A blog about living in Aberdeen, New Jersey.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

NJT and Customer Focus


What good does it do for a westbound train to enter Penn Station Newark in the evening rush with an illuminated sign that says simply NJ TRANSIT? (It is already painted boldly on the side of each train car.) Or, worse yet, NEW YORK? (It just came from NY and someone forgot to flip a switch.)

I saw this train (pictured above) as I approached Newark from Harrison on the PATH train. I couldn't tell if it was my LONG BRANCH or MATAWAN train or a NORTHEAST CORRIDOR train. Because the signage was not properly set, I had to look for a computer monitor with the information I needed. Being a perfect storm, the monitor was showing an ad so I couldn't get information. Needless to say there was no conductor in the vicinity.

Come on, NJT. This happens too frequently. It's sloppy. And it shows no customer focus.

Speaking of PATH trains, why after all these years haven't NJT and the Port Authority worked out a collaborative arrangement during the evening rush to announce the tracks for outgoing NJT trains on PATH trains as they enter Newark, New York, and Hoboken? For example, you could make an announcement as to track numbers, departure times, and destinations, and then give commuters arriving at Newark a full 3 minutes to make their way down to the tracks to meet their trains. This would ease the tension and anger many commuters feel as they watch their connections disappear or fight the crowds to reach a train before the doors slam shut in their face.

You have it in your power to lower tens of thousands of people's blood pressures by coordinating our train connections in the evening. Remember: customer focus.

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