ttc still searching for a better way for riders - overhead projector

Now in March 23, ttc ceo Andy Byford let the breakfast crowd of the Toronto Board of Trade eat from him.
He started his speech on TTC modernization with a joke about preparing a presentation slide on the projector.
This playful sentence gets a solid laugh from the assembled set, and many people don't know the overhead of a typewriter or recorder.
But Byford knows that TTC's outdated technology and traditional business practices are not a joke for the system.
6 million riders per day.
Since taking over the top position from his politically ousted predecessor in February, the sleeves-
The British who came to Toronto through Sydney has brought TTC into the 21 st century.
This was not the transformation set out in the customer service blue ribbon team report two years ago, but rather to stop the brewing rebellion between transit passengers.
But Byford's modernization efforts include
The annual strategic plan, which provides the most solid significance to date, is that Canada's largest transit authority is not only likely to achieve a cultural transformation, but is actually undergoing a cultural transformation.
The smelly bathroom of the system has been cleaned by Renault;
Regularly clean trains throughout the day;
A blow to rude service and distracted driving;
Electronic signage replaces handwritten scribbles that disrupt the collector's booth.
Byford, who replaced TTC's traditional title as CEO, reorganized his executive team.
He meets every week in the war room at davyville headquarters.
He says it's a technology that works in big companies like Bombardier.
Executive gathering-no chairs —for a 30-
Detailed records of departments on key performance indicators: on-
Time service, customer complaints, workplace accidents, finance, cleaning.
The red and green arrows on the whiteboard show at a glance which areas are showing an upward trend and which areas are showing a downward trend.
Performance statistics are also published on the TTC website.
"In the end, what I want to do is make the whole outfit professional," Byford said . ".
The implied criticism may sting some employees.
Byford does not want to alienate employees, but it is clear that all aspects of the system are rethinking.
In the most important improvements, TTC finally launched a limited electronic payment --
No credit card yet.
But soon, each station will only accept debit card payments for the pass, and the city finally agreed to adopt the provincial Presto fare card by 2015.
For years, TTC's loyal customers have been shipping cash to the station at the beginning of this month to buy their subway passes, but are welcomed by poor service, crowded buses and trains.
"When you have to take your small bag of cash to buy your car, it's impossible for us to call ourselves a modern system," admitted TTC chairman and city councillor Karen Stantz . ".
E-payment is like many recent improvements --
Obvious and overdue.
But solving these problems requires a serious public relations crisis.
In 2009, a fare increase, accompanied by a long list of customers hoarding tokens, attracted passengers to take out their mobile phones to take pictures and videos of embarrassing sleeping and rude transport workers.
TTC officials were blinded by anger.
After all, they just do business as usual.
City affairs expert Matt Blackett, a TTC rider and publisher of Spacing magazine, served in the Blue Ribbon group hosted by Toronto hotel owner Steve O'Brien.
Blackett agreed that the bleeding from TTC had stopped, but he still wondered if the system had changed the customer relationship.
"They are still far behind in good communication with passengers.
I'm still on that shorter tram.
He said.
"You may see far fewer complaints, you can't find the sleep ticket collector, and TTC staff may have received information that they were being monitored," he said . ".
Blackett believes the toxic mood in transit has lasted for years.
Technology has just opened it up.
He cited an incident in which a collector refused to believe he had paid the full fare.
As Blackett tried to move on, the transporter opened a scene and locked the revolving door.
"That's 1998, but I don't have a phone that I can take pictures of and I don't have Twitter.
"Culture and immediacy have changed," he said . ".
Stanz has his own anecdotes.
She recalled being trapped in the tunnel on an overheated, crowded train for "20 minutes ".
None of the announcements explained the delay.
When she complained to her predecessor, Adam jambron, a former transport chairman, she said he did not respond.
Another time, she saw a TTC worker throwing a newspaper on the train floor.
When Stintz spoke, the transit worker, who did not know the city councillor, said it was not her job to pick up the newspaper.
"It doesn't matter who it is to work.
"This is our system," Stintz said . " His task now is to convince TTC employees and the public.
"I think people are starting to believe that we are committed to change," she said . "
But she will never say everything is fine.
TTC is still too crowded.
Its capital restrictions are serious.
But, she said, "there is no need for funds to treat passengers like they do with customers.
In 2009, when the rider relationship became evil, Peter Milczyn, the other member of parliament, was already on the Transport Board.
"For the longest time, we felt like we were trying to climb out of the pit.
"You can see the light and hear the sound, but you are still at the bottom," he said . ".
Milczyn said that although public criticism is offensive, TTC has become complacent and even a little arrogant, which may make sense.
There is a feeling, he said, that "To be frank, passengers sometimes get in the way of a good transportation system . ".
Now, "it feels like we're saved.
"Byford, in different systems, sees what works and what doesn't.
"He has nothing to do with the corporate history here," milchern said . ".
For example: instead of waiting to clean the train after work at night, they quickly pick up the mop every time they arrive at the Kennedy and Finch terminals.
"The same employees, the same cost, are just different from the way they used to do things (Years)
The result is better, "he said.
Milchin said Gary Webster, the former TTC chief, knew there was a need to change and he was fired by supporters of Mayor Rob Ford for no reason.
Webster hired Byford, before it came to the London Metro, Chris Upfold, TTC's first chief customer officer.
The main recommendation of the O'Brien Group is to create the location of Upfold.
But he says his vision is not a literal interpretation of the report, and he believes that every change requires data and business cases to justify it.
The panel recommends more customer service training for employees.
But Upfold says it's expensive to give extra classroom instruction to drivers and collectors, which is just a way to improve the service.
"Training is one of the ways to gain ability," he said . "
This includes peer coaching, close supervision and online classes.
TTC strengthens the mystery shopper program to help identify employees who need additional help.
"Not sheep --
"Immerse everyone in it and say that everyone needs to come in for the same level of training and you can focus on your resources," he said . ".
Complaints of falling last year rose again, although Upfold was not worried.
"Before February, the customer service center will open 8. m. ’til 5 p. m.
A Friday. 40 hours.
Open now 7 to 10-
It's 115 hours, so we 've doubled our opening hours . "
In the past, people used to call in before or after the complaint department opened the door.
The fact that they were unable to register the complaint did not make the complaint go away, which just increased the frustration of the rider.
They are a useful barometer, he says, but in any case you can't run a system from the complaint department.
"If you manage your business just based on the number of complaints, you won't do the right thing.
You will never turn off the tram line until it gets so bad that you can't actually run the service.
You get the worst of both worlds: you get performance on deteriorating assets and then eventually it crashes and you can't run this thing anyway.