Beyond the Bus

Imagine for a moment you’re heading into work. You’re a CATA Customer Experience Representative and today you’ve got a shift at the downtown station. You walk through the atrium doors and make your way over to the booth and smile at the others already answering ringing phones – you know it’s going to be a busy day – but a good one. Lost and found, trip planning, bus tracking, Indian Trails, detours, departures and arrivals, paratransit, where to go, and what to do for anything and everything CATA – you know it all, even creating new stops. If there’s ever something you don’t know, there’s someone on your team who does that has your back. It’s a lot to handle, but you know you’ll get it done with a smile.

This is just a taste of everything that the customer experience department does for CATA. As the front line of contact for our riders, customer experience is in the know about almost everything to do with CATA and the City of Lansing in order to best assist you in getting where you need to go. This Customer Service Appreciation Week, we really want to highlight what the job means to our representatives who work so hard every day, 7 days a week.

What do you like most about your job?

We met with members of the CX (Customer Experience) team to ask them what they liked most about the work they do, hear what they have to say, and meet the team!

Brandon

"The best part is helping people navigate so they know they're going in the right direction, bridging the gap and building those hand-in-hand relationships."

Schuyler

"It feels good to help people out who are in need. Interacting with different people from all over and some of them you get to know on a different level."

RaSondra

"Working with my team is the most interesting because I get to work with not just my own department but others in CATA as well. I also like the stories that people tell me from day to day."

Samantha | Customer Experience Supervisor

"I'm in a unique position where I get to see immediate results for what our team does for the community. I see the understanding and relief as riders interact with our Customer Experience Representatives and I know that we are doing something right. I am so proud to be a part of this team."

Antwanette

"The customers are so funny, I love hearing their stories!"

Mysha

"I enjoy working with everyone on my team!"




 

Kayla

"I've always wanted to be a receptionist, so this is my first job that will help me in that direction. It's probably one of the first jobs where I actually like what I do. I like coming to work, and I like all of the people here."

Bri

"For me, it's connecting with the customers. A lot of the customers have disabilities, and I have a learning disability myself so I can relate to them. Here I can be there for our customers if they need to talk or need direction. It’s more than just a customer service job, it’s really about connecting with our customers."

Melissa

"My favorite part of the job is getting to help the public and make connections with people at a time when help is really needed. I enjoy talking with people and listening to their stories. I also work the Indian Trails at the Gateway and I get to speak with people from all types of backgrounds. It makes for some really interesting conversation. Because I work at the East Lansing Station I interact with MSU students and I get the chance to be of great help to some of the younger generation when they get lost around campus."


 

Andrea

"Lately, it's been helping the Lansing School District kids figure out which routes to take to school. I went to Everett, so I feel connected to them. I have a kid too, so I know how lost parents could feel if I were in that situation."

Margaret | Customer Experience Manager

"One of the things I like best about my job at CATA and in customer experience is our customers.  Each day provides us the opportunity to do something great, it can be as simple as replacing a lost pass, helping them plan their child’s trip to and from school or reuniting them with an item lost on the bus or as important as helping them with community resources.  We have customers that come to our information booths every day just to say hi to us and bring us treats, that’s how we know that what we do is important and impactful!"

All of our Customer Experience Representatives are responsible for a large variety of responsibilities which can be different depending on the location they're working at. Besides answering questions by phone or in person, all representatives manage the lost and found, learn and utilize numerous different programs for bus routes, bus tracking, customer feedback, pass sales, and more. Our representatives help more than just our customers. Within CATA they regularly communicate with almost every department to forward information that comes through the front desk. They play a part in many facets of day-to-day operation. So to our hard-working Customer Experience team, we want to once more graciously say thank you! You can learn even more about our Customer Experience team from last year's Customer Service Appreciation Week, so give it a read!

We'd love to hear your stories about any positive experiences you've had with our Customer Experience team on our customer feedback form.

It’s go time! The new Route 18 is officially in business. 

Looking for an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy the rest of your summer? How about a day out on the town with a chance to win some awesome prizes along the way?

Well, that’s exactly what we’ve got - head out along the Route 18 - September 1-14, 2021 in search of hidden caches that contain color-coded “CATAcache.” These tickets may be traded in for gift cards to some of your favorite Lansing and East Lansing local restaurants.  

Ready? Let’s Go!

Stop 1: Fleetwood Diner (Stop #2868)

Begin your day by boarding the eastbound Route 18 in South Lansing. Take this to Cedar where you’ll walk 5 minutes south to the Fleetwood Diner. Enjoy the old charm of a classic American diner with some of the best Hippie Hash you’ll ever eat! 

Stop 2: Fenner Nature Center (Stop #3363)

Once you’ve fueled up for the day, it’s time for your adventure to really begin! Get back on board the eastbound Route 18, and at the corner of Mount Hope and Aurelius are 134 acres of pure Michigan at its finest, ready to explore. At the Fenner Nature Center you can brave all four miles of walking trails to take in the sights, or maybe go into the visitor center for a more contained view of nature. Either way, you’re experiencing the best of what Fenner has to offer. 

Now that you’ve burned a few hours, it's time to think about lunch! Hop on the next Route 18 and continue east to enjoy the views of the MSU golf course and south campus as you head into the heart of MSU.

Stop 3: Campbell’s Market Basket / MSU Campus (Stop  #1657)

With baked breads and sweets, farm fresh local and organic vegetables, and lovingly crafted deli sandwiches, Campbell’s Market Basket allows you to assemble the perfect meal to take al fresco. Located along Grand River on the north side of campus, they sell everything you need for the outdoor picnic.  But where to go with it? The benches at the base of Beaumont Tower make for the perfect location to enjoy the scenery, watch the students scurry to class, and relax in the shade. 

Stop 4: Broad Museum 

Rested and revitalized, we’re ready to start again - and MSU Campus is ready to be explored. Stroll through the charming and stately northern side of campus to see lecture halls that date back 100 years as you head over to Benefactors Plaza to take in the fresh air and beautiful landscaping, but don’t stop there! Just across Circle Drive is the MSU Broad Museum - don’t worry, you’ll know it when you see it since there’s no other building like it on campus. Head inside to see what exhibits are on display to enjoy. Admission is always free. 

Stop 5: Lansing River Trail (Stop #6098)

Head across Grand River to catch the westbound Route 18 this time. Next Stop? The Lansing River Trail.

The route takes you back on Mount Hope but you’re not going to Fenner this time, get off at Lindburgh. Backtracking a short way along Mount Hope across Sycamore Creek, you find yourself at the Lansing River Trail. Stretching most of the city, you could find yourself walking for hours if you followed it along its entire route. Walk along Sycamore Creek until you reach Scott Woods Park, or if you’re feeling tired from the day maybe just walk for a little while and turn back. Whatever the case it’s another great scenic spot in Lansing to watch the sun set and reminisce on your day’s adventure.
 

We hope you have a blast exploring our beautiful city along Route 18! Remember to look for a hidden cache at each stop; tickets found have no cash value but may be redeemed at the service window at the CTC for gift card prizes.

Happy Hunting!

As Michigan and the nation work to safely distribute COVID-19 vaccines, Michigan’s public transit systems have the infrastructure to support the equitable distribution of vaccines to people across the state who face transportation and access challenges in rural and urban areas and communities.

We at CATA are working with the state, local health departments and regional transportation partners to give you, our loyal riders, a ride to your dose of hope. We are supporting the state’s Spread Hope, Not COVID public education campaign to help inform and educate our community on the three safe and effective vaccines.

"If there is ever a time that we should come together as a community and serve those with the greatest need, it is now," said CATA CEO Bradley T. Funkhouser, "And CATA is poised to help."

CATA understands the obstacles that marginalized populations face when it comes to transportation. We would like to step in and solve that obstacle by giving free rides to scheduled COVID-19 appointments.

"We partnered with other state agencies and transit leaders, including Clinton Transit and Eatran, resulting in unparalleled coordination of transit in our region," Funkhouser said. "Together, we are helping to educate underserved populations about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and to provide safe transportation to and from vaccination sites on behalf of those who still have too little."

All individuals with proof of a COVID-19 vaccination appointment are eligible for free transportation service. CATA rides are available seven days a week to vaccination sites. Clinton Transit and Eatran trips are also offering free trips. To schedule your ride to hope, visit cata.org/RideToHope or click the image below.

CATA is here to help you! That is why we have taken on this task to keep our community safe by helping to inform and transport residents to their dose of hope.

For more information about how to schedule your vaccine appointment, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine. Residents who don't have access to the internet or who need assistance navigating the vaccine scheduling process can call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.