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A NJ Transit conductor checks tickets on board a train. NJ Transit plans to send train crews to customer relations classes next year.

(nj.com file photo)

Some NJ Transit rail employees who deal with commuters will find themselves back in the classroom next year for a customer relations refresher.

The program was prompted by issues brought up by commuters on social media and shared with NJ Transit. The two day training classes will start in early 2015.

"It was based on (NJ Transit's social media) dashboard's top complaints," said Robert Lavell, Vice President and General Manager of NJ Transit Rail Operations.

The course is similar to one run by NJ Transit's bus division bus for front line employees who are the people customers most likely deal with, Lavell said.



Principles to be covered in the program include employees understanding their role, communicating clearly, non-verbal communication, effective listening, conflict resolution, and how to deal with difficult customers.



"I don't like to see employee relations issues pop up," said James C. Finkle, Jr., a NJ Transit board member. "I know that we're addressing this with the training, but we should keep our eye on it. That's the face of the operation."



Some employee behavior has been documented on video, which was the case when a Jersey City man filmed a bus driver's behavior in 2010 while driving the Route 83 bus.



Typically, commuters have given NJ Transit high marks in employee performance and customer service in the agency's quarterly scorecard survey. In the most recent survey, riders gave rail employee performance a 6.6 out a possible score of 10, which dipped slightly from a 6.8 rating in the previous scorecard.



"I don't see how it hurts to have a refresher in customer service skills once and a while. Sometimes front line employees need a refresher," said David Peter Alan, Lackawanna Commuter Coalition president. " I give the crews high marks. I'd like to see the operational problems straightened out."



Most commuters ride the same trains each day and "get to know the crews and the crews know them," Alan said. "They're not likely to have disputes."



From his experience, Alan said disputes are more likely to arise between the occasional rider, who's not as familiar with raiding the train, rather than the seasoned commuter.



"I don't see many of them and I ride a lot," he said. "Occasionally there is a fare dispute on the validity of a ticket."

The number of front line employees who will be trained will vary based on necessity and customer feedback, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.

NJ Transit has had similar employee training initiatives in the past, with a major overhaul in employee training in April 2003, after George Warrington took over as executive director and embarked on a "back to basics" campaign for the agency.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.