NYC Transit president Richard Davey visits the Jackson Heights/74th Street subway hub during Thursday’s morning rush to check on station agents who operated outside the customer service centers for the first time. (Photo courtesy of MTA/Marc Hermann)
March 31, 2023 By Bill Parry
Subway station agents at the Jackson Heights transit hub at 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue are now deployed outside the new customer service booth assisting riders of the 7, F, and E subway lines.
New York Transit President Richard Davey and Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow donned yellow customer service vests and joined station agents during Thursday’s morning rush hour as they walked the mezzanines, turnstile areas and platforms.
“Today is yet another day of progress as we improve the customer experience and deliver faster, cleaner and safer service,” Davey said. “Customer Service Centers are opening across the system, bringing service directly to the riders at the stations they use. And in a double win, our station agents will begin their new enhanced role out of the booth, directly assisting customers.”
(Photo courtesy of MTA/Marc Hermann)
The agents assisted riders at the fare machines, monitored safety and cleanliness on platforms and across station areas and reported issues in a timely manner. The MTA opened a Customer Service Center at the Main Street transit hub in Downtown Flushing last month and it will open another at the Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport station in Downtown Jamaica by the end of the year.
“Navigating our city’s mass transit system can sometimes be confusing, so riders need to have places to go where knowledgeable MTA employees can help them with directions and address their other customer service needs,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said. “The Customer Service Centers being opened in our subway system are intended to be those places and should do a great deal to help make our transit system more user-friendly. I’m glad three of these centers will be open in Queens before the end of this year, and I encourage riders to take full advantage of the services these centers will be offering.”
Station agents working at Customer Service Centers receive dedicated training on OMNY equipment and all dedicated customer service functions the centers provide. The centers are repurposed station booths that feature enhanced lighting, canopy and wrapped signage to create a more inviting and welcoming customer environment, according to the MTA.
“Our new Customer Service Centers were developed in collaboration with TWU Local 100 and we are happy with how they are working out,” TWU Local 100 Vice President for Stations Robert Kelly said. “[These] new customer service centers are helping to make the transit system more friendly and convenient.”
The agents will also provide riders with information about how to submit complaints and receive updates and information on train delays.
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