Customer Experience & Service Comm Liaison

PRTC•Woodbridge, VA

10d

About The Position

The Customer Experience & Service Communications Liaison is an impartial bridge between PRTC, bus contractor management, dispatch, operators, and customers. The role ensures timely, empathetic, and accurate communication across service touchpoints while promoting accountability, transparency, and service ownership. It improves the rider experience by strengthening communication protocols, coordinating customer service training, increasing operator engagement, and ensuring service issues are proactively addressed and communicated. The position works under the supervision of the Customer Experience Manager and is considered Essential Personnel, expected to work during inclement weather and emergencies as determined by management. The role aligns communication among operators, dispatch, bus contractor management, and OmniRide; coordinates customer experience and empathy training; works with contractor leadership to promote service ownership and customer-facing performance measures; leads public education and transparency initiatives with Marketing; develops operator engagement and recognition programs; and analyzes rider feedback to recommend and facilitate service improvements. The work is sedentary and generally performed in a moderately noisy business-office environment. It involves frequent sitting, occasional standing and walking, speaking or hearing, repetitive hand motions, preparing and analyzing written or computer data, and operating machines. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The position may also require work during inclement weather and emergencies as determined by management.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent, and considerable experience in transit operations, customer experience, or contractor oversight; an equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable.
Strong communication, conflict resolution, and process improvement skills.
Ability to influence without direct authority.
Knowledge of clerical and administrative duties in an office setting.
Working knowledge of transportation and routing, organizational rules and procedures applicable to the assigned function, and record keeping.
Thorough knowledge of correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Skill using personal computers, software packages, hardware, and peripheral equipment; data-entry skills; customer service and professional phone communication skills; and report development and presentation skills.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, compose correspondence, and deal courteously and effectively with the public.
Ability to manage confidential information according to established procedures.
Ability to collaborate across departments, manage multiple tasks with attention to detail, and analyze and resolve or escalate support issues promptly.
Ability to type at a reasonable pace, read maps, and demonstrate knowledge of local street geography.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, customers, department directors and managers, dispatchers, and the general public.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with public agencies and contractors.

Responsibilities

Establish and monitor communication protocols among operators, dispatch, bus contractor management, and OmniRide.
Ensure service disruptions are communicated accurately and promptly to OmniRide.
Identify breakdowns in the Operator → Dispatch → PRTC communication chain and implement corrective procedures.
Serve as the designated liaison between PRTC Customer Service and bus contractor supervisors, including Pentagon operations.
Develop and coordinate quarterly mandatory customer service training for operators and supervisors in partnership with bus contractor leadership.
Provide training on de-escalation, empathetic communication about delays and disruptions, and managing competing demands while maintaining customer awareness.
Track training attendance and performance outcomes and recommend contractual inclusion if needed.
Work with bus contractor leadership to promote adoption of service initiatives, define accountability metrics, encourage proactive service ownership, and create dashboards focused on customer-facing metrics.
Lead public-facing “Behind the Scenes” communications explaining route planning, causes of delays, and the respective roles of OmniRide and the bus contractor.
Partner with Marketing on campaigns such as “Meet the Operators,” operator spotlights, and day-in-the-life content.
Review existing bus contractor incentive programs and develop or enhance operator recognition initiatives with OmniRide leadership.
Implement structured recognition tied to customer commendations and service excellence, including positive reinforcement such as gift cards, recognition events, and awards.
Collect and analyze rider complaints and commendations; identify recurring themes and operational patterns.
Provide quarterly improvement recommendations to OmniRide and bus contractor leadership.
Facilitate joint improvement meetings between OmniRide and bus contractor leadership.
Prepare and present reports as required; compose correspondence and maintain records.
Handle customer and support issues, analyze problems, and resolve or escalate them in a timely manner.
Work collaboratively with other departments and maintain effective working relationships with associates, customers, department directors and managers, dispatchers, and the public.
Handle confidential information according to established procedures.
Work during inclement weather and emergencies as determined by management.