Nov 24, 2020
On an average day, GCRTA receives upwards of 500 calls from customers. These calls come in on the RTAnswerline and can be about a limitless range of topics.
“We are often the first point of contact someone will have when they call the RTA,” Juan Carlos Rivera said.
Rivera has been with GCRTA for nine years. He is currently the Supervisor of Telephone Information and ADA Registration and he oversees a staff of 11 representatives.
“GCRTA is a large organization with a variety of services,” he said. “People have questions and they want to understand what we offer. Each one of them deserves accurate, helpful information.”
Representatives are expected to answer questions regarding trip planning, route detours, and any services GCRTA offers.
Rivera works hard to ensure his staff are properly informed and prepared to assist riders. He helped put together a training program that can take up to 10 weeks for new hires to fully complete. Rivera also works to ensure representatives are aware of any changes or modifications, so his staff can pass that informationose along to riders who call.
Currently, the GCRTA call center has three representatives with over 20 years of experience. The entire team has well over 120 years in combined experience!. A couple of staff members, including Rivera, are also bilingual so they are able to help assist callers in Spanish.
Rivera says his favorite part about their job is using their his experience and knowledge to help customers get connected to resources.
“We have people who call and we help them find a better route, or someone calls and we can connect them with Paratransit so they can take advantage of their resources that are available to them,” he said. “I love when our team uses GCRTA resources to help people in our community.”
The RTAnswerline is available by calling 216-621-9500. Calls are answered Monday - Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The automated system is available 24 hours a day.
