Metro Workers Get Customer Service Refresher

WASHINGTON - Metro is responding to complaints about rude station managers by giving its employees refresher courses on customer service.

Metro workers will be learning how to deal with angry passengers. The training is expected to start by Oct. 1.

Officials with the transit system tell The Washington Post that passengers are venting their frustrations about equipment and service problems at the most visible Metro employees. Metro received 71 complaints about rail employees in July, compared with 47 in June.

Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein tells WTOP the statistics are a little skewed since the increase in complaints came in the month that Metro increased fares and went to SmarTrip only parking at Metro parking lots.

She says 1.2 million people ride Metro every day.

"When you are moving that many people a day, if you get 71 complaints in a month, they are addressed. Many times there are investigations to follow up. We would like to see those numbers go down," Farbstein says.

She says one station manager faces serious discipline after a pregnant woman and her husband complained that he screamed at them, brandished a broom and pushed the husband because they inquired about a broken escalator last week.

Farbstein says the manager did not threaten the couple with the the 2-foot long broom, but instead was picking it up after it had fallen when he exited his kiosk.

(Copyright 2004 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)