager Richard A. White outlined a plan to improve Metrorail and Metrobus service reliability and customer service through a series of initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction.

"Rail and bus ridership has increased 33 percent in the last seven years and it is at an all-time high," said Metro CEO and General Manager Richard A. White. "While ridership has grown, our service reliability has declined, and our customers currently grade our rail and bus performance with a ’C.’ With service reliability declining, the number of customer complaints have increased. As a result, it is now time for everyone at Metro to recommit ourselves to a back-to-basics program focusing on safe, reliable and clean service, and improved customer service and outreach."

While relief is on the way through an infusion of $1.5 billion in capital funding agreements through Metro Matters, customers will not see the benefits of more buses, more rail cars and eight-car trains for two to three years. Additionally Metro does not have a separate dedicated funding source, so it is imperative that the system’s resources are adequately sustained beyond 2010.SERVICE RELIABILITY INITIATIVES Metro is creating a series of initiatives with the goal of improving rail and bus performance, and improving customer confidence. Two initiatives would modify internal support programs, and conduct external reviews of rail and bus operations. Two other initiatives that directly affect customers address a reorganization of rail services, and improved rail operations troubleshooting and training.

One initiative calls for the placement of three line managers with one person to be responsible each for the Red Line, the Blue/Orange Line and the Green/Yellow Line. This individual would be responsible for all customer service issues and day-to-day operations of the rail line. The individual’s name, photograph, and contact information would be located in stations and on trains.

A second initiative is the implementation of a training program for all Operations Control Center (OCC) personnel. The training program would feature a review of troubleshooting techniques (doors, brakes, resetting circuit breakers), operating rules, familiarity of radio communications, signal systems and an assigned rail line. All OCC personnel would be expected to complete a two to-three-day refresher training course by January 2005. The program would entail a complete review of all train operations for key personnel and its results would be determined by its effectiveness in reducing the frequency and length of delays and train offloads. CUSTOMER SERVICE INITIATIVES

The back-to-basics program to improve customer service focuses on four issues: improving front-line service; opening new lines of communications; providing better information to customers during service disruptions; and simplifying the processes for fare resolution.

Open New Channels of Communications With Customers

In its continuing effort to strengthen communications with its customers, Metro plans to host regular open houses and town hall meetings, similar to the one Metro hosted this past Tuesday. Metro will utilize its Web site, www.metroopensdoors.com to host regular internet chat sessions where customers can ask questions to key Metro staff members who will provide immediate feedback. Metro will launch this program next month with regular chat sessions beginning in January 2005.

Metro is also developing a plan to use its Web site to better inform customers about the details of major service disruptions and actions implemented to restore normal operations. To improve its customer complaint system, Metro is developing a plan to replace its current customer complaint tracking system and develop an appropriate reporting system to detail specific service trends. Provide Better Information About Disruptions To better inform customers on major rail and bus service delays, Metro is developing a response plan that will allow for OCC personnel to post incident updates through its intranet site, and develop an enhanced web-based system for providing critical updates to essential Metro employees. This will provide more Metro employees with accurate information that they in turn can share with customers.

To enhance the flow of communications to its customers, Metro will: provide in greater detail service delays via station and train announcements; deploy top managers and staff to assist customers in the event of a service disruption; improve the timeliness of information through its Call Center, e-alerts, and the Web site. Finally, Metro is working to develop a plan where personnel in the Operations Control Center can communicate directly with customers inside trains in the event of a major service disruption.

Simplify The Process For Fare Problem Resolution

Over the next few months, Metro will be creating a plan to provide on-the-spot refunds to customers who leave the rail system (at the same station they enter) because of a major service delay.

To enhance customers’ convenience for using the SmarTrip card, Metro also plans to: install SmarTrip dispensers outside of the Metro Center sales office (recently completed); pilot a program to sell Metrobus passes through two of the Metro Center SmarTrip dispensers and expand to other locations based on its success; pilot a program for on-the-spot replacement of lost or stolen SmarTrip cards at the Metro Center sales office; and increase the number of SmarTrip dispensers in stations over the next two years. Joint Promotion/Free Fares

Metro’s morning commuters will be rewarded with a free ride on Thursday, December 16, courtesy of ING DIRECT, an online savings bank as a joint marketing promotion. Customers entering the Metrorail system between 5 and 9:30 a.m. on December 16 will ride for free and ING DIRECT will pay for the morning commute. Farecards or SmarTrip cards will not be required during those designated hours.

Improve Front-Line Service/Metro Transit Police

Since October 4, more than 300 Metrorail station managers have completed a training class to brush up on customer service skills and techniques. By the end of November, all 421 Metrorail station managers will have completed this refresher customer service course. The day-long, mandatory class, High Five Customer Service Training for Station Managers, and Supervisors emphasizes five basic principles: Meet and Greet; How May I Help; Stop, Listen, Think; Check Your Response; and Own Your Station.

The class covers topics such as maintaining a positive attitude, interpreting body language, listening, managing conflict and anger, and showing empathy.

Metro’s Transit Police Department will review three innovative customer interaction training classes designed to address conflicts, improve police-customer relations, while at the same time recognizing the needs to balance enforcement and customer expectations. These pilot training programs will be evaluated by the transit police in terms of training, compliance, policies and procedures. A group of police officers and customers will be convened to gain an understanding of differences in approaches between the police and the public on key issues.

"Today’s outline is a first step in regaining our customers trust and confidence in the Metro system," said Mr. White. "We understand the concerns our customers have in terms of day-to-day rail and bus operations and we are listening to our customers. We want to reassure our customers that we are committed to improving not only service reliability, but customer service quality."

Metro will work to immediately proceed with these actions within existing budgetary resources. Metro will also look to reallocate resources to implement additional strategies in the next year and include some of these programs in conjunction with the Fiscal Year 2006 budget that will be submitted next month to the Board of Directors for review.

News release issued on November 18, 2004.