Alexandria Transit Company - Alexandria, Va.

Alexandria Transit, also known as DASH, believes that treating employees like "kings and queens" will encourage employees to treat customers with respect and appreciation.

Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) prides itself on providing the highest level of customer service possible to its riders and its employees. "Our management philosophy is that if we treat our employees like kings and queens, with respect and appreciation, then they are more likely to treat our external customers with that same respect and appreciation," says General Manager Sandy Modell. "This philosophy has worked and is the basis of the great work environment and culture that exists at all levels."

DASH started in 1984, with 17 buses and 35 employees. Today, DASH has 62 buses and 138 employees. Annual ridership has grown from 923,000 to 4 million riders today. Modell says the success of the DASH system is due to its employees, whose dedication, hard work, and high morale has helped to attract and retain new customers. DASH has built its reputation on strong customer and community service. "We get many recognition letters from customers, community members and city officials about our wonderful, professional, safe and courteous employees," she says.

DASH Difference Award makes a difference

Employee recognition plays a key role in highlighting outstanding performance, focusing on reinforcing and recognizing excellent performance. DASH posts a monthly honor role of operators who had outstanding performance in safety, attendance and customer relations. It also has an annual, well-attended employee awards banquet at a hotel, complete with dinner and dancing. The ceremony recognizes outstanding employee and recognizes all levels of transportation, maintenance and administration employees, including the coveted "DASH Difference" Award.

Throughout the year, the organization provides many opportunities to bring employees together in social settings. These activities include holiday and special event luncheons, monthly birthdays, company picnics, fish fry and cook-outs. Quarterly, DASH hosts pool tournaments, ice cream socials and a Breakfast Bowl at the bowling alley with awards for the highest scores. Each Christmas employees receive a holiday turkey or grocery gift card.

Three years ago, DASH created operator work assignments that include two-week schedules to provide operators every other weekend off. The result was a 25% drop in call-offs on weekends. Also, operators are eligible to select these assignments within their first six months of employment, which helps with employee retention.

Free YMCA memberships for employees

DASH has an excellent employee benefit package that includes a number of wellness programs along with the traditional package. Even with the rising cost of health insurance, employees are still provided with 100% company-paid single-coverage health insurance. In addition, employees are given a free YMCA membership and DASH recently began a Weight Watchers At-Work Program. In the first session, DASH employees lost a collective 85 pounds.

Although serious work is always at the core of DASH, it supports family and encourages fun. "As the general manager for 18 years, it has been my goal and pleasure to provide a workplace where people want to come to work," Modell says. "We have done extensive supervisory training to provide the right mindset on how to communicate and treat employees. Our board of directors has been extremely supportive and our chairman, Bill Hurd of 22 years who retired at 90, was a great mentor."

A stable funding source has helped to create a secure environment for DASH employees. "In fact, just last month we held a groundbreaking ceremony for our new DASH facility, which will allow us to double the size of our fleet and our company in the near future," Modell says.

For more information about DASH, visit www.dashbus.com.

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