The Chat with Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) chatbot has allowed for the agency to see positive results since its launch in late April. The agency notes early data shows the communication tool has been successful and widely used, making it easier for customers to provide feedback and report issues in real-time.
Since the launch on April 24th, CTA customers have started more than 8,000 conversations. 28 percent of these were directly addressed by the chatbot, while others were sent to CTA staff for review. To date, CTA staff have reviewed and when appropriate, acted on more than 1,800 incidents.
“We’re pleased to see that the chatbot has received such a positive reaction thus far and we’re seeing an uptick in feedback as riders are taking advantage of utilizing the tool, which makes it easier than ever to report matters impacting the customer experience,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “For our riders, the good news is that this tool is allowing us to move forward in a proactive way and addressing their needs on the system in a faster capacity.”
As the agency heads into the second half of 2024, CTA expects chatbot usage to grow. Since launching, Chat with CTA’s key metrics have seen growth and new, weekly peaks:
- Chat button clicks: Up to 21 percent growth
- Conversations started by customers: Up to 12 percent growth
- Conversations completed by customers: Up to 16 percent growth
- Incidents reviewed by CTA staff: Up to 22 percent growth
The chatbot was created through a partnership with Google Public Sector and incidents reported through the online tool have allowed CTA to respond to issues faster than ever.
The chatbot has allowed for riders to be additional eyes and ears for issues that arise during their use of the CTA system. As a result, staff have been alerted to and been able to address things more quickly like the malfunctioning of air conditioning unit, a cleanliness issue, or reports of passengers smoking on a CTA vehicle or at a station, as well as issues with bus shelters which are then reported to the Chicago Department of Transportation for repairs.
CTA staff monitors the chatbot’s performance. Since its launch, 12 Chat with CTA enhancements have been implemented. These changes have helped to initiate customer-facing conversation flows and increased the actionability of escalated incidents.
