MTA’s hard sell

‘Chief customer officer’ tackles communication woe

THE MTA’S tough “customers” will be the focus of a new executive position at the transit authority, the Daily News has learned.

NYC Transit President Andy Byford has hired a marketing exec to join his “top team” as chief customer officer, he wrote to staff in a March 5 memo.

Sarah Meyer joins NYC Transit from Edelman, a communications marketing firm where she served as senior vice president.

Meyer (photo), 34, will earn $205,000 a year in the new role — a pay cut from her private sector work, Byford noted.

She’s been doing consulting work for NYC Transit since August.

“I’ve spent a lot of time at the (Rail Control Center) trying to make sure that more real-time, helpful and effective communication are delivered to customers,” Meyer told The News.

She said tackling issues like confusing station signage and upgrading old technology while training transit workers to be “better customer advocates” would help get relations on a better track.

One problem she’d like to address among transit staff: “Stop using euphemisms.”

“I call it transit jargon — language that those of us that work within NYCT understand but language that the customer might not be aware of,” she said, mentioning signs that say “B/D” to mean “both directions.”

“Those are the types of things that I want to make sure that we stop using and instead just start using plain language,” Meyer said.

Customer service has been evolving at NYC Transit, particularly since Byford took over the agency in January, vowing to make the passenger experience a top priority.

In anticipation of the MetroCard’s retirement, station agents have been offered the chance to bid for new jobs under the MTA’s Wayfinders program, where they leave booths to help riders on platforms. The MTA has had difficulty in recruiting station agents for all open spots.

“Here we are, 2018, some jobs are becoming redundant,” Byford said. “We got to listen to what customers want and customers do want proactive helpful people, in and around the stations, not just sitting in a station agent booth when there’s really, in the future, not a lot to do.” While running the Toronto Transit Commission, Byford installed a chief customer officer. Byford had the same responsibilities himself when he served as chief operating officer for the transit system in Sydney earlier in his career. Meyer said she’ll employ market research strategies used in Fortune 500 companies, such as inperson interviews and online surveys. “I’m looking to bring innovative ideas to improve customer service and embrace best-in-class customer service techniques,” Meyer said.