San Bernardino TAD Customer Service Center — Professional Guide

Overview and role of the TAD Customer Service Center

The San Bernardino Transportation Access and Delivery (TAD) Customer Service Center functions as the primary interface between transit operations and riders for scheduling, eligibility, trip planning, fare media and complaints escalation. In practice a TAD center is responsible for inbound/outbound contact handling, coordination with operations dispatch, and administration of ADA and demand-responsive services. For municipal and county transit organizations in Southern California, a well-run TAD center reduces missed trips, improves on‑time performance and drives compliance with federal ADA requirements.

A professional TAD center emphasizes measurable service-level targets: common internal goals are average telephone speed-to-answer under 120 seconds, first-contact resolution rates above 70%, and ticket/complaint closure within 7–14 calendar days. These benchmarks align with industry best practices used by county transit agencies since the 2010s and are useful when evaluating vendor performance or justifying investments in staff and technology.

Core services provided — what you can expect

The TAD Customer Service Center provides a concentrated set of services that cover every stage of a rider’s experience. Below is a compact list of the most valuable, high-frequency services that should be available to the public during published hours and via digital channels 24/7 for status updates.

• Trip reservations and modifications for demand-responsive and paratransit services (same-day as capacity allows; next-day bookings common).
• Eligibility assessment and recertification for ADA/paratransit customers, including in-person and paper-based options and scheduling for functional assessments.
• Fare media sales, reloads for smart cards, and processing of refunds/adjustments for missed or overcharged trips.
• Lost & found intake, claims routing, and coordination with operations to recover items left on vehicles.
• Real-time trip disruption messaging, alternate-trip coordination, and coordination with first/last-mile vendors when provided by the agency.

Each of these services requires distinct workflows: reservations typically need a booking window (e.g., 24–48 hours prior for guaranteed trips), eligibility requires documented medical and mobility information, and fare adjustments must link to transaction records, usually kept three to five years for auditability.

Operational details and performance metrics

Operational excellence in a TAD center depends on staffing, technology and process. A fully staffed weekday call center for a mid-sized county like San Bernardino would commonly operate Monday–Friday 8:00–17:00 with limited weekend hours or phone coverage supplemented by automated web and mobile tools. Typical staffing ratios are one full-time agent per 2,000–4,000 annual passenger trips handled by the center, scaling up during peak seasons or service changes.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor include: call abandonment rate (target <5%), average handle time (AHT, target 6–12 minutes for complex bookings), on-time performance for scheduled trips (target ≥90% for fixed-route, ≥85% for demand-responsive), and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT, target >80%). Regular reviews—weekly for operational KPIs, quarterly for customer satisfaction and annual for strategic service planning—keep service aligned with ridership and budget realities.

Practical guidance for riders: how to use the center effectively

When contacting the TAD Customer Service Center, have the following information ready to decrease handle time: full name as registered, date(s) of travel, pick-up/ drop-off addresses (including cross-streets), any mobility devices used, and payment method. For reservation changes, provide booking confirmation numbers when available. Typical booking policies require at least 24 hours’ notice for guaranteed trips; same‑day trips may be available on a space-available basis.

For ADA/paratransit applicants, expect a multi-step process: application intake, functional assessment or physician verification, provisional eligibility (often 21–60 days while assessment is scheduled), and final certification for up to three years depending on the documentation provided. If you rely on paratransit, keep alternate contact methods on file: text alerts, automated voice reminders, and email confirmations reduce no-shows and missed connections.

Required documentation and priority issues

• Common documents needed for ADA/paratransit eligibility: government photo ID, proof of residence (utility bill or lease), physician or therapist verification form, and documentation of any durable medical equipment used.
• High-priority service issues that the center escalates immediately: missed medical trips, safety reports, suspected service denials, and inaccessible stops or vehicles. These are routed to an on‑duty supervisor and operations within 1–2 hours for investigation.

Keep paper copies of critical documents and maintain an up‑to‑date emergency contact on file. If you experience recurring service gaps—defined operationally as two verified missed trips in a 30-day window—request a formal service review; agencies typically open a corrective action file and report back within 10 business days.

Contacting the center and verifying information

The San Bernardino-area transit and mobility agencies publish the official TAD/contact details and hours on their websites—check the agency’s Contact or Customer Service page for current phone numbers, email addresses, physical office locations and online reservation portals. Because phone numbers, hours and fare structures may change with budgeting cycles and service plans, always verify current information online or through the agency’s social channels before assuming static data.

If you’re a frequent rider or an organizational partner (medical providers, human services agencies), ask the center for a business‑to‑agency liaison contact and routine performance reports (monthly ridership, on-time performance, complaints by category). These reports usually include the raw metrics needed for funding applications and quality-improvement projects and help keep service aligned with community needs.