While many commuters would like to to see Ventra run out of town on a rail, the Chicago Transit Authority's new fare payment service is determined to get on its customers' good side through a good old-fashioned phone call.
The CTA announced Tuesday that Ventra plans to make "courtesy calls" to Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus holders who may still be having trouble activating their new Ventra plastic, Fox Chicago reports.
"These are courtesy calls to a subset of Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus customers who are in the transition process,” a CTA spokeswoman said according to the Sun-Times.
Though the calls are expected to go out to "an unspecified portion" of the 300,000 Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus holders, that's where details of Ventra's PR plan stall. The Sun-Times reports it was unknown who is making the calls -- CTA staff or Ventra's owner -- what time the calls would be made and on what days customers should expect the calls.
However, RedEye reports the calls are expected to be completed by Nov. 1., two weeks before Ventra phases out Chicago Cards completely on Nov. 15.
In light of the bumpy rollout, Ventra has already pushed back several deadlines, including when it would phase out the use of the longtime magnetic strip fare card.