Mystery Shoppers To Report On Metro Service

November 19, 2007

METRO has initiated a mystery “shopper” program to evaluate and monitor its bus services.

These mystery riders will travel across the METRO system and report back on criteria such as service punctuality,
safety and operator interaction with passengers.

We are working with a contractor whose staff will provide unbiased feedback about their experiences,” said Tangee Mobley, METRO senior director of transportation. “This will give us a better understanding about what’s going on out there.”

The mystery shoppers are scheduled to take 150 rides a week targeting routes with the most complaints. METRO has a fleet of 1,200 buses and about 120 routes serving the Houston area.

Some of the complaints that we get are about pass-ups at bus stops, discourteous operators, operators talking on cell phones, and safety issues,” said Mobley. “If we know where this is happening, we can address the problem.

Findings from this program will help improve METRO services and customer satisfaction.

The mystery shopper program will continue through next year.