The Lack of Marketing Smarts at CATS

To those of you who do not use public transit this might come as a surprise. 

Marketing is not part of CATS skill set. They really don't understand pricing and human nature.

This price schedule is part of the reason no one pays to ride the Lynx Blue Line.

If you ride the Blue Line from Pineville Uptown a single trip one way is $2.20, your return at the end of the day another $2.20. To and from work is a very reasonable $4.40.

To buy a ticket you use the kiosk, stand with your back to danger and try to navigate the endless prompts. Imagine your a single white girl its raining you worked late and there is a homeless guy raging at unseen demons dancing around the Camden station platform. It's getting dark.

Are you going to buy a ticket? Hell No! Your only thought is get me outa here.

Let's look further a "day pass" is $6.60 for unlimited rides. Why? Who rides the light rail more than twice in the same day? It is not something you do for fun!

A ten ride pass - a week of to and from work is $22.00. No discount but you save yourself the hassle of buying a ticket every time from the kiosk. 

Monthly - Unlimited $88.00 sounds like a deal? Pay once have a pass for for the whole month but wait if you work five days a week and ride to and from work that's $22.00 a week at the full price and if you buy the month long pass its $88.00 so yes you get 2 or 3 days a month free. Never mind that the average worker has two weeks vacation and if you work at a bank around 11 bank holidays each year. 

Your discount for buying a month long pass is less than 5% and zero if you take a day off.

Sure make the argument that your could go to Panthers game for fee. Who in their right mind that rides to work every day of the week is going to ride to a Panthers or Hornets game?

What's wrong with this pricing model?

First it rewards no one. It doesn't reward advance purchases. If the hope is compliance then CATS should reward compliance. Buying a month long pass should be so inexpensive that there is no reason no to buy it. 

Then there's the "Senior" discount. First 62 is hardly Senior unless you're at Harris Teeter and that means you are over 55. Second real Senior don't ride the damn train and if they did they darn sure don't need a 50% discount. They are slow to get on the train slow to get off. The take up more space with their walkers and canes and they are often overweight. If anything Seniors should pay more for the inconvenience they cause. Don't believe me? Just try shopping at Harris Teeter on Senior Discount day.