2013 Customer Charter

The Customer Charter is the TTC’s commitment to Toronto and to you, our customer. It makes promises on what you can expect from the TTC in the coming year and focuses on five key areas with specific goals for each. We will post quarterly updates online at TTC.ca to demonstrate how we are performing.

Our vision is a transit system that makes Toronto proud.

Our Overall Charter Commitment

We will deliver a reliable and punctual streetcar, bus and subway service. Our success will be measured through our daily and monthly scorecards, and our overall performance will be better in 2013 than in 2012.
On occasion things will not go as well as we would like. We will be clear and transparent in our communications as to what went wrong, and what we are doing to try and make sure it does not happen again.
When you contact us with a compliment or complaint we will answer our phones in under 90 seconds and get back to more than 95% of you within five days or less.
The accessibility of our service is the difference between being able to travel or not for many of our customers. We will ensure that the ramps and stop announcements on our vehicles are functional, accurate and fit for purpose.
When we have to close or change our services for planned maintenance or upgrades, we will ensure that we communicate clearly with our customers in advance and provide the support you need on the ground and on the day.
We will ensure that you feel safe and secure at our stations and on our vehicles, and that your safety is always a key factor in every decision we make.

Informative

We will keep you informed. Customer communication is an area that you have told us is important to you. We have made big strides in this area and will continue to work on getting you up-to-the-minute information, when it’s needed the most.

What have we been working on?

We have installed 22 next vehicle screens in 14 subway stations. The units are located at bus bay waiting areas and list the estimated arrival times of buses/streetcars that operate out of the station.
We have installed nine station information screens in nine stations. They are installed at the entrance to subway stations so that you are aware of any service disruptions prior to paying a fare. This will also allow you to make alternate travel plans.
We have installed 52 screens inside selected streetcar shelters across the city. The screens display the estimated arrival time of the next streetcar.
We have been posting “video explainers” on YouTube to better communicate why we do what we do and to help you better use the TTC. We are now on Twitter (@TTCnotices and @TTChelps) and Facebook to communicate with you through social media.

Our 2013 Charter Commitment

In the first quarter, the newly designed bus stop poles and shelter system maps will be installed on the 94 Wellesley bus route as part of a pilot program. The stop poles and shelter system maps will provide more information and will be easier to read.
In the third quarter, we will implement an Emergency Customer Service Assistance Plan. During an emergency where a subway disruption will last a significant time, this plan will reposition office staff to our stations to provide customer assistance.
In the fourth quarter, we will design and implement a new TTC system map that will be easier to read and provide better and clearer information.
In the fourth quarter, two subway stations will be Wi-Fi and cellular capable as prototype locations.
By year end, we will have installed another 21 next vehicle screens, bringing the total to 43 in 22 stations.
By year end, we will have installed another 33 station information screens, bringing the total to 42 in 30 stations.

Responsive

We will get you to your destination on time, and helpful staff will be available along the way to assist you.

What have we been working on?

The Customer Service Centre days and time of operation have been extended to give you more time to connect with us. We are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
We are responding to customer communications within five business days, 99% of the time, so that you know your issues are being looked after.
We are performing 1,000 customer satisfaction surveys per quarter, and mystery shoppers are patrolling our system. These surveys will help us identify areas that we can change to make your travelling experience more enjoyable.
We have created a daily score card that is posted on our website. The score card shows at a glance how we did on the previous business day to meet our commitment to provide punctual subway, bus and streetcar service, as well as the availability of elevators and escalators in subway stations.
Last year, we conducted four Town Hall meetings. We recognize that the most important and valuable comments about our service are from you, and the Town Hall meetings allowed us to gather customer input to help us improve.

Our 2013 Charter Commitment

In the first quarter, buses on the 192 Airport Rocket bus route will be equipped with luggage racks, so that travelling to and from the airport is more comfortable.
In the first quarter, six new Group Station Managers will be named. These managers will be working to create a new standard to improve customer service at our subway stations and interchanges.
In the second quarter, the employee uniform redesign process will begin. We are creating a new uniform to modernize our image and help our staff and customers feel proud of the TTC.
In the second quarter, we will reinvigorate the security model so that we can provide a safer working environment for our employees and a safer travelling environment for you.
In the fourth quarter, we will introduce a new and more accurate way to reflect the experience of our customers and the reliability of service, and we will continue to report on performance against our 25 Key Performance Indicators outlined in the monthly CEO Report.
In each quarter, we will list on our website the performance of each individual bus and streetcar route, so that you know how your route is performing.
We will conduct five “Meet the Managers” in each quarter, giving you the opportunity to speak with TTC managers in a more personal way. These events will take place at subway stations and surface interchanges throughout the system. We will list the locations and times on the TTC website. We will conduct another four Town Hall meetings by the end of the year, so that you have an opportunity to let us know how we’re doing.

Renewal

We will provide you with the latest and most comfortable vehicles that are available.

What have we been working on?

To date, 28 new Toronto Rocket subway trains have been delivered by Bombardier, allowing us to retire older subway trains. The new trains are capable of carrying more customers, resulting in fewer customers being left behind.
The first low-floor test streetcar was delivered in September 2012. The testing process has begun so that we can have the new streetcar in service by 2014.

Our 2013 Charter Commitment

In the first quarter, we will be testing exterior door chimes and low-ceiling hand holds on the Toronto Rocket trains to improve safety and, pending budget, will roll them out across the fleet.
Delivery of five new Toronto Rocket trains is expected in each quarter, improving our ability to carry more customers.
In the first quarter, we will begin testing the new streetcar to ensure optimal performance. The testing is extensive, ranging from handles to brakes to the electrical system.
By the third quarter, we will receive another two prototype low-floor streetcars, which will help expedite the testing process so that we can have the new streetcar in service by 2014.
In the third quarter, we will receive a prototype model of a new, and larger “bendy bus” for testing purposes. We expect to receive 26 new-model articulated buses in the fourth quarter or the first quarter of next year. These articulated buses will help us meet ridership demand on some of our busiest bus routes.

Accessible and Modern

We will modernize and upgrade our facilities in order to better meet your expectations so that everyone can use them.

What have we been working on?

All 10 public washrooms were renovated and are cleaned more frequently.
In June of last year, St Andrew Station became accessible with the installation of two new elevators and an accessible fare gate.
We have incorporated the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act (AODA) in our employee training programs so that our employees understand the requirements and needs of our customers with disabilities.

Our 2013 Charter Commitment

By the second quarter, the construction phase of the Lawrence West Station Easier Access Project will begin. Scheduled for completion in 2014, the station will include one elevator and will be accessible.
In the fourth quarter, the Pape Station Modernization Project is scheduled for completion. The station will be fully accessible with new elevators, sliding doors, tactile surfaces and granite-edged stairs. It will also have second exits from the station platforms to street level, an expanded enclosed bus waiting area, new lighting, improved station identification and wayfinding signs, new wall finishes, bicycle parking, public art integrated into finishes and improved streetscaping and landscaping.
By the fourth quarter, the Dufferin Station Modernization Project will have made noticeable improvements, including new second exits from the eastbound and westbound platform levels at Russett Avenue, new wall finishes on both eastbound and westbound platforms, progressive improvements to station finishes at concourse level, installation of one of two new fare lines and collector booths and the re-opening of the west southbound traffic lane at Russett Avenue and Bloor Street. The completion of the project is scheduled for 2014.
By the third quarter, the construction phase of the Coxwell Station Easier Access Project will begin. Scheduled for completion in 2015, the station will include two new elevators and will be accessible.

Clean

We will maintain and improve our appearance so that the TTC is a transit system that makes Toronto proud.

What have we been working on?

Over the past year new programs have been established to consistently raise the performance of the staff maintaining our vehicles and stations, so that we can provide you with overall cleaner stations and buses.
We have implemented end-of-the-line subway cleaning between trips to improve the appearance of our trains.
We have increased the frequency of washroom cleaning to increase sanitization.
We are picking up litter on some streetcar and buses at critical points on their route.

Our 2013 Charter Commitment

In the second, third and fourth quarters, a maintenance blitz will target every station in our system. This new program will include pressure washing of walls, floors and pillars at all bus bays, passenger pick-up locations and station entrances. Attention will also be given to gum removal, graffiti, station signage, telephones, benches, trash containers, elevators and stairs.
By the fourth quarter, a third of our stations will have had the terrazzo floor reconditioned to a like-new finish. We will be using a more advanced process to recondition the floors, which will result in the floors shining for a longer period of time.
We will be washing light fixtures at all of our subway stations and replacing lights, as necessary. We anticipate 16 stations to be complete in the first quarter, 22 stations in the second quarter, 16 stations in the third quarter and 18 stations in the fourth quarter. The cleaning and replacing of the lights will enhance the look of our station by making them brighter.

NEWS Release:

TTC – News Release and Customer Charter

TTC CEO Andy Byford unveiling TTC Customer Charter, February 28 2013February 28, 2013

The Toronto Transit Commission today launched its first-ever Customer Charter (attached), committing the TTC to specific improvements in 2013, focusing on five themes: cleanliness, better information, improved responsiveness, more accessible and modern, and the renewal of vehicles.

Customer charters are common amongst transit systems around the world. The TTC’s Charter goes beyond general, albeit important statements about improved customer service. It commits to completing and implementing improvements on the TTC by specific dates within a calendar year.

The Charter itself, and the progress the TTC makes on it, is posted online at ttc.ca and updated as commitments are completed. The Charter will change each year with new, time-bound commitments.

In 2010, the TTC convened the Customer Service Advisory Panel to make recommendations on steps the TTC should take to improve customer service. The panel made 78 recommendations; a customer charter was among them. Since that time, a customer liaison panel was struck to provide feedback and give advice to the TTC about customer service matters. That panel reviewed and endorsed this Charter.

“Fundamental change is required in the way we interact with customers, including the consistency and quality of our service,” said TTC CEO Andy Byford. “As an organization, the TTC must change the processes and underlying culture that will get us to where we need to be. A Customer Charter binds us to a culture of improvement. I look forward to hearing from our customers on this document.”

“Excellent customer service is our primary objective at the TTC,” said TTC Chair Karen Stintz. “It is the foundation of our efforts to create a transit system that makes Toronto proud. This belief is shared by CEO Andy Byford, the Board and me, and it is something we will aspire to achieve and continually work toward. This Customer Charter will help focus our efforts in achieving this end and will enable our customers to hold us accountable to the commitments we are making.”

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