NJ Transit: Customer satisfaction jumps nearly 25 percent

Nearly four in five customers said they would recommend NJ TRANSIT to a friend or relative in the agency’s latest customer satisfaction survey, released and available at njtransit.com. The results mark a new high for the statewide public transit agency.

The third quarter FY13 survey was conducted online at njtransit.com between February 4 and 25.  The survey asked bus, rail, light rail and Access Link customers to rate NJ TRANSIT on a scale of 0 to 10.  Customers also considered 41 attributes of the system related to facilities, service, vehicles, communications and the overall experience using NJ TRANSIT.  In addition, customers were asked to identify the most important aspects of NJ TRANSIT service among the items they rated.

“As we near completion of the Christie Administration’s second full year of Scorecard, our customer surveys continue to provide a clear picture of what matters most to our bus, rail, light rail and Access Link customers,” said NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman and NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson.  “Through this survey data and the agency’s quarterly ‘We Are Listening’ customer forums, NJ TRANSIT has effectively improved its operations, resulting in a 23 percent increase in customer satisfaction and further protections for New Jersey taxpayers.”

Of the approximately 415,500 customers who used NJ TRANSIT service on a typical weekday in the third quarter of FY13, NJ TRANSIT received more than 14,000 responses to the online; the highest response rate in a year.  Regarding customer loyalty, 79 percent of the customers surveyed said they would recommend NJ TRANSIT to a friend, relative or neighbor (up from 67 percent from the baseline rating).  NJ TRANSIT established the baseline with the first customer survey conducted in advance of the launch of Scorecard last year.

“Using this invaluable feedback, we are encouraged that our first, post-Sandy survey shows that our customers have recognized our efforts to enhance the customer experience – even under the most challenging of conditions,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein.  “However, the work continues, and we will continue to employ a laser-like focus on those areas identified in need of improvement.”

“By focusing on performance standards and absolute results, Scorecard continues to help NJ TRANSIT move in the right direction,” said Weinstein.