AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation confirms it has attempted to contact the more than 720 KXAN viewers who reached out to our team after receiving no resolution or reply from the state agency about persistent problems with the tollway operating system, TxTag.

“I’m one of the people that had trouble with their TxTag, and it’s just amazing how fast it was all fixed,” one woman said in a voicemail left for KXAN regarding the impact our investigation had on the agency’s response time. “I had a wonderful guy at TxTag … who helped me and got everything resolved after years of aggravation and heartache.”

Those viewers sent their stories to KXAN during a monthlong online crowdsourcing campaign ahead of the launch of our “TxTag Troubles” project. KXAN provided TxDOT media personnel with names, phone numbers, email addresses and details about each person’s problem, following agency officials promising on-camera in late March they were “happy to help out” and “get solutions” for complaints we had received.

For a month before publishing our investigations, KXAN conducted its “Share Your Story” crowdsourcing campaign, encouraging viewers to submit details on their TxTag troubles using this online form. Hundreds responded, and our team sent all submissions to TxDOT for possible resolution and used some in our reporting — along with the video gallery at the top of this page. The submission process is now closed, and we thank those who helped us with this portion of our project. (KXAN Photo)

The day after that exchange, KXAN gave TxDOT a thumb drive containing more than 150 viewer tips about TxTag billing and customer service problems from the past three years. The agency looked into those tips and tried to help with those still unresolved. Days later, we crowdsourced for current complaints through an online email form. Over the next month, more than 720 people responded with details we shared with agency officials.

When our investigation launched in early May, we followed up with those viewers by email, explaining our efforts to pass along their information with the hope that TxDOT would continue addressing viewers’ specific issues.

Following the launch of its first stories in this project, KXAN emailed the 728 viewers who sent their complaints to us during our crowdsourcing campaign (KXAN Photo)

“Regarding your tip – beyond the video interviews highlighted in our reports and KXAN sending complaints to TxDOT for possible review – the hundreds of other stories we collected will continue being a valuable tool for customer accountability,” we wrote. “Our team told Texas lawmakers about those complaints, leading to meaningful dialogue at the State Capitol – and possible policy changes down the road. And we continue to press TxDOT for answers based on what we learned from viewers, also repeating our request for the agency to review the tips and uphold its promise to its customers.”

We later learned from a viewer that within days of that message – which we also sent to TxDOT – and our first report airing, TxTag customer service emailed KXAN viewers from our list to speed up the resolution process.

TxTag Customer Service emailed more than 720 KXAN viewers who had recent, unresolved toll-related complaints. The email listed a dedicated phone line to expedite the resolution process. At TxDOT’s request, we are not showing that number in order to continue streamlining helping those specific customers. (KXAN Photo)

“We understand that you may have an unresolved issue regarding your TxTag account,” the email said. “If this is the case, please visit TxTag.org and submit an online inquiry that includes your account number. Please be sure to include ‘Unresolved Issue’ in the subject line of your email. You may also call … a dedicated phone line that will be available until May 31, 2023.”

TxDOT verified it “set up a dedicated phone line and sent an email to everyone on the list (KXAN) provided.” Within a week, dozens of customers had responded, and most of their cases were then resolved, according to Adam Hammons, the agency’s media relations director.

Email exchange between TxDOT and KXAN confirming the state agency had reached out to all 720+ viewers who used the station’s crowdsourcing form to submit a recent complaint after receiving no resolution or reply from TxTag (KXAN Photo)

“Customer service representatives are working to find more information to resolve the remaining cases,” Hammons explained. “We ask that you do not share this phone number on air, as we are using it to handle the complaints (KXAN) reported … If viewers are still having issues, they can reach out via the normal TxTag channels.”

When KXAN called the phone number, there was no wait, and an operator indicated our reporting led to this faster, more direct option. While it is unclear if that streamlined approach and additional efforts to follow up with these frustrations would be offered to all TxTag customers, the email sent to KXAN viewers suggested an intent to improve.

“Our staff remains dedicated to addressing outstanding account issues and customer service complaints as quickly as possible,” the email said. “TxTag and TxDOT value your feedback as it is used to assist in improving system performance, customer service expectations and user experience.”

While our crowdsourcing campaign has ended, we continue to investigate TxTag. We want to hear from viewers who still have problems, but they should first reach out to TxTag with questions. Call its customer service line at 1-888-468-9824, chat with a representative online, submit an online inquiry, or stop by in-person at one of its customer service centers.