Hello from ThirdRateWestern

[whole diary]

[Jim]

When you encounter friendly staff - do you ever compliment FGW^▸ (First Great Western) on the blogs?

You will find examples of compliments for FGW staff on this forum.

Yep, but not that many other places!

[vacman]

When you encounter friendly staff - do you ever compliment FGW^▸ (First Great Western) on the blogs?

You will find examples of compliments for FGW staff on this forum.

I totally agree with you lee, I think Jim was referring to some of the blogs out there.

[gaf71]

The customer is always right. Hmmmmm.......

You probably know that i work for FGW^▸ (First Great Western), and this happened to me last week. I booked on for duty, and went to work my first train of the day, not knowing that the previous service had been cancelled half an hour earlier. I didn't know this as i don't switch my pager on until i start work. In rolled a 142 which was then failed by the driver. After about 20 mins a 150 was found to run the service, so there were now passengers waiting for nearly an hour on unmanned stations with no information.
Part of my job is to check tickets, and when i did so the first charmer i met said "Where the f*** have you been you c***?", at which point I found out that  the previous service had been cancelled, after suffering another bout of verbal abuse. The next chap I saw didn't have a ticket, and when i asked him to buy one, his reply was " F*** you, you w****r, I'm a f***ing hour late for work because of you"

I totally understand the frustration when a train is cancelled or delayed, but no one should have to put up with this type of abuse when doing their job, especially as this was the first train of a 10 hour shift.

Anyway, 'the customer is always right'. Well i don't think I'm a c**t, but as for a w****r? Who knows!

[vacman]

I regularly get called the C word, I can't be one of them as they're usefull! 

[Tim]

I am not defending foul-mouthed abuse and anyone who calls you a W***** or c*** ought to be prosecuted.  However my point that the customer is always right still stands.

The customer is having a problem with his journey due to whatever (weather, NR^» (Network Rail - home page), FGW^▸ (First Great Western), fatality whatever it does not matter).  The moment you start work their problem is your problem.  That is what you are paid for.  The passenger has paid his fare to have the problem of "how do I get to X" taken on by someone else.

BTW^▸ (by the way) - I have complemented staff on this forum and elsewhere.  After one horendous journey from Brighton to Bath I encountered a train manager who was less than helpful - either ill-informed or dishonest (told us there was a bus waiting for us at Westbury when there wasn't just to get us off the train), a chap at Westbury information window who was trying to help but was inexperienced and unsupported and basically out of his depth. and a Guard from another train who was extremely practical and helpful in explaining the cock-up and actually starting to do someing about getting folks home in taxis.   My letter to FGW customer services mentioned all three staff. 

The chap who went above and beyond the call of duty and stayed on after his shift ended to assist did so on his own initiative (I suspect he was also stranded at Westbury, but he could have hidden in a staff room).  The other staff wheren't evil people.  The information window lad was just poorly trained and inexperienced (I am sure he would have done better if he had had the number of the control centre to phone) and I suspect that the TM^‡(resolve) was just fed up and demotivated.  Both the staff failings were contributed to by bad (or non-existent) managers.

[vacman]

The customer is having a problem with his journey due to whatever (weather, NR^» (Network Rail - home page), FGW^▸ (First Great Western), fatality whatever it does not matter).  The moment you start work their problem is your problem.  That is what you are paid for.  The passenger has paid his fare to have the problem of "how do I get to X" taken on by someone else.

I don't think anyone is disputing what your saing (above), my problem is the belittling of staff in the blog, also, a guard is not just paid to direct customers, the guards primary role is the safe operation of the train, everything else (including customer service) comes after that.

[miniman]

Should have made myself known, I work for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and regularly get abuse from passengers who think that it's "my fault" that the trains overcrowded and have even been assaulted by the same idiots, as for Tim's comments about "the customer is always right", well someone who refuses to pay their fare in a fare strike is not a customer because they have not paid for the service which they are using, when I applied for my "customer facing job" I worked for Wessex Trains and I DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) NOT GET A CHOICE IN FG WINNING THE FRANCHISE OR THE ASSOSCIATED COCK UPS! Most staff totally agree with most passengers and whatever the circumstances WE DO NOT DESERVE TO BE CALLED DI*KS or any of the other names used in minimans blog, And for all of FGW failings they have always backed me whenever a passenger has been abusive. There are numerous members of staff off sick at the moment because of stress which has been induced by aggressive passengers which in turn has meant that turns can't be covered and trains cancelled. At the end of the day FGW aren't great but a lot is down to NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) and what can FGW really do about it? I'm sure if there was anything they could do then they would because I bet they don't like the cancellations, short formations and engineering overruns any more than we or you do!

My vitriol was, of course, aimed at the FGW management, and I totally agree that the staff can't control the bizarre decisions that seem to get made by FGW. As I said, I've removed some of my more colourful terminology!

[dog box]

Point taken from all  posts.......BUT i do think some of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) forums ( not this one i might add ) tend to provoke people into having a go and prehaps expecting a perfect experience when quite clearly its not going to happen ,reasoned debate is fine as are differences of opinion but if people are going to have strong opinions clearly they need to be fully aware of ALL of the Facts before posting..... back to having a go at staff... if you drive into Bristol on a weekday and want a clear run home only to be stuck at Brislington due to roadworks etc do you wind your window down and shout abuse at the bloke digging the hole?? or if you are stuck at traffic lights on the A37 do you ring up Bristol City Council and give the receptionist some verbals?? NO so why then have a go at someone on the Railway who is only doing his job....and if that was me the bone head who had called me a F**** C*** would have been off at the next stop!!!

[grahame]

I have said it before .... although perhaps not enough. The large majority of the operational staff at First Great Western (and at National Rail and elsewhere too)  do an excellent job in very difficult circumstances.    Jim - I'm one of the bloggers, and I posted up a "top marks to" message at ten past nine on Sunday evening.  But sometimes the positive can get rather swamped by some of the "events" that seem to make every journey into an adventure, and compliments can be quickly forgotten.

The last 24 hours ... I've had a customer of mine from Melksham routed on an 18:45 departure from Chippenham via Bath (change) and Westbury (change) to Southampton .. when there was a direct train at 19:01.   And then this morning a "will it / won't it" connect worry off the belated 06:43 train. Neither the fault of operational staff - but both the sort of thing to put the person who's not "in the know" off using the service next time.

I recognise many of the staff by sight .... but don't know them by name; I would certainly call many of them my friends, and we're all on the same "side" of wanting to get appropriate services running.  Sometimes they have hard decisions to make, and one man's medicine can be another's poison.

"Joe Public" (who is actually a member here - can I speak for you, Joe?) doesn't really care if he's late for work because of a failure to invest in track or train repair, a "fatality", or some more immediate an local cause, nor does he understand which it is.  Heck - he's not a railway expert and it shouldn't matter to him.  But the staff he sees represent the train service providers and he sees them, as he should, as his first point of immediate contact with the company.  It's part of their job to represent their employer.  Joe should not, however, be anything but polite, and sometimes he does let his temper get the better of him ... and he does assume he knows more than he really does.   Always right?  No - but usually so, and should always be listened to.   I could go on for hours - I too am in the customer facing (hotel and training) business. 

[dog box]

Problem where the Railway differs from other sorts of transport is the Fact it is a safety critical environment ...if you are on a train and a signal fault or prehaps a Fatality occours you aint goin anywhere untill the safety systems/ protocols are gone through.
Weigh this up against if you are in your car and the traffic lights go wrong or there is a serious accident you can always turn round and take the 10 mile senic detour.
Also if something does happen on the Railway it puts trains and staff in the wrong place and more delays occour. like you say joe public doesnt know or care but really he should have an understanding because the Railway is totally dependant on everything happening how it should

[johoare]

Everyone, just think for a moment:

When your on a full and standing train - do you think the staff like it either?
When you miss your connection - do you think the staff had a say?
When your train is cancelled - do you think the station staff had a say?
When you encounter friendly staff - do you ever compliment FGW^▸ (First Great Western) on the blogs?

Answer to all these is:


NO

I disagree too.. Only this morning, on here,  I praised the member of FGW staff who was giving us lots and lots of really useful information over the loud speaker system yesterday morning at Maidenhead, while we slowly froze for half hour on a platform devoid of trains.. I have also e-mailed the same to FGW (admittedly on an e-mail complaining about freezing for half hour!!)..

[vacman]

Should have made myself known, I work for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and regularly get abuse from passengers who think that it's "my fault" that the trains overcrowded and have even been assaulted by the same idiots, as for Tim's comments about "the customer is always right", well someone who refuses to pay their fare in a fare strike is not a customer because they have not paid for the service which they are using, when I applied for my "customer facing job" I worked for Wessex Trains and I DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) NOT GET A CHOICE IN FG WINNING THE FRANCHISE OR THE ASSOSCIATED COCK UPS! Most staff totally agree with most passengers and whatever the circumstances WE DO NOT DESERVE TO BE CALLED DI*KS or any of the other names used in minimans blog, And for all of FGW failings they have always backed me whenever a passenger has been abusive. There are numerous members of staff off sick at the moment because of stress which has been induced by aggressive passengers which in turn has meant that turns can't be covered and trains cancelled. At the end of the day FGW aren't great but a lot is down to NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) and what can FGW really do about it? I'm sure if there was anything they could do then they would because I bet they don't like the cancellations, short formations and engineering overruns any more than we or you do!

My vitriol was, of course, aimed at the FGW management, and I totally agree that the staff can't control the bizarre decisions that seem to get made by FGW. As I said, I've removed some of my more colourful terminology!

Many thanks 

[gaf71]

Point taken from all  posts.......BUT i do think some of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) forums ( not this one i might add ) tend to provoke people into having a go and prehaps expecting a perfect experience when quite clearly its not going to happen ,reasoned debate is fine as are differences of opinion but if people are going to have strong opinions clearly they need to be fully aware of ALL of the Facts before posting..... back to having a go at staff... if you drive into Bristol on a weekday and want a clear run home only to be stuck at Brislington due to roadworks etc do you wind your window down and shout abuse at the bloke digging the hole?? or if you are stuck at traffic lights on the A37 do you ring up Bristol City Council and give the receptionist some verbals?? NO so why then have a go at someone on the Railway who is only doing his job....and if that was me the bone head who had called me a F**** C*** would have been off at the next stop!!!

I would have thrown him off, unfortunately he was getting off there anyway, so he stole my thunder. Perhaps saved me another tirade though!

[Tim]

Point taken from all  posts.......BUT i do think some of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) forums ( not this one i might add ) tend to provoke people into having a go

Perhaps.  but I would argue that the extremely high fares and stupid slogans "transforming travel" do more to give people unrealistic expectations. 

[12hoursunday]

one thing that really narks about the people that start start this types of blogs along with some of the posters on this forum is:-

THEY ARE A LOAD OF JUMPED UP TORIES WHO MOSTLY ARE TO BLAME FOR THE BOTCHED UP PRIVATASTION OF THE RAILWAY SO REALLY HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN NOW ABOUT THE DIRE SITUATION WE ARE IN. ALSO DON'T THINK YOU LABOUR NUMBTIES ARE ANY BETTER BECAUSE TO BE QUITE FRANK THAT LOT HAVE MADE IT WORSE


Its no wonder the French and German unions are fighting the privatisation of their railways when they now look and see what is happening over here.


On lighter not though I like to look at these blogs and other forums after a taxing time at work (as a driver I too get my far share of the titheads giving me abuse) to come home and read them so that I can have a great big belly laugh as I come to concuclsion that these people lead such sad lives that they have to put up postings on blogs and forums, not concerning the likes of the envorioment, world security or the state of the encomany but to slag of a train company. It's clear to me that these people have far to much time on their hands!!!


Graham (moderating) writes ...

Hey - verging on the personal attack here!  Please remember that your agreement when joining this forum is NOT to personally attack people (such as that blogger) even if you think he's ripe for it. And quite apart from anything else, you'll find that reasoned argument is a much more powerful approach.

Actually you have a darned good case against both political sides - but you have weaked it in my view by the red shouting!