Name of Process:

Code Red Compensation & Reimbursement

Process Owner:

Ajay Sharma

Created By:

Anurag 

Last Updated By:

Anurag

Date Created:

March 22, 2023 

Last Revision Date:

Process Purpose:

To establish clear guidelines and procedures for the customer experience team to follow when addressing and compensating customers who have experienced significant issues or inconveniences due to "Code Red" situations.

Process Scope:

The process scope of the Code Red Compensation & Reimbursement document includes the following key components:

1. Assessing the compensation/reimbursement: The document outlines the process for determining the appropriate compensation or reimbursement for the customer

2. Communicating with the customer: The document outlines the guidelines for communicating with the customer about the compensation or reimbursement, including the tone and content of the message, and the timelines for delivery.

3. Recording and tracking Code Red compensations: The document outlines the process for recording and tracking Code Red situations, including the data that needs to be collected and the systems and tools that will be used.

Process Input:

The process of compensating the passengers will begin once the reported code red has been resolved and the passengers have completed the trip. The input of the process may include:

1. Tracking tools: Tools and systems that can be used to record and track Code Red situations and compensation request, such as code red slack channel, customer communication channel (call/chat/email/SM channels), code red call notes document

2. Customer feedback: Feedback from customers who have experienced Code Red situations, which may include complaints, reviews, or other forms of feedback.

Process Boundaries:

The process boundaries for this process may include the following:

1. The process applies only to Code Red situations: The process is specifically designed to address significant issues or inconveniences experienced by customers due to any Code Red situations. The process may not be applicable to other types of customer issues or complaints.

2. The process is limited to compensation and reimbursement: The process is focused solely on determining the appropriate level of compensation or reimbursement for customers who have experienced Code Red situations. The process does not address other aspects of customer experience, such as product or service design, delivery, or support, or any legal charges.

3. The process applies to the customer experience team: The process is designed to be followed by the customer experience team, which is responsible for managing Code Red situations and determining the appropriate level of compensation or reimbursement. Other departments or teams may have input into the process, but the customer experience team is ultimately responsible for executing it.

4. The process may have financial limits: The process may be subject to financial limits or constraints, which may impact the level of compensation or reimbursement that can be provided to customers. The process may also be subject to budgetary approval or oversight by senior management.

Process Flow:

1. Once the code red has been resolved and passengers have safely reached their destination, refer to the code red slack channel or code red call notes to understand what happened.

2. Identify the code red location and get an idea of the pick-up stops which were affected.

3. Open the Full Schedule and using the trip ID, open the passengers list.

4. Filter the passengers list basis the stop combinations between which the passengers were affected.

5. Refer to the compensation structure and process the compensation. If wallet credit/refund is to be provided in bulk, note down the net revenue of the trip for recording purposes.

6. If any passenger has applied a discount on the booking, reinstate those coupons as per the original validity. Coupon code of such coupons should be the ticket reference code of the ticket on which the coupon was applied

7. Click on the “Send email” button and draft an apology email. A few apology email templates have been uploaded in the passengers list which can be used. Personalize the template as per the incidents that took place. Ensure the email contains the following information:

   1. Salutation. We can use placeholders like ${paxFirstNm} instead of using generic words like Dear Passenger.

   2. Information about the trip. Use placeholders like ${tripDt}, ${pickStop}, ${dropStop}

   3. Apology

   4. Brief of incident that led to the code red situation

   5. Steps we took to rectify the problem

   6. Details of the compensation

   7. Acknowledgement and appreciation of the patience and cooperation the passengers demonstrated

   8. Request to give us one chance for us to turn their unpleasant experience 

8. After the compensation has been processed and an apology email has been sent, open the code red call notes and update the compensation provided along with the total amount. Also, update the compensation in the Emergency Form (Response) sheet

Compensation can be processed in the form of coupon, wallet credit, refund as per the compensation structure mentioned below:

Compensation Structure

Compensation TAT: Bulk compensation can be processed once the code red has been resolved and passengers reach their destination. The maximum turnaround time should not exceed 48 hours.

Coupon Nomenclature:
Coupons code should begin with APLGY followed by the trip ID. Eg., if coupon is provided as bulk compensation for trip 12345, the coupon code should be APLGY12345
If multiple coupons are to be created to cover all the passengers based upon the denomination, add alphabets after the coupon code. Eg., APLGY12345A, APLGY12345B

Coupon Properties:

All the coupons generated as a compensation for code red trips should be applicable on booking fee and facility fee.
Please make sure to exclude DC Trails from the list of operators
Validity of these coupons should be 6 months

Reimbursement Process:

In the situation where we have to book an uber/alternate bus for the passengers but we are unable to, we ask the passengers to book themselves and share the receipt with us at [email protected] within 24 hours.

1. Customer shares the receipt of their alternate transport on [email protected]

2. Customer experience team members open the users report of the passenger and get trip information. 

3. Using the trip ID, verify if the passenger(s) were asked to book alternate transport or not.

   1. If yes, proceed to step 4.

   2. If no, inform the passenger that we will not be able to reimburse

4. Customer experience team member to validate the receipt.

5. Raise a request to the Finance team through an email to process the reimbursement keeping [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] in copy. The email should include:

Subject: Reimbursement Request | Trip ID | Ticket ref code

Content should include:

1. Brief description of the situation (can attach screenshot of slack conversation showing uber/alternate bus plan

2. Trip ID:

3. Ticket reference code:

4. Travel date:

5. Bus company:

6. Name of the customer:

7. Registered Email Address:

8. PayPal email address:
   Or,
   ACH details (if the customer does not has PayPal account):

Financial Institution code:

Direct Deposit Number:

Address with ZIP code:

9. Booking cost incurred by the passenger:

10. Reimbursement amount:

11. Attachment: Receipt

Note: In situations where the reimbursement amount is greater than OurBus ticket price, instead of reimbursing the full fare of the alternate transport, wherever possible, we can refund the OurBus ticket and process the reimbursement only for the difference amount. If the difference amount is less, we can pitch for the coupon with 6 months validity

Take customer’s consent before processing. If the customer does not agree for the above proposal, proceed with reimbursing the full amount. Once the reimbursement has been processed, release the seat in admin panel and mention the reason “Reimbursement processed”

6. Fill the expense form to record the reimbursement details

7. Inform the customer once the reimbursement has been processed.

Process Output:

The process output of this process may include the following:

1. Approved compensation or reimbursement: The primary output of the process is the disbursal of a specific level of compensation or reimbursement for the customer who has experienced a Code Red situation. This output will be based on the criteria outlined in the compensation structure

2. Communication with the customer: Once the compensation or reimbursement has been processed, the customer experience team will communicate with the customers through email regarding the details of the compensation or reimbursement, including the amount, the timeline for delivery, and any other relevant information. 

3. Process improvement recommendations: Over time, the process may generate recommendations for process improvements, based on feedback from customers, the customer experience team, or other stakeholders.

Exceptions to Normal Process Flow

1. Manager’s approval is required if any passenger reaches out to the customer experience team demanding for extra compensation above what is stated in the bulk compensation structure.

2. Extended timeline for customers to share the receipt should not exceed 72 hours. After 72 hours, reach out to the Ops team (Kevin & team) to check if the amount can be recovered from the bus operator. If yes, raise the request to the finance team. If no, offer a coupon worth the receipt amount

3. Management decides to compensate the passengers where there was a delay of 2 hours and above in departure from the first location due to traffic or weather related issues

Control Points and Measurements:

1. If the code red happened while the bus was enroute, compensation should be processed only for the passengers who were present on the bus at the time of code red. Eg., if the driver has marked the attendance, the passengers who have not boarded the bus need not be compensated.

2. Compensation to be processed within 24 business hours of the code red

3. Details of code red: reported or unreported on slack channel

4. Compensation processed

5. Coupon issued

6. Refund issued

7. Individual refunds

8. Retained customers

9. Reimbursement