Reset Rating: C+ (9 out of 15)

By: Katie Short

Link: http://crmproxy.sfgov.org/Ef3/General.jsp?form=SSP_MUNI_MTA_Feedback&page=SSP_Page_MUNIEmailEnter

It’s another morning on the way to the office and you’ve watched the fourth person board the downtown-bound Muni J Church…for free. This is the same Muni route you paid $2.00 to ride, and all because the driver isn’t watching the back door. You are a soft-spoken person, but boiling on the inside. A decade ago you would have had to confront the driver or call a city official in order to air your concern.

Moving into the second decade of the twenty-first century, Muni has attempted to embrace Gov 2.0 and made it so you can avoid immediate, early-morning confrontation by, even anonymously, submitting such a complaint…online

Accessibility: 2 out of 3

Quite appropriately, the San Francisco Muni “Complaints” link is clearly listed on the home page of the SFMTA site under “Most Popular” links.

Per the usual, if you want to view the site in another language, you must call the 311 number; you cannot use the online service.

Ease of Use: 3 out of 3

The links to the service and the process for the service itself is very straightforward.

Design: 2 of 3

The sfmta.com home page is extraordinarily cluttered and not at all streamlined for use. Just like the huge Muni map. That said, once you leave the home page, the “Complaints” pages are clean and the formatting is consistent.

The Guide: 1 out of 3

While the process is reasonably intuitive, there is no “Help” link or “Frequently Asked Questions” page in the “Complaints” process. You have to call 311 if you need assistance with the process — but then that would defeat the purpose of offering a convenience like filing a claim online because once you call 311 you might as well file the complaint over the phone.

User Feedback: 1 out of 3

There is no feedback mechanism offered for this particular, well, feedback mechanism. It may be redundant to offer a feedback mechanism on a feedback mechanism, but every service should have a way by which the provider receives feedback on the service. For this service, you can backtrack to the main SFMTA page and scroll to the bottom for the complete SFMTA contact information to reach out regarding the complaint process, but it is not the most clear process.

 

Finding it…

On the sfmta.com home page, click on “Complaints” under “Most Popular,” toward the top of the screen. You will then be taken to the “Complaints” pages supported by 311, and after providing a valid email address (or not, if you wish to remain anonymous) and accepting their disclaimer, you will be taken to the form