HR Advice from the SEPTA Strike: Don’t Lose Your Customers at “Hello”

As if the daily commute isn’t typically bad enough, hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia workers were displaced yesterday when the city’s biggest transit union went on strike just hours before the morning rush.

As the only remaining transit source in town, SEPTA’s regional rail stations became zones of chaos by the end of the day. Riders waited in amusement-park style lines circling the station, herded by SEPTA workers in bright yellow vests who attempted to corral the crowds.

But like the Best Buy line on Black Friday morning, the line-dwellers became quite a bit unruly. Cutting lines, picking fights, letting out as much foul language as possible. In one afternoon, Suburban Station went from a transit point for peaceful professionals, to a Lord of the Flies-esque scene.

Lucky for you, KnowHR took advantage of the madness to see what Philadelphians thought of SEPTA’s communication strategy during this crisis. Here’s what they said, and what you can learn from their mistakes.

The complaint: No advanced warning
“There was no communication, I didn’t find out [about the strike] until I listened to the news this morning,” said Marilyn, a social work supervisor. “It’s awful, the way this was handled, and it’s the public that’s suffering.”
The lesson: Give people time to prepare
People don’t like being surprised at breakfast. If you’re going to give them bad news, at least give them a chance to sleep on it. It’s much better to have time to prepare an alternative than to be forced to react with split-second decisions.

The complaint: No scope provided
“We knew that SEPTA was on strike, but we didn’t know how it would impact [the regional rail lines],” said Judy, an executive assistant waiting for the R3 to West Trenton.
The lesson: Give a broad perspective
Doctors don’t just diagnose diseases and send you on your way. They identify the problem, explain the possible consequences and give you options for treatment. You should treat your business, and your customers, the same way. They have a right to know what exactly will be affected, and how.

The complaint: No new knowledge
“The big thing that I would like to know now is how frequently the trains are coming and how long my expected wait time is,” said Kelly, a banker, who had already been waiting for more than an hour for her R7 train to Trenton. “Not only are we paying to use your services, but we’re the taxpayers. Have some concern for the customer.”
The lesson: Provide regular updates
It’s not fun to be herded around a place like a movie extra. (Believe me, I know!) Even just a simple, repeating message, can do wonders for our peace of mind. And spare you from a few angry customers.

The complaint: No respect for the customer
“SEPTA should be a central service and they should never be allowed to shut down,” said Sid, an IT Specialist. “I don’t care what they do, nothing can prepare you for this.”
The lesson: Consider your public image
Although it’s impossible to control when and where a union strike (or other similar crisis) will occur, it’s your job to smooth over your public image. You want to make sure you don’t lose too much trust in your business, so have a backup plan ready so you can dampen as much negativity as possible.

The complaint: No control
“If this goes on, it’s gonna get on people’s nerves and it’s gonna get ugly,” said Mary-Ellen, a clinical coordinator, as she watched two people next to her get in a vocal argument about line-cutting. “There’s going to be a rumble in the house.”
The lesson: Be prepared for when the people fight back
The longer people are exposed to disorderly situations, the more likely they are to revolt and rebel. You may not be able to prevent a crisis, but you must be able to respond to it. If you’re expecting large masses of people up in arms, you better do what Best Buy does on Black Friday: hire some bouncers to manage the crowd.

Got any more advice about how SEPTA should be responding to the strike? Let us know your brilliant ideas!

About the Author

Bethany Marzewski

Bethany has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, where she learned how to apply her writing and visual communication approach in writing and social media ideas at IFRACTAL.

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