NJT: Dunkin Donuts Opens the Station, Not Us

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Doors wouldn’t open at train station and NJ Transit threw Dunkin’ under the bus

https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/03/doors-wouldnt-open-at-train-station-and-nj-transit-threw-dunkin-under-the-bus.html?outputType=amp

Time to make the donuts — and open the train station?

Commuters were baffled Thursday morning when they found out NJ Transit relies on Dunkin’ employees to open a Mercer County train station. Maybe it’s time for Wawa to be in charge?

It started as a typical day for the person behind NJ Transit’s official twitter — identified as “TB” — answering questions from frustrated commuters complaining about delayed trains.

Among the flurry of delayed train tweets, a question about who opens the Hamilton train station was sprinkled in.

NJ Transit didn’t sugarcoat it, stating Dunkin’ Donuts is responsible for opening the doors every morning at the Hamilton station.

Twitter users had trouble getting on board with that, prompting the first tweet response:

 

Through its official twitter, NJ Transit explained it’s in the contract the vendor has with the station.

“NJ TRANSIT has an arrangement with Dunkin Donuts that allows the vendor access to Hamilton station to prepare for business before the station’s ticket window officially opens at 6 a.m.," NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said in a statement.

While the Dunkin’ manager said he does not know what is explicitly stated in the contract, he believes the responsibility to open the doors falls on a transit employee or janitor.

“We have to open our store at 4:30 in the morning, so if the lobby is not open, we have to open it for them. Without the lobby open, there’s no access to come in the store,” said Fazid, the manager of the store. He declined to give his last name and directed specific questions to his district manager, who did not immediately respond to request for comment.

He pointed out that regardless, a Dunkin’ employee does open the lobby on most days, between 4 and 4:30 a.m.

“On occasion, staff of Dunkin Donuts, as a courtesy to customers, has unlocked the station doors to allow for entry,” Snyder said.

“Additionally, there is a small area of Hamilton station where customer can stand protected from the weather elements 24 hours a day, seven days a week," she said.

NJ Transit may have thought the tweet was a slam dunk, but for the second time this week customers creamed them.

NJ Transit directed customers to fill out a complaint form.