The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) plays a major regional role. The transit organization interfaces with three counties, six towns and countless other businesses to facilitate around 5 million passenger trips each year. In winter months, seasonal operators bring the employee count to over 380 people. Accordingly, many community members frequently interact with RFTA bus drivers.
Those interactions aren’t always positive. To help address some questions and concerns around how RFTA receives and processes feedback and deals with complaints, The Sopris Sun reached out to RFTA public information officer Jamie Tatsuno. Tatsuno gathered and shared data from multiple RFTA departments.
About how many customer feedback items does RFTA receive each month? Each year?
Tatsuno: From December 2023 to current date, we have tracked customer feedback using our current system. This system, implemented in December 2023, has greatly improved our ability to collect and analyze feedback efficiently. Prior to this, feedback was collected through a different method, which made extracting detailed data more challenging. Here is the monthly breakdown from the past year:
| Month | Num Feedback Entries |
| 12- 2023 | 215 |
| 01 – 2024 | 166 |
| 02 – 2024 | 138 |
| 03 – 2024 | 131 |
| 04 – 2024 | 100 |
| 05 – 2024 | 103 |
| 06 – 2024 | 174 |
| 07 – 2024 | 130 |
| 08 – 2024 | 122 |
| 09 – 2024 | 90 |
| 10 – 2024 | 34 |
| 11 – 2024 | 58 |
| 12 Month Total | 1461 |
Can you share how much customer feedback is received via phone, via the feedback email and via the online contact form?
Tatsuno: Below is a breakdown of feedback entries by the method they were received. It’s important to note that feedback submitted through the contact form on RFTA’s website is recorded as email entries, as the form submissions are delivered directly to the Customer Service Department via email from the form.
Method Received Num Feedback Entries Email 274 Mail 7 Not Recorded 68 Phone 565 Social Media 10 Voicemail 276 Walk Up 261
Within the feedback, what tend to be common topics mentioned?
Top 10 – Feedback about System
Feedback Category Num Feedback Entries Facility-Other Complaint 78 Other Policy Complaints 60 Cancelled Trips 47 Arrival Displays 40 On Time Performance 38 Other Reliability 35 Routes Unavailable – Time 35 Other Compliment 28 Ticket Vending Machine 20 Routes Skip Existing Stops 20
Top 10 – Feedback about Employees
Feedback Category Num Feedback Entries Driver Missed Passenger 201 Rude Behavior 118 Employee Compliments 106 Speeding 55 Other Driver Route Issue 47 Unsafe Maneuver 46 Other Safety Complaint 33 Driver Off Route 33 Driver Late 29 Driver Missed Connection 16
For minor feedback items, how does RFTA proceed?
Tatsuno: All feedback is documented, and when sufficient details are provided — such as the time, date and location of the occurrence — complaints are thoroughly investigated. If the investigation determines that a complaint is valid, RFTA takes appropriate action. This may include coaching the employee to improve their performance or addressing the issue directly if it pertains to equipment or facility concerns.
If a complaint is serious, such as reporting inappropriate behavior of a driver, what is the process for addressing it?
Tatsuno: All complaints are investigated, with serious allegations given priority. If an investigation confirms inappropriate behavior by an employee, RFTA applies appropriate disciplinary measures. These can range from coaching or retraining to verbal or written warnings and, in some cases, termination, depending on the nature and frequency of the behavior.
What kind of internal training do RFTA employees receive for managing and responding to customer feedback?
Tatsuno: RFTA Customer Service staff are trained to actively listen to customer feedback and collect detailed information, such as the time, date, location, bus route and bus number, along with any descriptions of employees involved, if applicable. They are also trained in best practices for customer service, including showing empathy, expressing gratitude for the feedback, summarizing the details to ensure accuracy and, where possible, providing an action statement about how the feedback will be addressed.