According to 378 Cubic Transportation Systems, its newly-launched NextAgent is a radical new concept in transport ticketing using high-speed video links that enable passengers to interact with ticketing staff in real time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
A hybrid of ticket office, call centre and ticket vending machine, NextAgent enables transit operators to respond to a number of significant trends in ticketing, including a preference from some passengers for the regular or occasional option of purchasing tickets from people as well as machines.
NextAgent enables operators to balance competing demands by locating ticketing expertise in centralised ticketing hubs to which all passengers have access. For maximum flexibility in resourcing, agents across the network can be available to manage demand between busy stations and those with fewer passengers on a minute-by-minute basis.
Instead of the normal ticket office window, NextAgent features a high-definition screen on which it displays a live video of the ticket agent at the hub. Passengers speak with the agent throughout the ticketing process, exactly as they would at a traditional ticket window.
NextAgent delivers all the functionality of a staffed ticket office, plus other benefits, including vending a comprehensive range of media (smart cards, magnetic tickets, paper barcodes, e-ticketing, and mobile ticketing). Integrated camera and document scanning facilities enable photos and other personal documents to be verified. NextAgent’s smart card management system encompasses sale and issue of cards, processing refunds and returns, and transferring products between cards. It also supports the full range of payment options, from notes and coins to credit/debit cards and NFC-enabled smartphones.
“NextAgent is not only a major advance in ticketing, it’s a concept that’s rooted in Cubic’s understanding of what works in ticketing – for both passengers and operators,” said Matt Cole, senior vice president, strategy and business development at Cubic. “We are bringing to market technology that will appeal to all passengers: mobile ticketing for those that would prefer to self-serve and NextAgent for those passengers that want the option of consulting knowledgeable ticketing staff to get the right ticket at the right price.”
“Centralised ticketing with NextAgent enables operators to provide the optimum combination of service and cost. On the one hand, it reduces the cost of staff having to be deployed in ticket offices. On the other, it enhances customer service by, for example, pooling specialist expertise – foreign languages, for instance – and ensuring a uniform level of high-quality service across the network. In turn this will lead to more passengers and higher revenues.”
A hybrid of ticket office, call centre and ticket vending machine, NextAgent enables transit operators to respond to a number of significant trends in ticketing, including a preference from some passengers for the regular or occasional option of purchasing tickets from people as well as machines.
NextAgent enables operators to balance competing demands by locating ticketing expertise in centralised ticketing hubs to which all passengers have access. For maximum flexibility in resourcing, agents across the network can be available to manage demand between busy stations and those with fewer passengers on a minute-by-minute basis.
Instead of the normal ticket office window, NextAgent features a high-definition screen on which it displays a live video of the ticket agent at the hub. Passengers speak with the agent throughout the ticketing process, exactly as they would at a traditional ticket window.
NextAgent delivers all the functionality of a staffed ticket office, plus other benefits, including vending a comprehensive range of media (smart cards, magnetic tickets, paper barcodes, e-ticketing, and mobile ticketing). Integrated camera and document scanning facilities enable photos and other personal documents to be verified. NextAgent’s smart card management system encompasses sale and issue of cards, processing refunds and returns, and transferring products between cards. It also supports the full range of payment options, from notes and coins to credit/debit cards and NFC-enabled smartphones.
“NextAgent is not only a major advance in ticketing, it’s a concept that’s rooted in Cubic’s understanding of what works in ticketing – for both passengers and operators,” said Matt Cole, senior vice president, strategy and business development at Cubic. “We are bringing to market technology that will appeal to all passengers: mobile ticketing for those that would prefer to self-serve and NextAgent for those passengers that want the option of consulting knowledgeable ticketing staff to get the right ticket at the right price.”
“Centralised ticketing with NextAgent enables operators to provide the optimum combination of service and cost. On the one hand, it reduces the cost of staff having to be deployed in ticket offices. On the other, it enhances customer service by, for example, pooling specialist expertise – foreign languages, for instance – and ensuring a uniform level of high-quality service across the network. In turn this will lead to more passengers and higher revenues.”
