News release - February 3, 2004
Ontira Communications Automates Weekend Scheduling for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Paratransit
VANCOUVER, BC - On January 3, 2004, DART'S Paratransit Services scheduling center took another step towards fully automating their ride requests. DART'S riders can leave next day trip requests using an automated voice mail system designed by Ontira Communications. Riders can use a touch-tone telephone to conveniently make trip requests without speaking to a live agent.
Ontira has provided automated information services to DART since 1997. Since June 2000, DART has used a computerized scheduling module of Ontira's automated Paratransit Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, known at DART as X-Press Booking (XPB). XPB is a totally automated telephone scheduling system for persons with disabilities. DART'S 7,500 paratransit customers can use XPB to quickly schedule trips 24 hours per day, seven days a week, without waiting to speak to a live agent.
Currently, 8% of DART'S scheduled trips are booked through the XPB module, a huge success. XPB has enhanced customer service at DART. The system is so dependable that DART confidently accepts trip requests over weekends and holidays without the presence of live agents.
"Since we've instituted XPB and the weekend voice mail feature, our schedulers are able to spend more time assisting callers that need personalized service", stated Mr. David Sheppard, Paratransit Specialist for DART. "Now that we will not be staffing our call center over the weekends, we are able to reallocate our labor costs to areas where personal customer service will be of more value to our customers."
Gerald Bachmayer, Director for Ontira Communications, adds, "With today's requirement of providing more services to more people with fewer financial resources, automating routine service requests makes perfect economic sense. Since 1984, our company has specialized in developing and implementing advanced traveler information systems, and have enabled our customers to provide their very best customer service in the most efficient manner possible."
- For more information contact:
- Heather Liau
- Marketing & Communications
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