STM ticket agents to interact more with customers

Montreal's transit corporationis expanding a project aimed at getting ticket agents out of the booth and among its users.

The STM found that fewer people were lining up at the ticket booths to recharge their OPUS cards, choosing instead to use the card-charging stations on the platform or using the home card reader to fill the card with rides.

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"The fact that we're moving to mobile ticketing, it's fairly clear that we're ahead of the curve in looking at converting the role of our customer service agents who are really basically there to make change for a declining number of customers [at the ticket booth] every year," said STM vice-chairman Marvin Rotrand.

Of the 3.5-million STM rides sold in September, 35 per cent were sold at ticket booths while 29 per cent were purchased at the charging stations and nine per cent at corner stores and pharmacies.

As a result, the STM started to give the the ticket agents different responsibilities.

"The customer service agent in the booth was encouraged to leave the booth and be seen on the platform to offer transit information and help to customers in the station," said Rotrand.

The pilot project began in 12 stations at the start of 2015.

The STM is now removing the "pilot project" label and is expanding the program to 36 more stations 2016 and 2017.

New Metro stations added to the program this week include Cartier, Cte-des-Neiges, Universit-de-Montral, Place-des-Arts, Joliette et Jarry.