Contact Center
Case Study: SEPTA Customer Contact Center
Client's Challenge
SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, faced persistent challenges with its Paratransit Customer Contact Center (now branded “SEPTA Access”). The incumbent vendor had failed to meet critical Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for over a year, leading to service delivery gaps that negatively impacted constituents reliant on accessible public transportation.
Key challenges included:
- Client had missed SLA benchmarks for 12+ consecutive months.
- Experienced customer dissatisfaction due to delayed responses and poor issue resolution.
- Operational inefficiencies across multiple departments, including Program Eligibility and Regulatory Compliance (PERC), Scheduling, and the Control Center.
- Communication breakdowns between departments and customer care.
- A failing third-party sponsored agency service line requiring significant intervention.
Midtown's Solution:
Midtown took immediate, strategic action upon assuming management of the SEPTA Access Contact Center. Within one month, our team successfully exceeded all SLAs — a first in over a year — and began building a culture of trust, transparency, and performance improvement.
Deep-Dive Discovery Process Approach:
- Conducted in-depth meetings with SEPTA leadership to understand pain points and redefine SLA expectations.
- Audited legacy systems and identified inefficiencies in data management and call routing.
- Partnered cross-functionally with SEPTA’s internal departments (PERC, Scheduling, and Control Center) to streamline service coordination.
Rapid Deployment:
- Assembled a dedicated team of 75+ trained customer care agents and supervisors.
- Implemented enhanced call center processes to manage inbound calls, provide real-time information, and escalate urgent service disruptions.
- Leveraged Microsoft Access Database and custom Demand Response Transportation Software (DRTS) to verify eligibility and coordinate travel logistics.
Sustained and Expanded Service Delivery:
- Established Customer Care Special Projects resources to manage transportation services for 25-50 third-party agencies.
- Built personalized rapport with agency coordinators (senior centers, daycare facilities, etc.) to ensure high service accuracy.
- Developed and revised departmental procedures based on trend analysis and real-time feedback, improving adaptability and performance.
Exceeding Quality Standards:
- Achieved full SLA compliance within one month of contract start.
- Improved response times and customer satisfaction for paratransit services.
- Seamless integration with multiple SEPTA departments ensured accurate service coordination.
- Enhanced routing and data accuracy through effective use of Microsoft Access and DRTS.
- Drastically improved service for a previously failing third-party agency transportation program.
- Implemented feedback loops that informed new and revised procedures, improving adaptability.
- Created specialized teams to handle complex transportation requests and group scheduling.
- Increased workforce efficiency through continuous training, supervision, and performance monitoring.
- Fostered a high-trust relationship with SEPTA, leading to additional contract responsibilities.
- Delivered year-round, 365-day operational support to SEPTA Access customers.
