National Express Driving Standands?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the Bristol Post

A passenger has described the ride from hell after their National Express coach trip hit troubles after passing Bristol on the M5.

The driver of the coach has been described as routinely being aggressive and swearing at passengers, carrying out emergency stops and driving the wrong direction, causing the journey to finish in Exeter two hours late.

The company is investigating the claims and has allegedly suspended the driver after the trip from London to Totnes.

Article continues ... and I'm sure there are two sides to the story.   

Rather makes me appreciate the routine professionalism and politeness of 99.9% of customer facing rail staff we come across in real life as we travel. (and drivers, though we rarely interact with them as they're in a separate cab, are typically a great bunch too on those rare occasions we do say a few words.)

[TaplowGreen]

From the Bristol Post

A passenger has described the ride from hell after their National Express coach trip hit troubles after passing Bristol on the M5.

The driver of the coach has been described as routinely being aggressive and swearing at passengers, carrying out emergency stops and driving the wrong direction, causing the journey to finish in Exeter two hours late.

The company is investigating the claims and has allegedly suspended the driver after the trip from London to Totnes.

Article continues ... and I'm sure there are two sides to the story.   

Rather makes me appreciate the routine professionalism and politeness of 99.9% of customer facing rail staff we come across in real life as we travel. (and drivers, though we rarely interact with them as they're in a separate cab, are typically a great bunch too on those rare occasions we do say a few words.)

"99.9%" is pushing it in my experience, especially on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley), but I am sure that the vast majority of staff across all transport modes aspire to provide an excellent service irrespective of wheels, rails or wings - as always it's the few that let down the many, and get themselves and their employers in the newspapers as a result.

Of course some of those employers and industries have a more modern, enlightened culture and attitude to customer service than others.

[Robin Summerhill]

Those of us who regularly ride on buses, especially if they are also drivers or ex-drivers themselves, will be well aware of the differing standards and driving style between individual drivers.

I was on a Chippenham Town service yesterday with a driver I had never come across before (our regular driver being on leave this week). I rapidly came to the conclusion that she must have shares in Ferodo... 

[grahame]

Rather makes me appreciate the routine professionalism and politeness of 99.9% of customer facing rail staff we come across in real life as we travel.

"99.9%" is pushing it in my experience, especially on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley),

Yeah - agreed - though my wording was very careful and very selective as to which limited groups it included. The "we" is, I suppose, Lisa, Billy and me these days and we rarely travel on LTV services.  I also have a known past and as with (m)any known regulars, current staff interaction perhaps subtly varies based on past interactions.

[GBM]

Those of us who regularly ride on buses, especially if they are also drivers or ex-drivers themselves, will be well aware of the differing standards and driving style between individual drivers.

I was on a Chippenham Town service yesterday with a driver I had never come across before (our regular driver being on leave this week). I rapidly came to the conclusion that she must have shares in Ferodo... 

First have a vehicle motion sensor on all their vehicles which #rates# the driving style.  Unfortunately it was apparently thrown on so some vehicles are worse than others for driving score. Crawl around roundabouts, etc.
Also add to the mix the human element of the driver.  To put it politely, we're all different!