The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) developed a multi-language comment and complaint form for online users, giving agency customers with a limited proficiency of English a more effective way to communicate with the agency.

"It's important to make sure that every Metro rider is able to easily provide us with feedback. Los Angeles County is amazingly diverse and our people speak many languages other than English. These new forms invite our riders to share their thoughts with us in the language they are most comfortable speaking," said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.

As part of Metro’s Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Policy, staff can respond to online inquiries in nine languages: Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Russian, Armenian, Thai, and Khmer. LEP customers can translate the comment/complaint form into any of the nine languages and type their comments using non-English characters.

Metro’s Customer Care Department has long been utilizing a telephone-based service to speak to customers in other languages. This new process extends that service to the agency’s website.

“Improving the customer experience through services, outreach and communication is an important step in helping Metro better serve the needs and wants of our riders,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington.

Metro has three contracted vendors to translate the comment forms. Once an answer is prepared, a Metro Customer Care agent will respond to the customer by contacting the person with an interpreter or sending a translated email response within three to five business days.