Communications Coordinator Amber Peters is a member of Metrolink’s “Communications Desk” at the Dispatch and Operations Center in Pomona.
For Metrolink customers navigating Los Angeles Union Station or adjusting their travel during a service disruption, Customer Relations Representatives (CRRs) are often among the first people they turn to for help. For Ashley Smith, Amber Peters and Gaston Guess, years spent assisting customers face-to-face also provided the foundation for the next chapter of their Metrolink careers. All three have advanced from CRR positions to Communications Coordinator roles within the Customer Experience Department, taking skills developed on the front line and applying them to customer communications across the rail system.
While the two positions serve Metrolink riders in different ways, much of the work is rooted in the same principles: understanding what customers need, communicating clearly and remaining calm in high-pressure situations. Ashley joined Metrolink in 2015 as a ticket agent, then advanced to field lead and eventually became a Communications Coordinator. Her experience helping passengers navigate Southern California, find alternate routes during service disruptions and even recover lost items gave her practical knowledge of the challenges customers encounter – knowledge she continues to draw upon behind the scenes today.
Amber similarly credits her CRR experience with preparing her to manage passenger needs during major disruptions while giving her a broader understanding of how teams across Metrolink work together. As a Communications Coordinator, that perspective now helps her advocate for customers while working with Operations colleagues to deliver relevant and timely service information. “Effective communication leads to efficient action,” Peters said. “That’s what our riders deserve amid the uncertainty posed during a disruption.”
And for Gaston, working directly with riders fundamentally shaped how he approaches communication. Whether preparing a service update or sharing information internally, he considers how a message will be received by the person on the other end. “I’m able to put myself in the rider’s shoes and ask, ‘Is this clear? Does this answer their question? What might they need to know next?’” Gaston said. “That mindset has helped me become a more thoughtful and effective communicator.”
Having Communications Coordinators embedded in the Dispatch and Operations Center also ensures the customer perspective is represented as teams respond to service disruptions in real time. As operational decisions are made, coordinators help ensure everyone involved considers how changes will affect riders and what customers will need to know to navigate the disruption. Senior Manager of Dispatching Shamonda Jones said the face-to-face environment makes it easier for Operations and Communications to work through situations together. “During service disruptions, they’re part of the planning mechanism,” Jones said. “It builds a relationship between the teams.”
Director of Customer Experience Sabrina Davis sees the progression from CRR to Communications Coordinator as a reflection of the valuable skills frontline employees develop every day – and of the benefits of bringing teams that communicate directly with customers under one department. With CRRs, the Communications Desk and Metrolink’s call center aligned within Customer Experience, employees across these functions can share knowledge and bring a more consistent understanding of customer needs to their work. Davis and her leadership team also look for opportunities to help team members recognize how the skills they develop in one role can translate elsewhere, encouraging conversations about their interests, professional goals and areas of the organization they may want to explore.
The paths taken by Ashley, Amber and Gaston demonstrate how frontline experience can become the foundation for continued growth at Metrolink, while bringing valuable customer perspective into other areas of the organization. “I hope people see that there are opportunities to grow here,” Davis said. “Raise your hand, be curious, learn another part of the business and take advantage of opportunities when they come along.”