Metro fare guarantee could flush out system bugs

The first day of Metro’s latest fare hike included a few minor software glitches, and riders reported various other inaccuracies. What would be an effective way to find and fix these problems quickly?

Metro could use the same tactic grocery stores use: Give your customers an incentive to point out your problems.

Here’s how it could work: If you point out a problem where the fare charged didn’t match what you were supposed to be charged, Metro would refund the entire fare. Customers can point out incorrect fares by asking a station manager for a “fare adjustment envelope.”

This would compensate customers for their time, and would encourage people to point out issues even when it’s not in their favor. Unlike an on-time service guarantee (such as arrival at your destination within 30 minutes of schedule), this one is inherently self-limiting. When people point out problems, Metro would have all the information needed to fix them. And they only need to get fixed once.

The GM should be able to implement this his own, with a notification to the Board but without prior approval. The policy helps Metro get its fare software updated with the help of over a million customers per day.