From online shopping to travel, individuals expect a personalized experience that rewards loyalty. Shouldn’t public transportation provide the same? That was the opinion of the LA Metro Authority when they decided to move from a static card-based fare system to an account-based environment that continually updated itself.
The traditional static card system meant riders were limited in the locations where they could purchase and recharge their fare cards, and it could take up to 24 hours before additional funds were available. Additionally, buses needed to visit a maintenance garage to update turnstile card balances.
More importantly, cards were not linked to individual riders. Discounts for low-income riders were offered via paper coupons, and there was no protection for riders when a card was lost or stolen. There was also no way to reward frequent riders or create joint promotions.
LA Metro had been using Cubic for purpose-built infrastructure (card vending machines and turnstiles) and back-end operational software, with the customer support call center outsourced to Siebel. They knew the existing system could be made more account-based, but it required the replacement of all the existing vending and turnstile infrastructure—a huge capital expense, not to mention the disruption to operations. LA Metro felt it was too dependent on its current vendors and wanted to branch out.
Working with Publicis Sapient and Salesforce, LA Metro was able to implement a next-generation account-based system that allowed it to retain its infrastructure investment. This initiative was spearheaded by the TAP group, which created and operated a unified payment system across 25 LA transit agencies, including LA Metro. Currently, there are over 500,000 patrons on the taptogo.net system. Under the new model, cards were tied to the rider. LA Metro was able to expand its fare-purchasing footprint by allowing riders to instantly add value to their accounts at 7-Elevens across the area. Because the Authority could now track the usage of individual riders, it could extend discounts to its most frequent customers, building affinity. Lost cards could be immediately canceled, preserving a rider’s account balance, and discount coupons became digital, reducing fraud and ensuring the right people got their benefits.
At the same time, an advanced Service Cloud implementation allowed LA Metro to bring its call center back in-house. Because Service Cloud provides a more intuitive online experience, many riders were able to find answers by themselves, reducing the volume of phone inquiries.
Enhancing services within its own transportation network was just the beginning. LA Metro is also partnering with a bike-sharing provider to deliver discounted prices for “last mile” transportation. The new Salesforce-based system is also slated to provide loyal riders with reduced pricing at parking facilities at LA Metro train stations. The authority is also working with Publicis Sapient to allow riders to load account information directly onto their mobile devices, eliminating the need for a separate physical card. Finally, Publicis Sapient is building open APIs for the Cubic infrastructure, removing LA Metro’s dependency on this one vendor.
Publicis Sapient and Salesforce are a winning combination for LA Metro as we provide a path forward on a modern platform while keeping their infrastructure investments intact. The ability of Salesforce to easily communicate with their standards-based technologies was key to making this possible. In addition, LA Metro appreciated that Salesforce was not just a CXRM system, but also an advanced development platform that opened the door to new services and capabilities—some of which were not even imagined when the project began. Finally, knowing that Publicis Sapient could meet a tight, nine-month implementation—the time remaining in Siebel’s managed service contract for the call center—was critical.
Since the LA Metro TAP system was implemented, Publicis Sapient has worked with LA Metro to expand the platform to service other transit programs, including Metro Bike Share. TAP has become LA Metro’s ticket to connect Los Angeles now and in the future.
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