Investigative Summary:
This story is part of KXAN’s “TxTag Troubles” investigative project launched May 7, 2023. Following related reports in recent years, our team rededicated its resources to this major consumer issue, after hundreds of viewers complained to us about resurfaced billing and customer service problems with the state’s tollway operator and its contracted vendors. During our reporting, the Texas Department of Transportation began reaching out to viewers who had contacted KXAN to resolve their issues, and state lawmakers renewed their approach to fixing future TxTag problems.
PLANO, Texas (KXAN) — The mood is romantic, lights are dim, soft music plays in the background.
A couple dressed up laughs as the waiter drops off their check.
It’s a first date.
“This was great, and you even look like your profile,” she says as her date takes out a 25% off coupon clipped from a newspaper.
“Is that a coupon?” she asks.
“Yeah — well… ” he responds shyly.
“I love saving money, too. You should get a TollTag and save on tolls,” she points out excitedly, gesturing with her felt arm.
“Baby, I have a TollTag,” he says confidently.
The 32-second video featuring puppets is part of a campaign encouraging drivers to save money on tolls by getting a TollTag — and it’s part of an effort in North Texas that emphasizes a customer-first approach.
The North Texas Tollway Authority, or NTTA explained the TollTag is the most cost effective and efficient way to pay for tolls. It is a sticker mounted on the windshield and uses a radio frequency to communicate with tolling equipment, which automatically deducts tolls from a driver’s prepaid TollTag account.
Data show last year NTTA had nearly 16 million interactions with customers. The number is fewer than 2% of all its driver transactions in the same timeframe. Fewer than half a percent of that number escalated to an Ombudsman. (KXAN Graphic/Wendy Gonzalez)
“If, for any reason, our customer service agents are unable to resolve a customer’s situation, we have the Ombudsman work with customers on a resolution. The Ombudsman also works with customers on any questions that may be more complex,” Rey said. “NTTA processes more than 1 billion toll transactions each year. As you can imagine with that tremendously high volume of system activity, mistakes are, unfortunately, inevitable. We are not perfect. However, it’s important to us to work with customers to resolve customer concerns or issues as quickly as we can.”
The toll operator explained the transactions include all NTTA roads, as well as TollTag transactions for parking at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Airport and TEXpress Lanes in North Texas.
Other measures NTTA has in place include manually reviewing invoices generated by license plates seen for the first time on its roads. NTTA explained human eyes inspect the license plate information on the invoice and the image from when the car went through the toll to ensure accuracy.