UTA has always maintained high customer service standards, but the agency hasn’t always had a comprehensive document that captures our riders' travel motivations, their pain points, and the moments that matter most while riding UTA. This is why we’re engaging with our riders to look holistically at their entire journey through the UTA transit system — from their first step to their ultimate destination.
We’re calling this a Customer Experience (CX) Action Plan. The plan will identify customer-facing projects and improvements that can address shortcomings in the system, with riders’ experiences as our top priority.
Project Background
UTA’s vision is to lead Utah to a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, increased mobility, greater access to opportunity, and a better quality of life — all driven by safe, comfortable, and reliable transportation. UTA believes we have a duty to provide vital transportation services in a way that not only meets customer expectations but exceeds them. This is a deeply rooted mindset throughout UTA.
UTA recently adopted a 2022-2030 Strategic Plan. In this plan, there is a success statement regarding the Customer Experience. It is:
UTA puts its customers first by providing an easy, enjoyable, and accessible transit experience where customers feel engaged, safe, and cared about.
A key part of the customers’ expectations is directly related to the experience they have when using the transit system.
Customer Input Is Shaping the Final CX Action Plan
The CX Action Plan is currently under development. Our purpose in describing it is to convey UTA’s responsiveness to our customers’ voice and to provide a space to keep the community and our riders apprised of our efforts to exceed their expectations.
Over the last several months, we’ve learned more about what’s working well, and what can be improved, on the UTA customer journey. We’ve reviewed feedback from approximately:
- 40,000 customer comments submitted over the last two years
- 12,000 survey responses from 12 past studies
- 3,000 new survey responses
- 25 community events throughout Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber counties
- 140 unique improvement ideas
- 1,000 open-ended comments
- 17 rider interviews (including 6 Spanish-language interviews).
This extensive feedback gives UTA valuable insight into customer perceptions, priorities, and expectations. We are using this data to identify ways to improve the customer experience, from small details like the look and feel of directional signs to long-term customer service projects. We identify these opportunities, linked directly to customer feedback, in the CX Action Plan.
When our plan takes shape, we will publish it on this page. Please look here for updates; we will announce new developments on our social media channels as well.
FAQ
What is Customer Experience (CX)?
Customer Experience is everything a customer experiences while accessing and using UTA services, from their front door to their ultimate destination.
Customer Experience also includes:
- Multiple modes of transportation (UTA, active transportation, Transport Network Companies (TNCs), driving, etc.)
- Many different objects, tools, and apps. (UTA website, Transit App, posted maps/schedules, real-time signs, etc.)
Why does focusing on CX matter?
Delivering a remarkable experience increases the likelihood that customers will return, use UTA services often, and more importantly, tell a friend or family member about their experience. In other words, a phenomenal experience creates customers who create customers. In fact, 92% of customers around the world say they trust recommendations from friends and family more than other forms of advertising (Nielsen).
What is the CX Action Plan?
The CX Action Plan is a document that:
- Communicates who UTA’s customers are, what they experience (good and bad), and what matters to them on their journey from their front door to their destination
- It showcases UTA’s planned customer-focused projects, including timelines and constraints for implementation
I’ve already shared my feedback in another survey. What’s different about this survey?
The intent of this survey is to dive deeper into riders’ experiences while using UTA and identify customer facing projects and improvements. UTA also has valuable insights from many previous surveys, like the annual Customer Satisfaction Survey and quarterly Rider Happiness Benchmark survey. The final CX Action Plan will include and build on the insights from these surveys.
Have any other transit agencies created CX Action Plans?
Yes! Use the links below to explore similar plans created by other transit agencies.