I just discovered this fundraising activity for Travellers' Aid, an organisation that provides assistance to people needing extra help when using public transport. (Thanks Daniel Bowen.) You can order a funky holder for your myki card and help support a good cause at the same time. Covers are free and you pay $2.50 postage and handling.
I walk past the Travellers' Aid centre at Flinders Street station most days, on my way to platform 10 and have often wondered what they do. After reading their website, I was very happy to also make a donation to support their work. As well as providing physical facilities in four Victorian locations, they also provide people - carers and medical companions for people who need assistance to attend medical appointments. I imagine that this service is appreciated and valuable for many people.
One of the benefits of having my myki is a special cover is that it will help me avoid the embarrassment of accidentally using something like my library card and wondering why the gates won't open!
They'd be a cute stocking stuffer for the public transport user in your life at Christmas time too.
Which one/s do you like?
Showing posts with label myki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label myki. Show all posts
Monday, 21 October 2013
Monday, 14 October 2013
myki public transport ticketing designed by Kafka
And we're back...Inspiration left me for a while there. I think it was because I did something exciting that I can't tell you about just yet. Time had to pass so there was space for something else to focus on. And what better way than to talk about another bizarre process that I've discovered with Melbourne's public transport ticketing system, myki.
Things have been running fairly smoothly lately. Generally, I've always thought that the day to day transactions with the card have run fairly well. It's when you head into the "back office" process that the Kafkaesque trouble starts.
Last Thursday I travelled all over the place and then when I arrived at my home station, I could not find my myki. Luckily I had registered the card so could immediately call and have the card blocked. This protects any balance remaining on the card. So far so good. I also wanted the remaining balance returned to me. This is where the complexity seeps in. They will transfer the balance onto a new myki and send it out in the mail as a result of my telephone request. Sounds straightforward, except that I don't want or need another myki. I have about half a dozen sitting on my desk. These have been acquired for friends visiting or when I've arrived at the station and discovered the ticket isn't in my handbag so I've had to buy a whole new one (this could be rectified if there was a short term ticket option, but that has been explicitly ruled out by the State Government). I also acquired a couple through tasks required while I was a member of the customer experience panel giving feeback about all aspects of my experience with myki.
I asked for the balance to be put on one of the other cards that are registered on my account. I was informed that the only way that can be done is if I fill in a paper form and post it in. The money is then transferred onto the card with the number nominated on the form. (Surprisingly) I don't even have to send in the myki I want to transfer to. Why is a paper form required when all the details of registered cards are on my secure profile? (See what the Minister said about this issue in February 2012.)
"Why?" I asked. "Because that's the process," came the answer. To confuse matters further, the name of the form is "Refund and Reimbursement" which isn't really what we're talking about - it's a balance transfer.
Then I was informed that I was getting the benefit of a new card without having to pay the $6 purchase price. That's true, except that I don't want or need another card and this is a public cost which is unnecessary. What I want is my unused balance from the lost card to be put onto one of the cards I already have. The cost would be minimal - especially if I could do it myself through my online account. Under the current process, the cost of a new card is added.
In the interests of highlighting problems so they can be fixed, I lodged feedback, specifically asking about why this is the process. Today I received a call from Kylie who informed me about the process. I told her that I already know what the process is and I'm interested to know why this is the process. The conversation was pointless.
"All I can do is tell you what the process is and all you keep asking is why!"
"Well that's actually what I want to know."
"Well all I can tell you is what the process is."
"That's terrific, but I already know what the process is. I actually want to understand the thinking that designed the process and point out how silly it is."
"All I can do is explain the process."
"What's the purpose of this phone call then? Was my feedback request not clear?"
"It was clear, but all I can do is explain the process and you keep asking why."
"Who should I be speaking to then?"
At the end of that exasperating exchange I was told to contact Public Transport Victoria via email or mail.
"Where are you from then? I thought I had contacted PTV initially."
"I work for PTV."
"Isn't that who you've said I have to talk to?"
"Yes, but I'm only in the myki section."
"But I'm wanting to talk about myki!"
"You need to send an email."
It's fitting really. With such a costly, old-fashioned and convoluted process to get $4.84 back I don't know why I thought the feedback process would be smooth, streamlined and efficient. The other thing about all these processes is that the work onus is on the customer not on the service provider. There is a benefit to Australia Post, so that's something.
I knew it was going to be weird when I had to go through an identification process to have the feedback conversation! I refrained from asking the one question that was on my mind: why?
Things have been running fairly smoothly lately. Generally, I've always thought that the day to day transactions with the card have run fairly well. It's when you head into the "back office" process that the Kafkaesque trouble starts.
Last Thursday I travelled all over the place and then when I arrived at my home station, I could not find my myki. Luckily I had registered the card so could immediately call and have the card blocked. This protects any balance remaining on the card. So far so good. I also wanted the remaining balance returned to me. This is where the complexity seeps in. They will transfer the balance onto a new myki and send it out in the mail as a result of my telephone request. Sounds straightforward, except that I don't want or need another myki. I have about half a dozen sitting on my desk. These have been acquired for friends visiting or when I've arrived at the station and discovered the ticket isn't in my handbag so I've had to buy a whole new one (this could be rectified if there was a short term ticket option, but that has been explicitly ruled out by the State Government). I also acquired a couple through tasks required while I was a member of the customer experience panel giving feeback about all aspects of my experience with myki.
I asked for the balance to be put on one of the other cards that are registered on my account. I was informed that the only way that can be done is if I fill in a paper form and post it in. The money is then transferred onto the card with the number nominated on the form. (Surprisingly) I don't even have to send in the myki I want to transfer to. Why is a paper form required when all the details of registered cards are on my secure profile? (See what the Minister said about this issue in February 2012.)
"Why?" I asked. "Because that's the process," came the answer. To confuse matters further, the name of the form is "Refund and Reimbursement" which isn't really what we're talking about - it's a balance transfer.
Then I was informed that I was getting the benefit of a new card without having to pay the $6 purchase price. That's true, except that I don't want or need another card and this is a public cost which is unnecessary. What I want is my unused balance from the lost card to be put onto one of the cards I already have. The cost would be minimal - especially if I could do it myself through my online account. Under the current process, the cost of a new card is added.
In the interests of highlighting problems so they can be fixed, I lodged feedback, specifically asking about why this is the process. Today I received a call from Kylie who informed me about the process. I told her that I already know what the process is and I'm interested to know why this is the process. The conversation was pointless.
"All I can do is tell you what the process is and all you keep asking is why!"
"Well that's actually what I want to know."
"Well all I can tell you is what the process is."
"That's terrific, but I already know what the process is. I actually want to understand the thinking that designed the process and point out how silly it is."
"All I can do is explain the process."
"What's the purpose of this phone call then? Was my feedback request not clear?"
"It was clear, but all I can do is explain the process and you keep asking why."
"Who should I be speaking to then?"
At the end of that exasperating exchange I was told to contact Public Transport Victoria via email or mail.
"Where are you from then? I thought I had contacted PTV initially."
"I work for PTV."
"Isn't that who you've said I have to talk to?"
"Yes, but I'm only in the myki section."
"But I'm wanting to talk about myki!"
"You need to send an email."
It's fitting really. With such a costly, old-fashioned and convoluted process to get $4.84 back I don't know why I thought the feedback process would be smooth, streamlined and efficient. The other thing about all these processes is that the work onus is on the customer not on the service provider. There is a benefit to Australia Post, so that's something.
I knew it was going to be weird when I had to go through an identification process to have the feedback conversation! I refrained from asking the one question that was on my mind: why?
Monday, 20 May 2013
Ten questions for today.
1) Is advertising on hand dryers in public toilets effective?
2) Who ever uses a full bottle of nail polish?
3) Why does it rain whenever I have my hair blow waved?
4) Why can't people follow the instructions for recycling?
5) What is unclear about a sign that says "No Junk Mail"?
6) Why do people insist that you "need some sugar" when you tell them you don't eat sugar?
7) Why do businesses refuse to deliver to post office boxes?
8) Where do those text messages telling you you've won "a million pounds" come from?
9) Why, in the digital age, does it still take 3 business days for a cheque to clear?
10) What do visitors to Melbourne think when they can't top up their myki and they discover there are no toilets available at the station?
Answers to these questions are welcome.
What questions are you asking today?
2) Who ever uses a full bottle of nail polish?
3) Why does it rain whenever I have my hair blow waved?
4) Why can't people follow the instructions for recycling?
5) What is unclear about a sign that says "No Junk Mail"?
6) Why do people insist that you "need some sugar" when you tell them you don't eat sugar?
7) Why do businesses refuse to deliver to post office boxes?
8) Where do those text messages telling you you've won "a million pounds" come from?
9) Why, in the digital age, does it still take 3 business days for a cheque to clear?
10) What do visitors to Melbourne think when they can't top up their myki and they discover there are no toilets available at the station?
Answers to these questions are welcome.
What questions are you asking today?
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
On my mind - from language to skinny jeans and Ricky Martin
Language is one of my favourite things in the world. I love the sound of words. I love the feel of words - mellifluous - how good does "mellifluous" feel in your mouth as you say it? I pay close attention to the words people choose and how they express themselves. I pay close attention when I choose words and focus on clarity whether I'm speaking or writing.
"Mellifluous" is one of those words that feels and sounds like what it is. It means "sweetly or smoothly flowing". Yes! I really love the way the word itself embodies its own meaning.
This is what I notice about language.
I'm thinking about this because I recently experienced examples of incongruence. I'm noticing it more and more when I'm facilitating and coaching others to achieve their goals. Consider: "Um, I think I want to try and be more passionate?" (The question mark is deliberate.) This sentence was delivered with an apologetic facial expression and a shrug of the shoulders.
I hear the words and am struck by the lack of conviction, the lack of passion in that statement of intent.
I know that it's unclear whether thought follows action or action follows thought, but I'm a firm believer in starting today. If your intention is to be passionate and convey that passion to other people, why not start right now?
Imagine the difference if the statement was "I want to share my passion for Icelandic needlecraft with the world!"; or "I'm passionate about introducing others to the delights of 14th century church music!"
(The exclamation mark at the end of these sentences is deliberate.) I may not have the slightest interest in Icelandic needlecraft or 14th century church music but if you sound like it's exciting when you tell me about it it's likely your energy and enthusiasm will spark a curiosity in me.
These moments of linguistic incongruence leave me wondering; puzzled more than curious.
*****
I discovered today that one of the ingredients listed on my favourite cheese is "cheese flavour".
It's a recent addition.
I am in search of a new favourite cheese.
*****
"The Voice" is back on TV.
I love that show. I am repeating last year's performance, spending most of the blind auditions in tears. I'm not even on the show.
And I look at Ricky Martin and can't believe how handsome he is. Really. He is linguistically congruent. I'm sure. And mellifluous.
*****
It's really hard to top up your myki when the lights are out at the station and it's after sunset.
I hope I topped up my myki and it's not a repeat episode of the time I tried to get into Flinders Street station by touching on with my Boost Juice loyalty card. (They're a similar colour. I was confused.)
*****
Every time I have a shower, there is water on the floor at the other end of the bathroom that wasn't there before I had a shower. I can not find its source. I may be going crazy.
I ponder the conversation with the real estate agent as I explain the problem.
*****
Skinny jeans must be so hard to wear if you need to do anything other than stand in the one spot. Once you're in them how do you bend your legs even to walk? More importantly, what colour are your legs when you take them off?
*****
I've reached my monthly data allowance on my mobile phone. Anxiety accompanies this knowledge. I don't know what to do or how it happened. Will my life ever be the same again?
"Mellifluous" is one of those words that feels and sounds like what it is. It means "sweetly or smoothly flowing". Yes! I really love the way the word itself embodies its own meaning.
This is what I notice about language.
I'm thinking about this because I recently experienced examples of incongruence. I'm noticing it more and more when I'm facilitating and coaching others to achieve their goals. Consider: "Um, I think I want to try and be more passionate?" (The question mark is deliberate.) This sentence was delivered with an apologetic facial expression and a shrug of the shoulders.
I hear the words and am struck by the lack of conviction, the lack of passion in that statement of intent.
I know that it's unclear whether thought follows action or action follows thought, but I'm a firm believer in starting today. If your intention is to be passionate and convey that passion to other people, why not start right now?
Imagine the difference if the statement was "I want to share my passion for Icelandic needlecraft with the world!"; or "I'm passionate about introducing others to the delights of 14th century church music!"
(The exclamation mark at the end of these sentences is deliberate.) I may not have the slightest interest in Icelandic needlecraft or 14th century church music but if you sound like it's exciting when you tell me about it it's likely your energy and enthusiasm will spark a curiosity in me.
These moments of linguistic incongruence leave me wondering; puzzled more than curious.
*****
I discovered today that one of the ingredients listed on my favourite cheese is "cheese flavour".
It's a recent addition.
I am in search of a new favourite cheese.
*****
"The Voice" is back on TV.
I love that show. I am repeating last year's performance, spending most of the blind auditions in tears. I'm not even on the show.
And I look at Ricky Martin and can't believe how handsome he is. Really. He is linguistically congruent. I'm sure. And mellifluous.
*****
It's really hard to top up your myki when the lights are out at the station and it's after sunset.
I hope I topped up my myki and it's not a repeat episode of the time I tried to get into Flinders Street station by touching on with my Boost Juice loyalty card. (They're a similar colour. I was confused.)
*****
Every time I have a shower, there is water on the floor at the other end of the bathroom that wasn't there before I had a shower. I can not find its source. I may be going crazy.
I ponder the conversation with the real estate agent as I explain the problem.
*****
Skinny jeans must be so hard to wear if you need to do anything other than stand in the one spot. Once you're in them how do you bend your legs even to walk? More importantly, what colour are your legs when you take them off?
*****
I've reached my monthly data allowance on my mobile phone. Anxiety accompanies this knowledge. I don't know what to do or how it happened. Will my life ever be the same again?
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Good things about myki & myki mysteries
I travelled into zone 2 yesterday on the train. I had a zone one 7 day myki pass on my myki card. It was great to be able to get to the other end and just touch off my myki and see it deduct the little bit extra for the trip in zone 2. I didn't have to buy an "extension ticket" or do anything else.
That's something good about myki.
I catch public transport whenever I can, including when working for clients. Keeping track of travel expenses and GST on the old Metcard system would have been a nighmare, to the point where I probably wouldn't have bothered, or I would have driven my car and claimed that cost back. I love the fact that with a registered myki card I can print a tax invoice of all my travel transactions, making it easy to claim GST and business related expenses.
That's something good about myki.
I only need one card to travel, rather than carrying a poker hand of paper cards to suit a variety of travel situations. (Although used tickets did make good book marks.)
That's something good about myki.
When I lost my myki, because it was registered I was able to get the money back. (Even though they had to issue me with a new card to do it. The process to get the money put to one of my existing cards - which I hadn't lost - involved filling in forms; whereas getting the money back on a new card could be done over the phone.)
The first bit - that's something good about myki.
How come online top up of myki isn't instant, but auto -top up - which you set up online - is?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
How come people vandalise the machines and readers making them hard to use?
That's one of the myki mysteries (or maybe it's just a mystery).
How come Qantas can give me an electronic bag tag which knows who I am and where I'm going and check me in in seconds, but myki has to be held just-so in order to work?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
How come a new exit at platform two at Seddon Station was installed a year ago and it's still locked up? I watched a large number of men dig a hole and the open a space in the fence. A little while later two posts were installed for the myki readers. Then they closed the hole in the fence and the myki readers were never attached to the posts. Everyone still has to squeeze out of the tiny and poorly designed exit during peak time as everyone has to use two machines, rendered unreadable by sun glare and vandalism.
That's one of the myki mysteries. And I still don't know what went into the hole. I wonder if it was the architect of myki?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
Wouldn't it be great if you could use your myki to pay when you use Melbourne City Council blue bike to get around the city?
Yes it would!
Why can't I buy a myki pass for 8 to 27 days, but am locked into 7 days or 28 or more days?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
Why do people insist on touching off on trams in the city?
That's NOT one of the myki mysteries. All of the messaging says "When travelling with myki, don't forget to touch on AND touch off". Some of the messaging adds "to make sure you get the lowest fare". Of course people are still touching off on trams - it's crazy to expect commuters to learn different processes for using a ticket depending on what kind of vehicle they are in!
Where do the dead myki cards go? I really hope they can be melted down and made into something handy.
That's one of the myki mysteries.
I tried really hard to come up with more things that are great about myki, but I couldn't really think of any. Can you?
Why aren't there lots of good things about myki?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
That's something good about myki.
I catch public transport whenever I can, including when working for clients. Keeping track of travel expenses and GST on the old Metcard system would have been a nighmare, to the point where I probably wouldn't have bothered, or I would have driven my car and claimed that cost back. I love the fact that with a registered myki card I can print a tax invoice of all my travel transactions, making it easy to claim GST and business related expenses.
That's something good about myki.
I only need one card to travel, rather than carrying a poker hand of paper cards to suit a variety of travel situations. (Although used tickets did make good book marks.)
That's something good about myki.
When I lost my myki, because it was registered I was able to get the money back. (Even though they had to issue me with a new card to do it. The process to get the money put to one of my existing cards - which I hadn't lost - involved filling in forms; whereas getting the money back on a new card could be done over the phone.)
The first bit - that's something good about myki.
How come online top up of myki isn't instant, but auto -top up - which you set up online - is?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
How come people vandalise the machines and readers making them hard to use?
That's one of the myki mysteries (or maybe it's just a mystery).
How come Qantas can give me an electronic bag tag which knows who I am and where I'm going and check me in in seconds, but myki has to be held just-so in order to work?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
How come a new exit at platform two at Seddon Station was installed a year ago and it's still locked up? I watched a large number of men dig a hole and the open a space in the fence. A little while later two posts were installed for the myki readers. Then they closed the hole in the fence and the myki readers were never attached to the posts. Everyone still has to squeeze out of the tiny and poorly designed exit during peak time as everyone has to use two machines, rendered unreadable by sun glare and vandalism.
 |
| "Exit" at Seddon Station. Those black posts are supposed to have myki readers on them. © divacultura 2013 |
That's one of the myki mysteries.
Wouldn't it be great if you could use your myki to pay when you use Melbourne City Council blue bike to get around the city?
Yes it would!
Why can't I buy a myki pass for 8 to 27 days, but am locked into 7 days or 28 or more days?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
Why do people insist on touching off on trams in the city?
That's NOT one of the myki mysteries. All of the messaging says "When travelling with myki, don't forget to touch on AND touch off". Some of the messaging adds "to make sure you get the lowest fare". Of course people are still touching off on trams - it's crazy to expect commuters to learn different processes for using a ticket depending on what kind of vehicle they are in!
Where do the dead myki cards go? I really hope they can be melted down and made into something handy.
That's one of the myki mysteries.
I tried really hard to come up with more things that are great about myki, but I couldn't really think of any. Can you?
Why aren't there lots of good things about myki?
That's one of the myki mysteries.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
It's myki madness time again!
Here's a story about myki. It's also a story about stupidity. Perhaps it's about bureaucracy gone mad. Or it might be a story about losing touch with kindness.
A friend of mine works in a small boutique which sells clothing and accessories. When checking the dressing rooms after a customer had gone, a left behind myki card was discovered. Staff in the store put the card aside thinking that the woman who had mislaid it might come back at some point to reclaim it.
After a couple of days, there was no sign of the woman. My community-minded friend called myki with the intention of reuniting the card with its owner. She was advised by the woman she spoke to in the call centre that details could not be revealed because of privacy.
My friend patiently explained that she didn't want any details, she just wanted to see the card returned.
She was told by the operator that there was no way she could even go into the account that the card was attached to without speaking to the account owner.
My friend suggested that the card could perhaps be returned to myki who could then pass it back to the woman - provided of course the card had been registered.
NO. None of that was possible. No help could be given at all. Because of "privacy".
This seems ridiculous. It would make sense for myki cards to have an "if found return to PO Box 123, Melbourne" message. Then details could be checked and cards/balances be returned. Couldn't something like this work?
Maybe there is fear about some poor public servant somewhere drowning under a pile of lost myki cards.
It could be made even more community-minded by donating to charity the balance on cards unclaimed after a certain amount of time.
Privacy seems to have become a blanket excuse anytime big organisations don't want to go out of their way to help. Usually it has nothing to do with privacy. In this case, I understand that they wouldn't be giving the details of the card owner to my friend; they don't need to and that's not what she was asking for.
So my friend has this myki card and she asked me what she should do with it. I suggested that she could use it. She was appalled and imagined a siren going off and a cage dropping over her the very moment she tried. Thinking about it, if the owner knows they've lost their card and haven't been back for it, it might be registered and they might have rung up and blocked it, in which case the only thing for it is to throw it away. (Or can cards be reset to zero and reissued so they are used for the term of their natural life?)
Seems silly to me. Have you ever lost your myki? (I have.) Was it registered? How much money was on it? How did you get home?
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
What's the point of all this feedback on myki?
I'm on the customer experience panel for the myki ticketing system. My motivation for spending time on this is that I am a committed public transport user. I believe in contributing to my community to make things better.
Each week I try to participate in all of the tasks requested. I dedicate my time to this and take it very seriously, participating sincerely and honestly.
Sometimes I feel like I'm beating my head against a wall, as changes seem to take such a long time to be made. Sometimes I wonder if changes ever will be made. The wheels turn very slowly.
Public Transport Victoria regularly provides news and updates in response to our feedback. Most of the time it's unremarkable. Occasionally I read something and think "oh, I'm glad they fixed that!". This week I just sat and shook my head.
Not long ago we had specifically been asked about how myki calculates fares and applies defaults. Apparently the panel's feedback must have suggested that the rules are complex and hard to understand. The essence of the message provided back to us was there's plenty of information about how it's done and here are all the places where you can read it!
Or on the subject of most people preferring to top up at a myki machine, their response was to tell us they will be launching a campaign to tell everyone about the other ways.
Perhaps out of context some of the impact of these communiques may be lost, but I worry that they are missing the point. If the default position is to defend the system as it stands, rather than thinking about how customer concerns could actually be addressed, I can not see how any aspect of the system will be improved, or what the point of the whole exercise is.
One of my friends today thanked me for continuing to engage with the underperformers who are running Victoria's public transport, saying I'm doing everyone a favour. I'm no longer sure about that because the result seems so lacking.
Each week I try to participate in all of the tasks requested. I dedicate my time to this and take it very seriously, participating sincerely and honestly.
Sometimes I feel like I'm beating my head against a wall, as changes seem to take such a long time to be made. Sometimes I wonder if changes ever will be made. The wheels turn very slowly.
Public Transport Victoria regularly provides news and updates in response to our feedback. Most of the time it's unremarkable. Occasionally I read something and think "oh, I'm glad they fixed that!". This week I just sat and shook my head.
Not long ago we had specifically been asked about how myki calculates fares and applies defaults. Apparently the panel's feedback must have suggested that the rules are complex and hard to understand. The essence of the message provided back to us was there's plenty of information about how it's done and here are all the places where you can read it!
Or on the subject of most people preferring to top up at a myki machine, their response was to tell us they will be launching a campaign to tell everyone about the other ways.
Perhaps out of context some of the impact of these communiques may be lost, but I worry that they are missing the point. If the default position is to defend the system as it stands, rather than thinking about how customer concerns could actually be addressed, I can not see how any aspect of the system will be improved, or what the point of the whole exercise is.
One of my friends today thanked me for continuing to engage with the underperformers who are running Victoria's public transport, saying I'm doing everyone a favour. I'm no longer sure about that because the result seems so lacking.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Something in the air?
Christmas could be an opportunity for people to be nice to each other. For strangers to smile at others in the street. For people to stand aside and let someone pass. For us to look up and see each other! It would be a Christmas miracle.
I've had the dubious pleasure over the last couple of weeks of needing to keep conventional office hours for a particular project on which I'm working. This has involved hitting the train and Flinders Street Station right in the middle of the morning peak. Once I've survived that first odyssey, I then make my way to what might be the busiest tram stop in Melbourne. On a platform that barely holds the crush, I wait for the number 1 tram to South Melbourne Beach as I am elbowed and jostled by the surge. There's only one thing worse than this surge - the angry surge when the tram is too packed and people are left behind. It's not a long wait between trams at that time of the morning, but why wait two extra minutes where you will endure the elbows and glares of your fellow travellers, when you could be pressed to a stranger's arm pit with one side of your face and mashed against the door with the other?
There is always a queue to exit Flinders Street Station at the top end, the end nearest the Yarra River. That side still has old metcard gates that are slow to work with the myki card and it can take a long time to get through. I figure everyone's in the same boat, so you just need to be patient and wait your turn. This view is not shared by everyone in Melbourne. I know! Shocking to discover!
I joined a queue and while I was waiting one of the staff came and switched the gate next to me so that we could use it to exit. (Before he did this it was set so that only people wanting to come in could use it.) As it happened, I was able to step up and be the first person in that line. (No, I did not shoulder charge anyone, I just stepped across and that's how it worked out.) I touched my myki to the reader and nothing at all happened. I held it still, bearing in mind the detailed operating instructions every myki user must know - I didn't swipe, wave, jiggle, show, tap or fling. I touched and held still. Nothing.
Behind me I heard a woman's voice. Apparently she'd been screaming at me for the last three seconds and I only noticed when she poked me in the back. "GO THROUGH! Can't you just GO THROUGH? LADY? GO THROUGH!!!!!"
I realised she was speaking to me. I turned and was about to explain that I needed to touch off to ensure I was charged correctly, but it was a bit hard with a fire breathing dragon behind me. I said nothing and stood my ground and touched my myki to the reader again. Mercifully, it worked and as I walked through, the dragon surged past still screaming at me to GO THROUGH! LADY!
I just shook my head. For goodness' sake.
"Some people!" I looked up. A young man had spoken. He looked at me sympathetically. I smiled.
"You heard that woman?" I asked.
"Yes! Can't believe that would happen in Melbourne."
"Maybe she's not from Melbourne. Maybe there's something in the air."
"Maybe there's something wrong with her."
"Well, there might be. So that's her problem."
"Yeah."
As I wished him an excellent day, we came face to face with dragon woman who had by now secured a wide perimeter around herself and was glaring at everyone. I felt the urge to say something - or elbow her out of the way - but decided to stay out of her way.
The last I saw of her she was burrowing her way onto an over crowded tram. Glaring at all in her path. I wondered how long it would take before she pushed someone too far.
******
I arrived home and discovered my crazy neighbour arguing with the very nice man who had spent the last two days replacing the old analogue television antennae with new digital ones. It had been a big job and Antennae Man was friendly and even-tempered. When Gottfried accused him of microwaving us, Antennae Man just continued repeating the words "television" and "reception". He slipped once and said "satellite" which led to a re-opening of the microwave question. Antenna Man regrouped quickly and went back to his mantra - "television", "reception". This time I noticed he was shaking his head.
I've had the dubious pleasure over the last couple of weeks of needing to keep conventional office hours for a particular project on which I'm working. This has involved hitting the train and Flinders Street Station right in the middle of the morning peak. Once I've survived that first odyssey, I then make my way to what might be the busiest tram stop in Melbourne. On a platform that barely holds the crush, I wait for the number 1 tram to South Melbourne Beach as I am elbowed and jostled by the surge. There's only one thing worse than this surge - the angry surge when the tram is too packed and people are left behind. It's not a long wait between trams at that time of the morning, but why wait two extra minutes where you will endure the elbows and glares of your fellow travellers, when you could be pressed to a stranger's arm pit with one side of your face and mashed against the door with the other?
There is always a queue to exit Flinders Street Station at the top end, the end nearest the Yarra River. That side still has old metcard gates that are slow to work with the myki card and it can take a long time to get through. I figure everyone's in the same boat, so you just need to be patient and wait your turn. This view is not shared by everyone in Melbourne. I know! Shocking to discover!
I joined a queue and while I was waiting one of the staff came and switched the gate next to me so that we could use it to exit. (Before he did this it was set so that only people wanting to come in could use it.) As it happened, I was able to step up and be the first person in that line. (No, I did not shoulder charge anyone, I just stepped across and that's how it worked out.) I touched my myki to the reader and nothing at all happened. I held it still, bearing in mind the detailed operating instructions every myki user must know - I didn't swipe, wave, jiggle, show, tap or fling. I touched and held still. Nothing.
Behind me I heard a woman's voice. Apparently she'd been screaming at me for the last three seconds and I only noticed when she poked me in the back. "GO THROUGH! Can't you just GO THROUGH? LADY? GO THROUGH!!!!!"
I realised she was speaking to me. I turned and was about to explain that I needed to touch off to ensure I was charged correctly, but it was a bit hard with a fire breathing dragon behind me. I said nothing and stood my ground and touched my myki to the reader again. Mercifully, it worked and as I walked through, the dragon surged past still screaming at me to GO THROUGH! LADY!
I just shook my head. For goodness' sake.
"Some people!" I looked up. A young man had spoken. He looked at me sympathetically. I smiled.
"You heard that woman?" I asked.
"Yes! Can't believe that would happen in Melbourne."
"Maybe she's not from Melbourne. Maybe there's something in the air."
"Maybe there's something wrong with her."
"Well, there might be. So that's her problem."
"Yeah."
As I wished him an excellent day, we came face to face with dragon woman who had by now secured a wide perimeter around herself and was glaring at everyone. I felt the urge to say something - or elbow her out of the way - but decided to stay out of her way.
The last I saw of her she was burrowing her way onto an over crowded tram. Glaring at all in her path. I wondered how long it would take before she pushed someone too far.
******
I arrived home and discovered my crazy neighbour arguing with the very nice man who had spent the last two days replacing the old analogue television antennae with new digital ones. It had been a big job and Antennae Man was friendly and even-tempered. When Gottfried accused him of microwaving us, Antennae Man just continued repeating the words "television" and "reception". He slipped once and said "satellite" which led to a re-opening of the microwave question. Antenna Man regrouped quickly and went back to his mantra - "television", "reception". This time I noticed he was shaking his head.
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Public transport may be a war zone, but the traffic worse.
Standing at the tram stop in the rain and the wind at 5:05pm this evening, was not the most miserable place I could have been. Even if I was waiting for about 10 minutes. You see, during that time, traffic coming from five directions converged and nothing moved. There was a free tourist shuttle bus that moved about a metre in those ten minutes.
I was finishing my second day of my new project and I am still gaining familiarity with the rhythms of a different part of town. There are some magnificent eucalypts in the street and their leaves had dropped to the ground in the wind and rain. As I stepped on them, I was blessed with the heavenly smell of eucalyptus. For a moment, I believed that I was deep in the bush. Then I looked up and saw the traffic snarl. Despite the central location which is extremely well served by public transport, I was advised that there was parking space for me if I wished to drive. Looking at the gridlock, I wondered why anyone would.
A woman in the tea room yesterday was talking about the fact that she had had to catch public transport to work that day. I congratulated her. She looked at me as though I was someone who had escaped from a secure facility and when I added that I am an advocate of public transport I swear I could see her fumbling for the speed dial on her phone. She looked at me as though I was Satan. She muttered something under her breath which sounded like, "You're doomed. Get thee back Satan" but given the Christian values of the organisation was probably something like "it's okay when it works". I agree.
(I also made new friends by revealing my membership of the myki customer experience panel. This means I give feedback about the system each week. I was able to educate a couple of people about the benefits of registering their myki so that any balance on the card is protected if the card is lost or stolen. Anyway, when you're the new kid on the block, everyone's a potential new friend. Then you realise who's in what faction and where the power lies a few weeks later and wish you hadn't been so eager.)
Anyway, there I am in the traffic, in the rain and the wind at the tramstop. I did have an umbrella, so that kept my earlobes dry at least, but in the rain and the wind the rest of me was a lost cause.
As our eagerly anticipated tram turned the corner, it was like the hero appearing on the horizon at sunset to rescue the people. I swear I heard music and everything. Symphonic, with trumpets I think, but definitely symphonic. And the tram arrived and it was packed. Only the most desperate would clamber aboard and inhale the air, thick with the scent of wet dog and risk being turned into a wet shiskabab by some idiot with a golf umbrella the size of a circus tent.
I sighed. I was no desperadao. I lifted my head and squinted towards the horizon (I probably didn't squint. It wasn't sunny. If it was sunny I would have had my sunglasses on, thus removing any need to squint. Plus, I'm opposed to squinting from a cosmetic point of view. Although, maybe I squinted because I was shielding my eyeballs from the needle-like shards of rain.) Another had appeared. Tram that is, in case I distracted you. In the tradition of Melbourne trams, its only passenger seemed to be the driver and a couple of damp tumbleweeds and the guy up the back who smelt really bad, but not like a wet dog. Compared to that smell, I would happily buy an atomiser of Eau de Wet Dog and spray it all over. That might be why the tram was empty.
We piled on. I was made into a wet shiskabab by an idiot with a backpack and a golf umbrella the size of a parachute. There was so much water I managed to wash my hands and refresh my face. If I had my toothbrush in my handbag I probably would have whipped it out.
I stepped off the tram at Flinders Street station a few minutes later and expected to be home within 20 minutes. I failed to consider that trains apparently don't like working in the rain. Police operations in some outlying suburb on the other side of town compound the problem. I found a seat on the platform out of the wind and the rain and tried to concentrate on my book while listening to announcements about delayed trains which seemed to suggest that the Mayans may have been right about the end of the world.
I hope not. I really want to finish the book I'm reading.
I was finishing my second day of my new project and I am still gaining familiarity with the rhythms of a different part of town. There are some magnificent eucalypts in the street and their leaves had dropped to the ground in the wind and rain. As I stepped on them, I was blessed with the heavenly smell of eucalyptus. For a moment, I believed that I was deep in the bush. Then I looked up and saw the traffic snarl. Despite the central location which is extremely well served by public transport, I was advised that there was parking space for me if I wished to drive. Looking at the gridlock, I wondered why anyone would.
A woman in the tea room yesterday was talking about the fact that she had had to catch public transport to work that day. I congratulated her. She looked at me as though I was someone who had escaped from a secure facility and when I added that I am an advocate of public transport I swear I could see her fumbling for the speed dial on her phone. She looked at me as though I was Satan. She muttered something under her breath which sounded like, "You're doomed. Get thee back Satan" but given the Christian values of the organisation was probably something like "it's okay when it works". I agree.
(I also made new friends by revealing my membership of the myki customer experience panel. This means I give feedback about the system each week. I was able to educate a couple of people about the benefits of registering their myki so that any balance on the card is protected if the card is lost or stolen. Anyway, when you're the new kid on the block, everyone's a potential new friend. Then you realise who's in what faction and where the power lies a few weeks later and wish you hadn't been so eager.)
Anyway, there I am in the traffic, in the rain and the wind at the tramstop. I did have an umbrella, so that kept my earlobes dry at least, but in the rain and the wind the rest of me was a lost cause.
As our eagerly anticipated tram turned the corner, it was like the hero appearing on the horizon at sunset to rescue the people. I swear I heard music and everything. Symphonic, with trumpets I think, but definitely symphonic. And the tram arrived and it was packed. Only the most desperate would clamber aboard and inhale the air, thick with the scent of wet dog and risk being turned into a wet shiskabab by some idiot with a golf umbrella the size of a circus tent.
I sighed. I was no desperadao. I lifted my head and squinted towards the horizon (I probably didn't squint. It wasn't sunny. If it was sunny I would have had my sunglasses on, thus removing any need to squint. Plus, I'm opposed to squinting from a cosmetic point of view. Although, maybe I squinted because I was shielding my eyeballs from the needle-like shards of rain.) Another had appeared. Tram that is, in case I distracted you. In the tradition of Melbourne trams, its only passenger seemed to be the driver and a couple of damp tumbleweeds and the guy up the back who smelt really bad, but not like a wet dog. Compared to that smell, I would happily buy an atomiser of Eau de Wet Dog and spray it all over. That might be why the tram was empty.
We piled on. I was made into a wet shiskabab by an idiot with a backpack and a golf umbrella the size of a parachute. There was so much water I managed to wash my hands and refresh my face. If I had my toothbrush in my handbag I probably would have whipped it out.
I stepped off the tram at Flinders Street station a few minutes later and expected to be home within 20 minutes. I failed to consider that trains apparently don't like working in the rain. Police operations in some outlying suburb on the other side of town compound the problem. I found a seat on the platform out of the wind and the rain and tried to concentrate on my book while listening to announcements about delayed trains which seemed to suggest that the Mayans may have been right about the end of the world.
I hope not. I really want to finish the book I'm reading.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
On the trains in Melbourne
There are a lot of uniformed personnel on and around Melbourne's trains at the moment. On the trains themselves, none of them are conductors, or people whose sole focus is to assist the travelling public. Around stations there are many people who have this focus. Here's what I've noticed this week.
Yesterday I was travelling to the city just before noon. At Footscray station three Authorised Officers boarded the carriage in which I was travelling. They each carried a hand held myki reader and their purpose was to check that every traveller had a valid ticket. I haven't had a lot to do with Authorised Officers, but I have read some bad reports so I watched with interest as they went about their work.
The two men and one woman looked smart in their uniforms and had an air of congeniality about them as they interacted within themselves. I heard that the passenger behind me was very politely asked for his myki. The ticket was checked and they moved on to me. This time I was acknowledged with a friendly greeting and a polite request for my myki. As it showed my ticket as valid I was thanked and wished a good day. The interaction was quick, polite and pleasant. I wondered what would happen if - when - they encountered a fare evader.
As an afterthought to our conversation I mentioned that one of the myki readers at Seddon station was faulty and gave details. They made a note and thanked me for the information. That saved me a phone call. (My station is an unstaffed station, so unless members of the community take responsibility for reporting equipment failures, problems can be left unaddressed for a long time.)
Further forward in the carriage, one of the two men was in a longer discussion with a male and female passenger who appeared to be travelling together. I couldn't hear what was being said, but the body language suggested that there was a problem. The level of engagement still looked polite and friendly from a distance. It was my stop, so I wasn't able to observe this conversation for very long.
If every Authorised Officer goes about their work as this trio did, then they are excellent ambassadors for their organisation. (I'm not actually sure for whom they work.) With this kind of outlook the Authorised Officers are in a great position to educate the travelling public, rather than taking a punitive approach which focusses on "catching people".
From the train I went to the tram stop. Two aqua clad myki mates were talking to each other. As soon as passengers arrived at the tram stop, they approached each person at the stop to see if they had any questions about myki. Again, I was impressed with their friendly demeanour and proactive approach to engage with the travelling public, rather than waiting to be approached.
At the end of the day I was back at Flinders Street Station for my journey home. One of the signs in the pedestrian subway entrance (under Elizabeth Street) was impossible to read because of a combination of poorly placed lighting and a screen malfunction. The sign contained departure information for four lines, so was pretty important. There was one person staffing the gates so I asked him if anyone had given him feedback about the sign. He said no and walked towards me. I pointed out the problem and he thanked me for letting him know. He said that he never looks at the sign and that it was impossible to read. He walked back to his post and made a note. Again, he was proactive and interested in helping the travelling public.
I will admit that I was expecting a shrug of the shoulders and a "promise" to do something without any intention. I was pleasantly surprised. It will be interesting to see what action is taken in response to this feedback.
By contrast, as I walked across the main concourse at Flinders Street station this evening on my way home, I followed five Protective Services Officers. They were an intimidating pack with their sunglasses (reflective?) and police-like outfits. They were all men and their body language radiated authority. They were going to the same platform as me and when I saw them looking around with purpose, I suddenly felt nervous.
Why?
A story from Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Blink" sprang to mind. He talks about police behaviour. In one police district in the US police brutality and police shootings occurred more often when police worked in pairs or bigger groups. They switched to police working solo and saw a drop in these kinds of incidents. The decrease was attributed to less instinctive, "blink of an eye" decision-making when police worked alone. In this situation they were more likely to be cautious, wait for backup and not act in a way that escalated encounters. (This is a very short summary, so read the book for the whole picture.) Observing this group of Protective Services Officers brought this story to life at that moment.
I think it is good to send a message about safety on public transport, especially the trains and especially outside peak times. As a committed, frequent and female public transport user, it is very important to me to be confident that I can travel safely. I wonder if these intimidating men, presented as pseudo-police is really the way to achieve this?
So despite a crawl into the city this morning and a message yesterday telling me the service I had planned my day around "will not run", overall, I'm feeling a little more positive about the attitude of our public transport operators towards me, the travelling public.
How do you feel about public transport? Do you use it? Why? Why not?
Yesterday I was travelling to the city just before noon. At Footscray station three Authorised Officers boarded the carriage in which I was travelling. They each carried a hand held myki reader and their purpose was to check that every traveller had a valid ticket. I haven't had a lot to do with Authorised Officers, but I have read some bad reports so I watched with interest as they went about their work.
The two men and one woman looked smart in their uniforms and had an air of congeniality about them as they interacted within themselves. I heard that the passenger behind me was very politely asked for his myki. The ticket was checked and they moved on to me. This time I was acknowledged with a friendly greeting and a polite request for my myki. As it showed my ticket as valid I was thanked and wished a good day. The interaction was quick, polite and pleasant. I wondered what would happen if - when - they encountered a fare evader.
As an afterthought to our conversation I mentioned that one of the myki readers at Seddon station was faulty and gave details. They made a note and thanked me for the information. That saved me a phone call. (My station is an unstaffed station, so unless members of the community take responsibility for reporting equipment failures, problems can be left unaddressed for a long time.)
Further forward in the carriage, one of the two men was in a longer discussion with a male and female passenger who appeared to be travelling together. I couldn't hear what was being said, but the body language suggested that there was a problem. The level of engagement still looked polite and friendly from a distance. It was my stop, so I wasn't able to observe this conversation for very long.
If every Authorised Officer goes about their work as this trio did, then they are excellent ambassadors for their organisation. (I'm not actually sure for whom they work.) With this kind of outlook the Authorised Officers are in a great position to educate the travelling public, rather than taking a punitive approach which focusses on "catching people".
From the train I went to the tram stop. Two aqua clad myki mates were talking to each other. As soon as passengers arrived at the tram stop, they approached each person at the stop to see if they had any questions about myki. Again, I was impressed with their friendly demeanour and proactive approach to engage with the travelling public, rather than waiting to be approached.
At the end of the day I was back at Flinders Street Station for my journey home. One of the signs in the pedestrian subway entrance (under Elizabeth Street) was impossible to read because of a combination of poorly placed lighting and a screen malfunction. The sign contained departure information for four lines, so was pretty important. There was one person staffing the gates so I asked him if anyone had given him feedback about the sign. He said no and walked towards me. I pointed out the problem and he thanked me for letting him know. He said that he never looks at the sign and that it was impossible to read. He walked back to his post and made a note. Again, he was proactive and interested in helping the travelling public.
I will admit that I was expecting a shrug of the shoulders and a "promise" to do something without any intention. I was pleasantly surprised. It will be interesting to see what action is taken in response to this feedback.
By contrast, as I walked across the main concourse at Flinders Street station this evening on my way home, I followed five Protective Services Officers. They were an intimidating pack with their sunglasses (reflective?) and police-like outfits. They were all men and their body language radiated authority. They were going to the same platform as me and when I saw them looking around with purpose, I suddenly felt nervous.
Why?
A story from Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Blink" sprang to mind. He talks about police behaviour. In one police district in the US police brutality and police shootings occurred more often when police worked in pairs or bigger groups. They switched to police working solo and saw a drop in these kinds of incidents. The decrease was attributed to less instinctive, "blink of an eye" decision-making when police worked alone. In this situation they were more likely to be cautious, wait for backup and not act in a way that escalated encounters. (This is a very short summary, so read the book for the whole picture.) Observing this group of Protective Services Officers brought this story to life at that moment.
I think it is good to send a message about safety on public transport, especially the trains and especially outside peak times. As a committed, frequent and female public transport user, it is very important to me to be confident that I can travel safely. I wonder if these intimidating men, presented as pseudo-police is really the way to achieve this?
So despite a crawl into the city this morning and a message yesterday telling me the service I had planned my day around "will not run", overall, I'm feeling a little more positive about the attitude of our public transport operators towards me, the travelling public.
How do you feel about public transport? Do you use it? Why? Why not?
Saturday, 3 November 2012
I've got the public transport ticketing blues.
Yesterday I lost my myki card. I'd been travelling around all morning, flitting from one appointment to the next and when I boarded the tram at the end of the day I could not find the card. I got on the tram anyway, thinking that the card was probably buried somewhere in the dark corners of my handbag. For the duration of the journey I rummaged but disembarked without any sign of the card.
Due to my participation on the myki customer experience panel, I have acquired a small pile of myki cards. I have participated in various activities where I've had to purchase a card - from a machine, online, from the call centre, from a station...I didn't particularly want to fork out $11 on a new card + the fare just to get home.
I lined up at the ticket window at Flinders Street Station only to discover the only tickets that are now available is myki. No paper tickets are available any more. I found myself face to face with the biggest problem with myki - the lack of a short term, one off ticket option. The man at the ticket window said that a paper metcard can still be purchased from a machine on board a tram as long as I have coins. I had coins, so decided to board a tram to Southern Cross station. I could buy a ticket on the way and then catch a train from there. After 29 December this won't be an option and there is still no sign of a short term ticketing option.
I started to feed my money into the ticket machine. The money was sluggish going through the slot and I couldn't hear it dropping into the machine. The display also was not showing the $4 I had fed in. I pressed the cancel button in the hope my money would come back, but it didn't. The machine shut down and I was left with no ticket, no coins and no options.
The tram driver said there was nothing he could do and handed me a leaflet with a phone number to call. He advised me to record the serial number of the tram and the ticket machine. I left the tram.
The myki discovery centre at Southern Cross Station was open, so I went in and caught the eye of one of the aqua clad "myki mates". A woman greeted me with a friendly smile, took me straight to the telephone so I could report my myki lost. Luckily I had registered it, so a block could be placed on the card and the unused balance on the card refunded. The blocking was done in the blink of an eye and with $20 on the card I was very pleased that I had registered it. The balance will be put on another card which I will receive in the mail. To have the balance transferred to one of the cards I already have, I would have to fill in the refund/replacement card form which would then have to be posted in. I decided not to bother.
I was given a replacement myki at no charge and was able to top it up with $5 to get me home. Phew. While the replacement process is still a bit clunky, the customer service aspect was excellent. I do wonder why so many forms and postage is required for processes attached to a "smart" card. Why can't I speak to someone on the phone and then be handed a replacement card with the balance from my other card on it while I'm at the discovery centre? The back office processes could be completed without needing anything further from me and be much more efficient.
While dreaming of greater efficiency and truly customer-centric approaches from government agencies, I came face to face with the Metcard system when I called to report the faulty machine and organise to get my money back. I can now see why myki has some of the design "features" it has - they have been lifted directly from Metcard. Here's what happens when a machine has malfunctioned.
I called and provided the serial number of the ticket machine and the tram number. They would get a technician to check the machine. Simple.
To get my money back, I had to fill in a form. I was sitting in front of my computer while I was on the phone, and was directed to a website. I was to type the words "metcard refund application" into the search box. The first option from the list was the one I was to select. I received an error message advising that the website no longer existed. The customer service officer emailed me a form. The form can not be lodged electronically. It can't even be filled out on the computer and then printed. It must be printed, filled in by hand and then posted in. My printer driver is not working so I can't print anything at the moment. Another copy of the form is being mailed to me.
Once I fill out the form and send it in, I will receive a cheque for my refunded amount. Sound familiar? This is the process they used to go through for a myki refund.
I asked whether I could provide the number for a myki card and have the balance topped up onto that card, rather than requiring a bank cheque to be purchased for $10. No, there is no possible way that can be done. I'm actually pretty sure it is possible. The process just isn't set up that way. I think the system was designed to deter people from getting small amounts of money back when a machine malfunctions - another clue that the customer is a long way from the centre of their universe.
The other thing I discovered is that the $9.80 administration fee for gaining a refund does not apply when a machine has malfunctioned, but it will apply to people surrendering their metcards and switching to myki! I suppose that will cover the cost of the refund to me, but people with metcards, need to get cracking and use them all up before the end of the year.
***********
GIVEAWAY;
To win one of three in-season double passes to see "Bachelorette": leave a comment at the end of this blog post telling us where you met your oldest friend. Entries close Saturday 10 November 2012. Winners will be drawn randomly, announced on the blog and contacted individually.
Good luck!
* Passes are valid even with a "no free tickets" listing at participating Australian cinemas.
Due to my participation on the myki customer experience panel, I have acquired a small pile of myki cards. I have participated in various activities where I've had to purchase a card - from a machine, online, from the call centre, from a station...I didn't particularly want to fork out $11 on a new card + the fare just to get home.
I lined up at the ticket window at Flinders Street Station only to discover the only tickets that are now available is myki. No paper tickets are available any more. I found myself face to face with the biggest problem with myki - the lack of a short term, one off ticket option. The man at the ticket window said that a paper metcard can still be purchased from a machine on board a tram as long as I have coins. I had coins, so decided to board a tram to Southern Cross station. I could buy a ticket on the way and then catch a train from there. After 29 December this won't be an option and there is still no sign of a short term ticketing option.
I started to feed my money into the ticket machine. The money was sluggish going through the slot and I couldn't hear it dropping into the machine. The display also was not showing the $4 I had fed in. I pressed the cancel button in the hope my money would come back, but it didn't. The machine shut down and I was left with no ticket, no coins and no options.
The tram driver said there was nothing he could do and handed me a leaflet with a phone number to call. He advised me to record the serial number of the tram and the ticket machine. I left the tram.
The myki discovery centre at Southern Cross Station was open, so I went in and caught the eye of one of the aqua clad "myki mates". A woman greeted me with a friendly smile, took me straight to the telephone so I could report my myki lost. Luckily I had registered it, so a block could be placed on the card and the unused balance on the card refunded. The blocking was done in the blink of an eye and with $20 on the card I was very pleased that I had registered it. The balance will be put on another card which I will receive in the mail. To have the balance transferred to one of the cards I already have, I would have to fill in the refund/replacement card form which would then have to be posted in. I decided not to bother.
I was given a replacement myki at no charge and was able to top it up with $5 to get me home. Phew. While the replacement process is still a bit clunky, the customer service aspect was excellent. I do wonder why so many forms and postage is required for processes attached to a "smart" card. Why can't I speak to someone on the phone and then be handed a replacement card with the balance from my other card on it while I'm at the discovery centre? The back office processes could be completed without needing anything further from me and be much more efficient.
While dreaming of greater efficiency and truly customer-centric approaches from government agencies, I came face to face with the Metcard system when I called to report the faulty machine and organise to get my money back. I can now see why myki has some of the design "features" it has - they have been lifted directly from Metcard. Here's what happens when a machine has malfunctioned.
I called and provided the serial number of the ticket machine and the tram number. They would get a technician to check the machine. Simple.
To get my money back, I had to fill in a form. I was sitting in front of my computer while I was on the phone, and was directed to a website. I was to type the words "metcard refund application" into the search box. The first option from the list was the one I was to select. I received an error message advising that the website no longer existed. The customer service officer emailed me a form. The form can not be lodged electronically. It can't even be filled out on the computer and then printed. It must be printed, filled in by hand and then posted in. My printer driver is not working so I can't print anything at the moment. Another copy of the form is being mailed to me.
Once I fill out the form and send it in, I will receive a cheque for my refunded amount. Sound familiar? This is the process they used to go through for a myki refund.
I asked whether I could provide the number for a myki card and have the balance topped up onto that card, rather than requiring a bank cheque to be purchased for $10. No, there is no possible way that can be done. I'm actually pretty sure it is possible. The process just isn't set up that way. I think the system was designed to deter people from getting small amounts of money back when a machine malfunctions - another clue that the customer is a long way from the centre of their universe.
The other thing I discovered is that the $9.80 administration fee for gaining a refund does not apply when a machine has malfunctioned, but it will apply to people surrendering their metcards and switching to myki! I suppose that will cover the cost of the refund to me, but people with metcards, need to get cracking and use them all up before the end of the year.
***********
GIVEAWAY;
To win one of three in-season double passes to see "Bachelorette": leave a comment at the end of this blog post telling us where you met your oldest friend. Entries close Saturday 10 November 2012. Winners will be drawn randomly, announced on the blog and contacted individually.
Good luck!
* Passes are valid even with a "no free tickets" listing at participating Australian cinemas.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Queue etiquette - what to do when the machines don't work.
When I arrived at the train station this morning, it was about 8am - the heart of the peak at my tiny suburban train station. I knew that I had to top up my myki at the machine because the balance was less than $5.
I'm very familiar with the machine and use it all the time to top up the card. When I arrived, the was no queue and I walked straight up to the machine. I pressed all the usual buttons, inserted my debit card, selected my account type and then entered my PIN. Nothing happened for a while and I looked again at the display on the EFTPOS part of the machine and saw it was asking me to re-enter my PIN. I did what it asked and continued to wait. In the meantime a queue of people had formed behind me. I could hear a train arriving and was keen to be on it.
Nothing happened again. I looked again and was asked to re-verify my PIN. The train came and went. At this point I decided to pay with cash, rather than fruitlessly arguing with the machine further. The woman directly behind me was becoming highly agitated. I turned and apologised to her as I waited for the machine to acknowledge any form of my money. She said, "Do you think I could just do my top up? I want to catch the train."
I found this bizarre. I was also wanting to catch the train and was wrestling with a machine that usually works without a problem, if a little slowly. We all just had to go through the process with the machine in turn.
The machine spat my note out. As I turned it over and tried reinserting it, the woman behind me asked again if she could "just use the machine while you are waiting". Waiting? I was in the middle of using the machine! I wasn't waiting.
My response was to say that we're all just wanting to use the machine so we can catch a train. "We all just have to wait and take our turn."
She huffed again. The machine finally accepted my money. The myki was topped up. As I walked away to wait on the platform to wait for a train. I waited for less than two minutes.
We seem to be in such a hurry these days and expect everything to happen instantly that we take it out on other people when those expectations aren't met. Wouldn't it be great if the woman could understand that everyone was in the same boat and find a way to help?
What do you do? What's the etiquette in this kind of situation?
I'm very familiar with the machine and use it all the time to top up the card. When I arrived, the was no queue and I walked straight up to the machine. I pressed all the usual buttons, inserted my debit card, selected my account type and then entered my PIN. Nothing happened for a while and I looked again at the display on the EFTPOS part of the machine and saw it was asking me to re-enter my PIN. I did what it asked and continued to wait. In the meantime a queue of people had formed behind me. I could hear a train arriving and was keen to be on it.
Nothing happened again. I looked again and was asked to re-verify my PIN. The train came and went. At this point I decided to pay with cash, rather than fruitlessly arguing with the machine further. The woman directly behind me was becoming highly agitated. I turned and apologised to her as I waited for the machine to acknowledge any form of my money. She said, "Do you think I could just do my top up? I want to catch the train."
I found this bizarre. I was also wanting to catch the train and was wrestling with a machine that usually works without a problem, if a little slowly. We all just had to go through the process with the machine in turn.
The machine spat my note out. As I turned it over and tried reinserting it, the woman behind me asked again if she could "just use the machine while you are waiting". Waiting? I was in the middle of using the machine! I wasn't waiting.
My response was to say that we're all just wanting to use the machine so we can catch a train. "We all just have to wait and take our turn."
She huffed again. The machine finally accepted my money. The myki was topped up. As I walked away to wait on the platform to wait for a train. I waited for less than two minutes.
We seem to be in such a hurry these days and expect everything to happen instantly that we take it out on other people when those expectations aren't met. Wouldn't it be great if the woman could understand that everyone was in the same boat and find a way to help?
What do you do? What's the etiquette in this kind of situation?
Friday, 13 July 2012
My favourite things...this week.
This week, I'm struggling to find favourite things. I seem to have spent most of the week sorting out problems with just about every aspect of my life. I've spent hours talking to people in call centres being belted around the ears with the words "policy", "procedure" and "there's nothing we can do". Sigh.
1. In amongst that though, my high point was receiving my first reward for participation in the myki customer experience panel. I've previously written about my experiences with myki and it hasn't all been pretty. Participating in the panel requires a fair bit of time. I'm happy to give that as I see it as part of my community contribution. I'm learning a lot about the ins and outs of myki and it's great to know that someone is listening to the feedback that is being given. Today I'm off to spend the first voucher I've received. Thank you!
2. Soup. Especially home made! On the weekend I bought some lamb shanks, put a pot on the stove and made some Scotch broth. With the pearl barley and the clear broth, this soup reminds me of my Granny who always made it. The resulting soup is sweet and nourishing. I feel better immediately when I sit down to a big bowl. I've put some portions away in the freezer so they're available when I just don't feel like cooking.
3. My new iphone 4s. I wasn't looking for a new phone but then the offer from Vodafone came along and I decided I may as well take advantage. I'm always concerned about the built in obsolescence with our gadgets. Experience tells me that if I ignore the opportunity to secure a new phone, my old phone (which is about 18 months old) would probably die the very next week. It's largely the same as the iphone 4 except for Siri, the assistant. I've only had the phone for a day and already Siri and I are friends. It's so much easier to say what I need than typing on the phone. Great innovation and I like that she has a local accent.
4. Gel nail colour. During the winter months I really love to wear rich dark colours on my nails. The problems with these colours is that even with the best manicure techniques, they usually start to look shabby after four or five days. I'm always sceptical about claims about nail polish that will wear for weeks without chipping, but I decided to try OPI's new gel colour. I'm hooked. It really does wear for weeks! I've had three applications about three weeks apart. There's a bit of fiddling to get the colour off, but once it's on and cured, the colour is set. No more smudges in the first hour.
5. Electronic billing. I know that receiving bills is no one's favourite thing, but paperless billing has to be one of the greatest things in the world. My ultimate goal is to receive ONLY electronic bills. I have a little way to go, but I'm getting there. It's so much easier to file and keep track of records and they don't take up physical space.
1. In amongst that though, my high point was receiving my first reward for participation in the myki customer experience panel. I've previously written about my experiences with myki and it hasn't all been pretty. Participating in the panel requires a fair bit of time. I'm happy to give that as I see it as part of my community contribution. I'm learning a lot about the ins and outs of myki and it's great to know that someone is listening to the feedback that is being given. Today I'm off to spend the first voucher I've received. Thank you!
2. Soup. Especially home made! On the weekend I bought some lamb shanks, put a pot on the stove and made some Scotch broth. With the pearl barley and the clear broth, this soup reminds me of my Granny who always made it. The resulting soup is sweet and nourishing. I feel better immediately when I sit down to a big bowl. I've put some portions away in the freezer so they're available when I just don't feel like cooking.
3. My new iphone 4s. I wasn't looking for a new phone but then the offer from Vodafone came along and I decided I may as well take advantage. I'm always concerned about the built in obsolescence with our gadgets. Experience tells me that if I ignore the opportunity to secure a new phone, my old phone (which is about 18 months old) would probably die the very next week. It's largely the same as the iphone 4 except for Siri, the assistant. I've only had the phone for a day and already Siri and I are friends. It's so much easier to say what I need than typing on the phone. Great innovation and I like that she has a local accent.
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| 9 days after application in colour "Here today, Aragon tomorrow" (c) divacultura 2012 |
4. Gel nail colour. During the winter months I really love to wear rich dark colours on my nails. The problems with these colours is that even with the best manicure techniques, they usually start to look shabby after four or five days. I'm always sceptical about claims about nail polish that will wear for weeks without chipping, but I decided to try OPI's new gel colour. I'm hooked. It really does wear for weeks! I've had three applications about three weeks apart. There's a bit of fiddling to get the colour off, but once it's on and cured, the colour is set. No more smudges in the first hour.
5. Electronic billing. I know that receiving bills is no one's favourite thing, but paperless billing has to be one of the greatest things in the world. My ultimate goal is to receive ONLY electronic bills. I have a little way to go, but I'm getting there. It's so much easier to file and keep track of records and they don't take up physical space.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Photo a day June - TIME
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| TIME (c) divacultura |
Like clockwork, in fact.
Good, slick, Swiss clockwork.
Tip top clockwork
Tick-tock clockwork.
Not dodgy, knock-off-Bali clockwork.
Running like that kind of clockwork would be bad.
Tock-tick.
Topsy-turvy.
The myki readers at South Yarra station are running on the second kind of clockwork.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
It's the communication that's the problem.
Travelling home in peak hour from Flinders Street station today was not fun. My travel time is usually about fifteen minutes when things are going well. Tonight it took over an hour - but that's not the point of this post. The point is about communication and how necessary it is when things are going wrong.
It all started when I arrived at the Elizabeth Street entrance and saw a larger than usual crowd trying to get through the barriers. From what I could see, only one barrier out of six was working for myki tickets. The other five were flagged for Metcard only. An aqua clad mykimate was valiantly trying to bark reminders about how to touch on properly as the people were still standing on Flinders Street as the traffic started to move. I can't imagine the strategic decision behind this, so can only suppose that the barriers were Metcard only because they weren't working for myki.
I quickly left there and saw from the timetables that something was up. It appeared that my next train was over 20 minutes away, which I knew couldn't be right during peak hour on a week day. I entered the station through platform one and headed for platform 9, hoping that there would be a train. It wasn't listed anywhere and there were no staff on the platform to ask. I went back up to the concourse and the nearest staff were down the other end.
They told me to go to platform nine and when I provided feedback about the lack of staff to ask, the woman shook her head and said in a less than passionate tone that she would pass it on. I felt that this was not something at the top of her priority list.
Back down to the platform I went. As I arrived, I received an SMS alert letting me know that all trains on my line were delayed because of a signal fault at one of the inner city stations (South Kensington). As I read that all evidence of my train disappeared from platform 9. I looked for someone to ask. Still there were no staff.
Up to the concourse again to speak to the same woman. She looked thrilled to see me. She argued with me, saying there were announcements being made. It turns out they were being made on the concourse, but not on the platforms where actual people were waiting to catch actual trains!
Then I realised that there was another train line that I could travel on to get me one stop away from where I was aiming. The information woman was not helpful in this regard and I worked it out myself. Along with most other people. The train was PACKED.
As we approached North Melbourne station the train stopped in the middle of nowhere. The driver informed passengers about what was going on! And suggested that people standing in doorways actually leave the train to assist with quick disembarkation . He reassured everyone he had mirrors and could see the platform and that no one would be left behind. What a difference this communication made! We were still sitting between stations, but there was an air of relaxation once we had been informed.
Why can't everyone at Metro Trains recognise this need for information. We know that you can't help it if a VLine train trips the signal and causes a fault, but we also know that you can help the quality of your communication. The travelling public needs information about what's happening when things don't work according to plan.
By the time I arrived home at 6:20pm, I was very happy not be jostled against a stranger's armpit. With the beginnings of cold weather, the trains smell like wet dogs and mothballs. It's awful.
It all started when I arrived at the Elizabeth Street entrance and saw a larger than usual crowd trying to get through the barriers. From what I could see, only one barrier out of six was working for myki tickets. The other five were flagged for Metcard only. An aqua clad mykimate was valiantly trying to bark reminders about how to touch on properly as the people were still standing on Flinders Street as the traffic started to move. I can't imagine the strategic decision behind this, so can only suppose that the barriers were Metcard only because they weren't working for myki.
I quickly left there and saw from the timetables that something was up. It appeared that my next train was over 20 minutes away, which I knew couldn't be right during peak hour on a week day. I entered the station through platform one and headed for platform 9, hoping that there would be a train. It wasn't listed anywhere and there were no staff on the platform to ask. I went back up to the concourse and the nearest staff were down the other end.
They told me to go to platform nine and when I provided feedback about the lack of staff to ask, the woman shook her head and said in a less than passionate tone that she would pass it on. I felt that this was not something at the top of her priority list.
Back down to the platform I went. As I arrived, I received an SMS alert letting me know that all trains on my line were delayed because of a signal fault at one of the inner city stations (South Kensington). As I read that all evidence of my train disappeared from platform 9. I looked for someone to ask. Still there were no staff.
Up to the concourse again to speak to the same woman. She looked thrilled to see me. She argued with me, saying there were announcements being made. It turns out they were being made on the concourse, but not on the platforms where actual people were waiting to catch actual trains!
Then I realised that there was another train line that I could travel on to get me one stop away from where I was aiming. The information woman was not helpful in this regard and I worked it out myself. Along with most other people. The train was PACKED.
As we approached North Melbourne station the train stopped in the middle of nowhere. The driver informed passengers about what was going on! And suggested that people standing in doorways actually leave the train to assist with quick disembarkation . He reassured everyone he had mirrors and could see the platform and that no one would be left behind. What a difference this communication made! We were still sitting between stations, but there was an air of relaxation once we had been informed.
Why can't everyone at Metro Trains recognise this need for information. We know that you can't help it if a VLine train trips the signal and causes a fault, but we also know that you can help the quality of your communication. The travelling public needs information about what's happening when things don't work according to plan.
By the time I arrived home at 6:20pm, I was very happy not be jostled against a stranger's armpit. With the beginnings of cold weather, the trains smell like wet dogs and mothballs. It's awful.
Monday, 23 April 2012
If myki is the solution, what the hell was the problem?
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| myki discovery centre at Southern Cross station (c) divacultura 2012 |
Last week I had the misfortune of arriving at Southern Cross station during peak hour and witnessing first hand the difficulties with myki now that the parallel Metcard system is being aggressively phased out. Having survived the train journey itself where I experienced what the live cattle trade might be like, I travelled on the escalators to the concourse without incident. It was here that I reached the myki bottleneck and witnessed one frustrated commuter after another hold their myki to the reader with no result. Then it was my turn and my normally well behaved card failed to open the barriers for me too!
Swimming against the tide of a mass of people pressing to exit the station is not an easy thing to do, especially when everyone is wet from the rain and frustrated that the tickets have so many problems. I finally emerged, frazzled by the glares of my fellow travellers and noticed the statement proclaimed by the myki "discovery centre": "myki - Victoria's new public transport ticketing solution".
This left me wondering what the problem was.
The paper Metcard system which is being replaced by myki seemed to work pretty well. Occasionally there would be a glitch and a card would think it hadn't been validated, but in my experience this was rare. As a user, my experience was that it was easy to use and I knew exactly what I had left on my ticket. What more could a girl want?
There were a few problems with Metcard.
One was the litter caused by people throwing their expired tickets on the ground. That's not really a problem with Metcard, that's a problem with people. myki has solved this problem.
Keeping track of business travel expenses and GST was time consuming and individual expired tickets needed to be kept as evidence. Yawn. myki makes this process MUCH easier. With a registered myki I can download a report into a spreadsheet that tracks my trips, costs and GST. All I need to do is cross reference it with dates of travel for business. It's a dream. Of course it would be better not to have to collect tax for the government, but that's a different story.
To cover unpredictable, irregular travel patterns, I had to have a poker hand of cards in my purse to ensure that all situations were catered for. myki travels with me and adjusts fares automatically which means I don't have to think.
That's pretty much it, I think. So again, I wonder what problem myki is actually solving? These three issues are fringe issues that are good to fix, but are they worth the millions of dollars that has been spent?
Generally, my experience with the routine of touching on and off at train stations and on trams has been fine. I've had a couple of times where the barrier won't open, but given the amount of travel I do on public transport, this is negligible. When it comes to any of the back office processes though, it's a nightmare. (There are links to my previous posts on these subjects at the end of this post. ) It seems that as more and more people are being forced onto myki because of the phasing out of Metcard, the system isn't coping very well at all.
There are brand new, purpose built myki barriers at the Bourke Street end of Southern Cross station, but these are not in use all day. Why this is the case is one of the myki mysteries as people tell me that the so called "frankenbarriers" which have myki readers retro-fitted is the reason so many commuters have problems. Busy commuters, trying to get where they are going will not be paying attention to these subtle differentiations - all we know is that we can't get out, or in!
So tell me again - what was the problem that myki was solving? What's it the solution to? It's really hard to remember. I was pondering these things as I completed a screening survey which is the first step in the process to be selected for the myki customer experience panel. I was stumped when asked how I felt about myki. Was I positive or negative? I don't know. Some things work and some things don't and it seems ridiculous that after so long and so much money everything is not working properly. I think most people would think it's reasonable to believe that myki should be working; or else, don't roll it out.
Then I noticed this sentence over on the myki website: If you use these stations, prepare for the change by ensuring you understand the myki system and by buying a myki in the next weeks. (Italics are mine). This is not an achievable task! Especially not in a short time frame. I've been using myki for over a year now and I'm still making discoveries about how it works!
The readers are so touchy that an education campaign to explain how to use the myki tickets is now underway. The slogan "Touch. Hold. Go" becomes "Touch. Hold. Go to another barrier and see if that one will let you out. If it doesn't see if you can find a staff member to help release you from this commuter hell."
Patronising signs abound in the city stations admonishing us not to "wave", "swipe" or do anything other than "touch". If the average person needs educating to this extent then the system is flawed. Let's face it, most people aren't average!
The readers are so touchy that an education campaign to explain how to use the myki tickets is now underway. The slogan "Touch. Hold. Go" becomes "Touch. Hold. Go to another barrier and see if that one will let you out. If it doesn't see if you can find a staff member to help release you from this commuter hell."
Patronising signs abound in the city stations admonishing us not to "wave", "swipe" or do anything other than "touch". If the average person needs educating to this extent then the system is flawed. Let's face it, most people aren't average!
Apart from all of that, I really miss Metcards - they were handy as bookmarks. And they worked.
Here are some other posts I have written about myki:
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Minister response - MYKI may change
Yesterday I was told that the Minister and the Minister's office was aware of me and the issues I have raised about MYKI. At last!
After receiving the news from Liberal Member, Mr Andrew Elsbury, that the current processes for switching MYKI cards to match changes in concession status was "suitable" and that bank cheque refunds would continue to be used, I am pleased to let you know I have a better story to tell today.
Wade Noonan MP is another of my local representatives whom I contacted about the MYKI refund debacle which I've written about a few times. (I'm still trying to work out state representative structures in Victoria!) Today I received a letter from him, along with a letter from the Minister for Transport, Hon. Terry Mulder MP, addressing the issues I have been raising since May 2011.
The Minister opens with a conventional thank you for raising the issues and notes that he has also been contacted by another local representative. I'm pleased to see my local representatives following up issues raised by their constituents.
Then we have the inevitable political point scoring in the second paragraph: "The Coaltion Government inherited myki from the previous Labor Government. myki was substantially over budget and behind schedule. The Coalition Government is continuing to work to fix these problems." This whole paragraph seems to have little to do with me. I know what happened with myki and just want to deal with the present and the future. Since the letter is actually written to Mr Noonan, I guess some sniping at the political opponents is inevitable. Shame it's not useful.
Some history of what actually happened in my particular case is then recounted. It is emphasised that the closing balance of 94 cents was refunded to me in full. by cheque. Then: "The bank fee of $10.00 is a fee charged by Westpac and is not controlled by the TTA" (Transport Ticketing Authority). Oh look, that's true. It's a little amusing to see the government engaged in the national sport of bank bashing, albeit at a low level. The bit that is controlled by the TTA (or the government) is the decision to use bank cheques to provide a refund, rather than use the smart card technology to place the balance on the new card.
The lead is buried right in the last paragraph: "The process required when a myki user changes concession status may change in future to allow a balance transfer from the old myki card to the new myki card. The TTA has advised me that it expects to have an improved process in place by December 2012."
Light the fireworks! The bets are hedged with the "may change" in that first sentence, but I'm pleased that at least this ridiculous process has been acknowledged and there is now a time frame of December 2012 in place to "improve" it. Time will tell.
My reason for writing about this is to encourage others to take up issues of public interest. Users of the ticketing systems are the ones who know where the problems are and also suffer when these problems are not rectified. Our elected representatives are there to represent us. Today with email, it is relatively simple to correspond with them and stay in contact. Give them feedback. Ask them questions.
I noticed that there is a red sticker on the Metcard machine at my local unstaffed suburban train station advising that it will be turned off on 27 February. MYKI is being rolled out to everyone, so now is the time to identify the issues and fix them.
Now, when will they widen the exit points and put in more readers so we can actually get out of the station during peak hour?
After receiving the news from Liberal Member, Mr Andrew Elsbury, that the current processes for switching MYKI cards to match changes in concession status was "suitable" and that bank cheque refunds would continue to be used, I am pleased to let you know I have a better story to tell today.
Wade Noonan MP is another of my local representatives whom I contacted about the MYKI refund debacle which I've written about a few times. (I'm still trying to work out state representative structures in Victoria!) Today I received a letter from him, along with a letter from the Minister for Transport, Hon. Terry Mulder MP, addressing the issues I have been raising since May 2011.
The Minister opens with a conventional thank you for raising the issues and notes that he has also been contacted by another local representative. I'm pleased to see my local representatives following up issues raised by their constituents.
Then we have the inevitable political point scoring in the second paragraph: "The Coaltion Government inherited myki from the previous Labor Government. myki was substantially over budget and behind schedule. The Coalition Government is continuing to work to fix these problems." This whole paragraph seems to have little to do with me. I know what happened with myki and just want to deal with the present and the future. Since the letter is actually written to Mr Noonan, I guess some sniping at the political opponents is inevitable. Shame it's not useful.
Some history of what actually happened in my particular case is then recounted. It is emphasised that the closing balance of 94 cents was refunded to me in full. by cheque. Then: "The bank fee of $10.00 is a fee charged by Westpac and is not controlled by the TTA" (Transport Ticketing Authority). Oh look, that's true. It's a little amusing to see the government engaged in the national sport of bank bashing, albeit at a low level. The bit that is controlled by the TTA (or the government) is the decision to use bank cheques to provide a refund, rather than use the smart card technology to place the balance on the new card.
The lead is buried right in the last paragraph: "The process required when a myki user changes concession status may change in future to allow a balance transfer from the old myki card to the new myki card. The TTA has advised me that it expects to have an improved process in place by December 2012."
Light the fireworks! The bets are hedged with the "may change" in that first sentence, but I'm pleased that at least this ridiculous process has been acknowledged and there is now a time frame of December 2012 in place to "improve" it. Time will tell.
My reason for writing about this is to encourage others to take up issues of public interest. Users of the ticketing systems are the ones who know where the problems are and also suffer when these problems are not rectified. Our elected representatives are there to represent us. Today with email, it is relatively simple to correspond with them and stay in contact. Give them feedback. Ask them questions.
I noticed that there is a red sticker on the Metcard machine at my local unstaffed suburban train station advising that it will be turned off on 27 February. MYKI is being rolled out to everyone, so now is the time to identify the issues and fix them.
Now, when will they widen the exit points and put in more readers so we can actually get out of the station during peak hour?
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Calling the government - EPA, FWO, MYKI
Calling government departments was my main task for the day. Or you could say I was living in the land of acronyms. I called the Fair Work Ombudsman in relation to some work I'm doing for a client. I called the Environment Protection Authority to report a terrible smell in the neighbourhood and I made various calls as part of my ongoing quest to bring to light and have fixed the wasteful and complex processes which sit behind the Myki ticketing system.
It is quite interesting to reflect on the different approaches and qualities of the various departments. I discovered that it takes quite a bit of persistence to move from being "handled" within a process to finding someone with whom to have a real conversation.
It was my first time calling the EPA. The sound of the call centre in the background was so loud I had to repeat everything I said at least twice. I've never logged a smell before and had to answer quite comprehensive questions about the quality and nature of the smell. I'm not sure how successful I was. It was sort of sulphury and had a chemical edge, kind of like a bad chemical sewerage smell! Then they wanted to know which way the wind was blowing. I almost wet my finger and stuck it in the air, but decided that was overkill. I think I decided it was south-west, but I don't really know.
Then I was asked to say where the smell was coming from. I imagine that if I knew, I would just call and say the local pet food factory is stinking up the neighbourhood again!
Imagine having that job. Working in a call centre where your job is to log complaints about smells. She was very nice, but that would drive me crazy.
Anyway, I have another reference number to add to my collection of reference numbers from government departments. Maybe I should turn them into art one day. How depressing that would be.
My calls about Myki started by calling the actual government. I posted about the two line email I received from a staffer of one of my state government representatives (Andrew Elsbury). I followed up the response with a further email. When that elicited no response I called the office and was advised that it would be "looked into". Ah, the sure statement that nothing will happen. Mirrors are what you look into! Then I received an actual letter (sent to the wrong address, but oh well) dated 6 February.
The letter thanks me for my email and includes the predictable blame shifting sentence: "Myki was a system inherited from the previous government which had significant problems." I can't tell from this whether Mr Elsbury is claiming knowledge of the ticketing system or the previous government - which one is he saying had significant problems.
I am then assured that "Since coming to Government the Coalition has sought to improve this system to deliver a better public transport system for Victorians." Well they would say that wouldn't they. We do know that the old Metcard system is to be phased out by the end of the year. One would hope that the ongoing back office problems with Myki need to be sorted out quickly. Seeking to improve and actually improving are not necessarily the same thing.
Then there's the interesting bit: "After looking into your matter (sounds like a weird science project) and speaking with the Transport Ticketing Authority they have informed me that they will continue to use bank cheques for refund purposes." So this is what I already knew from the two line email I received from the staffer. What has not been addressed is when and why this changed.
I have previously written about the advice I received through the Transport Ticketing Authority when I made a complaint to the Public Transport Ombudsman. They advised that the process of issuing bank cheques to return money stored on the "smart" Myki cards would be replaced in the "near future". So I'd like to know what has changed and what has informed this decision.
It's really quite hard to find out. When you ring your local member, you get the staffer and unless they happen to know about the issue you're raising, they will generally know less than the person they work for. Their main focus is to deflect and divert your attentions in the hope that you will give up and go away. I'm sure my name must be on a list somewhere by now. They should consult that list and realise that I will persist.
The final sentence of the letter is very revealing: "While the delay you faced for such a small amount is understandably frustrating I believe that this method has been used as it is suitable for the majority of situations." Apart from largely missing the point of my complaint, I love the naive faith that the system would only have been designed with the best in mind. I suppose it would be okay for the government to be the last people using cheques. Didn't they get the memo about the dawn of the digital age?
I've called the Transport Ticketing Authority to follow up why the plan to change to a sensible refund process that's compatible with "smart" card technology has been abandoned. I'm waiting for a call back. So I called Myki again today to see what else I could find out.
I learnt that people complain about this issue regularly. We all need to do this if anything is going to change.
I learnt that there are people who believe that there is money actually in the card. They believe that exchanging cards results in a need to get the money out of the card and return it to the person who put the money on there. This must be why money can be put on the replacement Myki when the reason for changing cards is that the old one was lost, stolen or defective. It says so on the form. Although, it still takes 10 days for this to happen. I was told today that the reason it takes so long is that the money has to be removed from the old card. The reason it can be done at all in this situation is that the card is being "replaced". In the situation of a new card being issued because of a change in concession status, the card is being "refunded". This is an enormous difference. Apparently.
I feel like taking my card to the Myki Discovery Centre and cracking it open so that it can be seen, once and for all, that the money is not physically stored in the card.
So I'll add another reference number to my collection - this time in the special section indexed as "M" for Myki. And contact the other members of parliament whom I have already contacted about this issue. It will be interesting to hear what the Minister for Transport has told them.
In the meantime, I believe that we all need to make our voices heard when we come across wasteful and stupid government processes. You can do a lot by email if you don't want to go through the call centre experience. Soon there won't be the back up of Metcard as a second ticketing system. These problems need to be fixed now!
I'd love to know your experiences with Myki - especially the "back office" processes. Have you complained? What were you told?
It is quite interesting to reflect on the different approaches and qualities of the various departments. I discovered that it takes quite a bit of persistence to move from being "handled" within a process to finding someone with whom to have a real conversation.
It was my first time calling the EPA. The sound of the call centre in the background was so loud I had to repeat everything I said at least twice. I've never logged a smell before and had to answer quite comprehensive questions about the quality and nature of the smell. I'm not sure how successful I was. It was sort of sulphury and had a chemical edge, kind of like a bad chemical sewerage smell! Then they wanted to know which way the wind was blowing. I almost wet my finger and stuck it in the air, but decided that was overkill. I think I decided it was south-west, but I don't really know.
Then I was asked to say where the smell was coming from. I imagine that if I knew, I would just call and say the local pet food factory is stinking up the neighbourhood again!
Imagine having that job. Working in a call centre where your job is to log complaints about smells. She was very nice, but that would drive me crazy.
Anyway, I have another reference number to add to my collection of reference numbers from government departments. Maybe I should turn them into art one day. How depressing that would be.
My calls about Myki started by calling the actual government. I posted about the two line email I received from a staffer of one of my state government representatives (Andrew Elsbury). I followed up the response with a further email. When that elicited no response I called the office and was advised that it would be "looked into". Ah, the sure statement that nothing will happen. Mirrors are what you look into! Then I received an actual letter (sent to the wrong address, but oh well) dated 6 February.
The letter thanks me for my email and includes the predictable blame shifting sentence: "Myki was a system inherited from the previous government which had significant problems." I can't tell from this whether Mr Elsbury is claiming knowledge of the ticketing system or the previous government - which one is he saying had significant problems.
I am then assured that "Since coming to Government the Coalition has sought to improve this system to deliver a better public transport system for Victorians." Well they would say that wouldn't they. We do know that the old Metcard system is to be phased out by the end of the year. One would hope that the ongoing back office problems with Myki need to be sorted out quickly. Seeking to improve and actually improving are not necessarily the same thing.
Then there's the interesting bit: "After looking into your matter (sounds like a weird science project) and speaking with the Transport Ticketing Authority they have informed me that they will continue to use bank cheques for refund purposes." So this is what I already knew from the two line email I received from the staffer. What has not been addressed is when and why this changed.
I have previously written about the advice I received through the Transport Ticketing Authority when I made a complaint to the Public Transport Ombudsman. They advised that the process of issuing bank cheques to return money stored on the "smart" Myki cards would be replaced in the "near future". So I'd like to know what has changed and what has informed this decision.
It's really quite hard to find out. When you ring your local member, you get the staffer and unless they happen to know about the issue you're raising, they will generally know less than the person they work for. Their main focus is to deflect and divert your attentions in the hope that you will give up and go away. I'm sure my name must be on a list somewhere by now. They should consult that list and realise that I will persist.
The final sentence of the letter is very revealing: "While the delay you faced for such a small amount is understandably frustrating I believe that this method has been used as it is suitable for the majority of situations." Apart from largely missing the point of my complaint, I love the naive faith that the system would only have been designed with the best in mind. I suppose it would be okay for the government to be the last people using cheques. Didn't they get the memo about the dawn of the digital age?
I've called the Transport Ticketing Authority to follow up why the plan to change to a sensible refund process that's compatible with "smart" card technology has been abandoned. I'm waiting for a call back. So I called Myki again today to see what else I could find out.
I learnt that people complain about this issue regularly. We all need to do this if anything is going to change.
I learnt that there are people who believe that there is money actually in the card. They believe that exchanging cards results in a need to get the money out of the card and return it to the person who put the money on there. This must be why money can be put on the replacement Myki when the reason for changing cards is that the old one was lost, stolen or defective. It says so on the form. Although, it still takes 10 days for this to happen. I was told today that the reason it takes so long is that the money has to be removed from the old card. The reason it can be done at all in this situation is that the card is being "replaced". In the situation of a new card being issued because of a change in concession status, the card is being "refunded". This is an enormous difference. Apparently.
I feel like taking my card to the Myki Discovery Centre and cracking it open so that it can be seen, once and for all, that the money is not physically stored in the card.
So I'll add another reference number to my collection - this time in the special section indexed as "M" for Myki. And contact the other members of parliament whom I have already contacted about this issue. It will be interesting to hear what the Minister for Transport has told them.
In the meantime, I believe that we all need to make our voices heard when we come across wasteful and stupid government processes. You can do a lot by email if you don't want to go through the call centre experience. Soon there won't be the back up of Metcard as a second ticketing system. These problems need to be fixed now!
I'd love to know your experiences with Myki - especially the "back office" processes. Have you complained? What were you told?
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
MYKI - Liberal member's response
Remember when I received a refund cheque for 94 cents from the Public Transport Ticketing Authority who administer MYKI? I wrote a whole post about it. Then I decided to bring the situation to the attention of my state government representatives. I wrote about that too.
Most of my representatives have kept me very well informed about how they are progressing my enquiry, by emailing, messaging from the ipad, telephoning or sending an (undated) copy of the letter they wrote to the Minister for Transport.
Today I received the first communique (via email) that indicated what the Minister's office has to say about the refund process for MYKI tickets. It came from the office of Andrew Elsbury MLC:
"Thank you for your email regarding concerns with Myki refunds. I have spoken to the Minister's office and they have advised me that the Department of Transport has no immediate plans to change current refund procedures."
Now this has left me with more questions than I started with. What's the story with what the Public Transport Ombudsman advised me last year? Were they wrong or have plans changed? If the plans have changed, what on earth is the rationale for leaving it the way it is? And this is now happening against the backdrop of the recent announcement that a full roll out of MYKI will occur this year and the paper metcards will be phased out. The email has been sent from a staffer, but I can only assume it represents the Member's views.
Most of my representatives have kept me very well informed about how they are progressing my enquiry, by emailing, messaging from the ipad, telephoning or sending an (undated) copy of the letter they wrote to the Minister for Transport.
Today I received the first communique (via email) that indicated what the Minister's office has to say about the refund process for MYKI tickets. It came from the office of Andrew Elsbury MLC:
"Thank you for your email regarding concerns with Myki refunds. I have spoken to the Minister's office and they have advised me that the Department of Transport has no immediate plans to change current refund procedures."
Now this has left me with more questions than I started with. What's the story with what the Public Transport Ombudsman advised me last year? Were they wrong or have plans changed? If the plans have changed, what on earth is the rationale for leaving it the way it is? And this is now happening against the backdrop of the recent announcement that a full roll out of MYKI will occur this year and the paper metcards will be phased out. The email has been sent from a staffer, but I can only assume it represents the Member's views.
Andrew Elsbury is a member of the Liberal Party and therefore the Victorian State Government, elected in 2010. Perhaps I shouldn't expect very much more from someone in his position. But then I noticed on his website this statement:
"In his Members Statement to the Legislative Council Andrew sets out what the Coalition Government is doing in Melbourne's West and how it is ending Labor's "That'll do" attitude."
I don't know Mr Elsbury, seems like the prevailing attitude is "that'll do". I wonder what you think of the system? How is it serving your constituents? I'd really love to hear someone argue its benefits.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
MYKI campaign: contact local members
I've just written to my local state members of parliament about the Myki debacle.
There was a letter in the Age newspaper yesterday, a man rang ABC radio today - on different issues, but all on the theme of the complexity and manual handling which has been designed into the system.
They can't change the system if they don't know!
Copy of my email here:
Dear [Local Member]
There was a letter in the Age newspaper yesterday, a man rang ABC radio today - on different issues, but all on the theme of the complexity and manual handling which has been designed into the system.
They can't change the system if they don't know!
Copy of my email here:
Dear [Local Member]
I am a committed public transport user. I have made the switch to Myki, which works fine as long as I don't have anything to do with the "back office" processes.
Last week, I received a refund cheque. The refund was as a result of changing concession status. I swapped my cards over at the Southern Cross Discovery Centre on 18 October and on 21 November I received the bank cheque. The amount of the refund? 94 cents. The cost of buying a bank cheque from Westpac? $10.
The process is wasteful and unnecessary. I contacted the Public Transport Ombudsman in April this year when I was first subjected to this convoluted waste of everyone's time. I was assured that the state government was looking at the process and that it would change in the "near future". They would not provide a more specific time frame. It's now six months later and the process has not changed.
I have written about this experience in more detail, including the response of the Ombudsman, on my blog - copied below.
What is the plan? When will this waste and frustratingly long winded and old fashioned process be abandoned and procedures that are compatible with a SMARTCARD be implemented?
I look forward to your response.
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