Avanti take needless announcements to a new level

[Bletchleyite]

Bags: sensible, they reduce the damage and injuries caused by spills.

Announcing it over the PA: totally unnecessary. Have a sign or tell each customer as they purchase.

 

[Tester]

It would be good if we got someone who works at Avanti to comment as they probably know.

But at a guess for this specific announcement I'd probably say that the staff got fed up of being asked why they're putting it in a bag and potentially even getting customers being rude/obnoxious with them and so raised it with management and that's where the announcement came in. Probably by some staff survey or otherwise. I doubt they'd add the announcement without any reason or backstory as it costs to record etc.

I recall back in my retail days that cashiers regularly got frustrated with having to ask a specific question to customers and they'd get all sorts of abuse for it and in the end we put up large signs saying that it wasn't the cashier's fault, it was a requirement they asked.

Perhaps the additional information l heard once with the standard announcement, that it is a requirement of their insurers, is true.

There again that could just be something that the announcer made up

 

[styles]

Perhaps the additional information l heard once with the standard announcement, that it is a requirement of their insurers, is true.

There again that could just be something that the announcer made up

I'd be surprised if an insurer was quite that specific, as much as they can get bogged down in detail. Avanti are already doing "more" than some other operators by serving it in a paper bag; announcing to all passengers in advance that they're going to do it isn't really improving safety unless there's likely to be physical assault from passengers absolutely raging about the bag.

 

[Toby268]

It would be good if we got someone who works at Avanti to comment as they probably know.

But at a guess for this specific announcement I'd probably say that the staff got fed up of being asked why they're putting it in a bag and potentially even getting customers being rude/obnoxious with them and so raised it with management and that's where the announcement came in. Probably by some staff survey or otherwise. I doubt they'd add the announcement without any reason or backstory as it costs to record etc.

I recall back in my retail days that cashiers regularly got frustrated with having to ask a specific question to customers and they'd get all sorts of abuse for it and in the end we put up large signs saying that it wasn't the cashier's fault, it was a requirement they asked.

It’s mandated by the safety team. If they don’t say it, they will get pulled up. The amount of secret shoppers going about now, announcements is one of the questions they are asked to assess on, along with audits from management, very frequently they will be pulled up if not saying everything that’s been mandated in announcements.

Believe it or not, it’s got better as a few years ago the company were saying it’s mandatory for a shop announcement to be made departing every stop and this instruction had came from the DFT. Try making announcements at every stop via the midlands. People don’t want to hear it and staff don’t have the time either. The point has been made that announcements playing all the time, will cause people to drown out the important ones.

There’s some staff that take things too literally and will add extra bits on. However the hot bag announcement and the one about doors closing when walking through the train, is mandatory to be made and was mandated by the safety team, who in recent years, seem to be finding issues everywhere that were never a problem for many years (in some cases decades) before, not just what’s being heard in announcements.

 

[BuhSnarf]

It’s mandated by the safety team. If they don’t say it, they will get pulled up. The amount of secret shoppers going about now, announcements is one of the questions they are asked to assess on, along with audits from management, very frequently they will be pulled up if not saying everything that’s been mandated in announcements.

Believe it or not, it’s got better as a few years ago the company were saying it’s mandatory for a shop announcement to be made departing every stop and this instruction had came from the DFT. Try making announcements at every stop via the midlands. People don’t want to hear it and staff don’t have the time either. The point has been made that announcements playing all the time, will cause people to drown out the important ones.

There’s some staff that take things too literally and will add extra bits on. However the hot bag announcement and the one about doors closing when walking through the train, is mandatory to be made and was mandated by the safety team, who in recent years, seem to be finding issues everywhere that were never a problem for many years (in some cases decades) before, not just what’s being heard in announcements.

Then I guess the best thing for us to do is to have someone who works at Avanti who can ask the safety team and then we can get the answer as opposed to all this speculating.

As I say, rarely do announcements stem from nothing. There will have been a catalyst, now whether it's worthy of the announcement is another question of course. But it'd be good to know what sparked it being something that is checked upon.

 

[Via Bank]

Has anyone actually assessed the effectiveness of these announcements? Has the number of recorded incidents gone down since they were introduced? Otherwise this is groupthink/cargo cult mentality.

 

[Chrism20]

I totally understand the safety announcements and if they need to be done fair enough, however someone needs to question whether or not someone wittering on for 4m38s - yes I have timed it! giving a full monologue about the benefits of a larger seat in standard premium is actually useful or effective

By the time that rendition had finished eyes were rolling by the time the poor sod in the shop had to give the safety warning about hot cups of coffee and people were just thinking WTAF now

 

[Krokodil]

I've just been on one of Arriva's new buses. Every time that someone rings the bell (still the traditional "ding"), a voice announces that the bus will be stopping and implores us to stay seated until the bus has come to "a complete stop". Not sure how the 32 standing passengers the bus is rated to carry are supposed to remain seated.

Neither the screens nor the auto announcer provide any useful information like the identity of the next stop, though I think that this is down to a fault.

 

[43096]

I've just been on one of Arriva's new buses. Every time that someone rings the bell (still the traditional "ding"), a voice announces that the bus will be stopping and implores us to stay seated until the bus has come to "a complete stop". Not sure how the 32 standing passengers the bus is rated to carry are supposed to remain seated.

Can anyone explain how something can come to "a partial stop"?

 

[BuhSnarf]

I've just been on one of Arriva's new buses. Every time that someone rings the bell (still the traditional "ding"), a voice announces that the bus will be stopping and implores us to stay seated until the bus has come to "a complete stop". Not sure how the 32 standing passengers the bus is rated to carry are supposed to remain seated.

Neither the screens nor the auto announcer provide any useful information like the identity of the next stop, though I think that this is down to a fault.

I believe this behaviour is when the Hannover kit gets installed - if they haven't been programmed correctly then you get two messages:

"Welcome aboard" when the bus stops and the doors open.
"Please stay seated until the bus comes to a complete stop" when the button is pressed.

This seems to be a speciality of Stagecoach Midlands who seem to be rather slow at programming the kit to the route and so you just get the two messages repeated for the full journey. They only have another 8 days to get it fixed....

 

[Wolfie]

I think that is partly because a previous generation of trains, such as HSTs, had foot sensors which would open the doors automatically in response to stepping on them. Why these haven't been fitted to more recent trains is somewhat puzzling.

At least in part because luggage not fully into the bottom racks had an unfortunate habit of constantly triggering the door opening mechanism....

 

[Falcon1200]

don't do an announcement at all and just tell people when they buy a hot drink.

tell each customer as they purchase.

Which would require a separate message to each and every person buying a hot drink rather than one (albeit repeated) for the whole train - Inefficient.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've just been on one of Arriva's new buses. Every time that someone rings the bell (still the traditional "ding"), a voice announces that the bus will be stopping and implores us to stay seated until the bus has come to "a complete stop". Not sure how the 32 standing passengers the bus is rated to carry are supposed to remain seated.

Neither the screens nor the auto announcer provide any useful information like the identity of the next stop, though I think that this is down to a fault.

There was a London bus company years ago whose buses announced "bus stopping at next bus stop, please stand clear of doors" every time the bell was pressed. Grossly irritating and unnecessary given that "ding" conveys that information.

Which would require a separate message to each and every person buying a hot drink rather than one (albeit repeated) for the whole train - Inefficient.

More effective, though, as plenty pay no information to announcements. And probably only needed if someone says "I don't need a bag, thanks" or starts to take it out.

 

[Falcon1200]

And probably only needed if someone says "I don't need a bag, thanks" or starts to take it out.

Fair point!

Perhaps Avanti should make it an additional reason to visit the Shop. 'with every hot drink a free bag'........

 

[43096]

Which would require a separate message to each and every person buying a hot drink rather than one (albeit repeated) for the whole train - Inefficient.

What a limp excuse. It will be far more effective targeted at people actually in the process of buying hot drinks, rather than being added to the incessant PA drivel that many will tune out to.

 

[Bikeman78]

I'd be surprised if an insurer was quite that specific, as much as they can get bogged down in detail. Avanti are already doing "more" than some other operators by serving it in a paper bag; announcing to all passengers in advance that they're going to do it isn't really improving safety unless there's likely to be physical assault from passengers absolutely raging about the bag.

The paper bags go back to the loco hauled Virgin era. They put the drink in a bag. If I take it out and walk off, that's up to me but they've done their bit. No different to someone buying a drink at the station and then moving to a different seat after departure. I've done that.

 

[Jimini]

There was a London bus company years ago whose buses announced "bus stopping at next bus stop, please stand clear of doors" every time the bell was pressed. Grossly irritating and unnecessary given that "ding" conveys that information.

Blimey, that takes me back. Remember that from ~2002, think it was the 407 I used to catch from Waddon to Carshalton? Incredibly annoying!

 

[Falcon1200]

What a limp excuse.

Charming response - directed at Avanti hopefully.

 

[Merle Haggard]

The paper bags go back to the loco hauled Virgin era. They put the drink in a bag. If I take it out and walk off, that's up to me but they've done their bit. No different to someone buying a drink at the station and then moving to a different seat after departure. I've done that.

I have mentioned this on another thread somewhere but I tried to do this at the buffet on a Voyager (no at-seat) and the hosts gesticulated and pointed at the CCTV camera that focussed down on to the counter. I think it might well have had audio, too.

They certainly seemed concerned about being dobbed in.

I've just been on one of Arriva's new buses. Every time that someone rings the bell (still the traditional "ding"), a voice announces that the bus will be stopping and implores us to stay seated until the bus has come to "a complete stop". Not sure how the 32 standing passengers the bus is rated to carry are supposed to remain seated.

Neither the screens nor the auto announcer provide any useful information like the identity of the next stop, though I think that this is down to a fault.

On the loco-hauled morning peak Derby - London service before central door locking one particular conductor's announcement was always 'wait until the train has come to a FULL STOP before you open the doors'

Cue commuters pointing at the platform and saying to each other such gems of wit as "that's a semi-colon, we can't open the door yet'.

 

[Krokodil]

On the loco-hauled morning peak Derby - London service before central door locking one particular conductor's announcement was always 'wait until the train has come to a FULL STOP before you open the doors'

Good job he wasn't working Mk1 EMUs in third rail land!

 

[Sprinter107]

On a Cross Country service leaving Plymouth yesterday evening, we were given a lecture about how we were on public transport, therefore we should get used to public sitting next to us, and our bags and luggage weren't people, but would be charged as such. Went on for almost 5 minutes. There were 5 of us in the whole carriage.
Now I can understand about bags on seats, but this 5 minute lecture wasnt nice at all, the tone was quite threatening. Had I not have been in a hurry, id have got off at the next stop and waited for a following GWR service.

 

[Rail2002]

Something I've noticed is that where there are automated announcements, the TM/SC sometimes duplicates them with a manual announcement, repeating exactly what was said before. I can't see the point in it and all it does is delay the ticket inspection.

 

[TUC]

Something I've noticed is that where there are automated announcements, the TM/SC sometimes duplicates them with a manual announcement, repeating exactly what was said before. I can't see the point in it and all it does is delay the ticket inspection.

They do, but I suspect I'm not the only one who takes more notice of a live announcement from a real human, with all their intonations and individual styles, than the automated voice saying the same things with the same pitch for the 10th that journey.

 

[speedy1]

Something I've noticed is that where there are automated announcements, the TM/SC sometimes duplicates them with a manual announcement, repeating exactly what was said before. I can't see the point in it and all it does is delay the ticket inspection.

I see it as an admission of the poor efficacy or even near uselessness of the automated announcements, and vindication of many of us on this thread

 

[adc82140]

Which would require a separate message to each and every person buying a hot drink rather than one (albeit repeated) for the whole train - Inefficient.

I volunteer at a community cinema. We have a bit of a steep step just after the exit. As duty manager, after the film, I will hold the exit door and say "mind the step" to everyone that leaves. I don't feel that there should be an announcement about the step in the auditorium when the film ends. It would firstly be annoying, and secondly a bit abstract, and probably forgotten about by the time you actually got to the step.

The same applies to the bag announcement. By the time you've decided to have a hot drink, walked to the shop and bought it, then any generic waffle has long since been forgotten, but a "careful it's hot" at the time of purchase would be appropriate.

 

[TUC]

I bought a coffee on a Grand Central service tonight. The staff member put it in a bag. He did not feel the need to make any comment, nor were there on-train announcements. It is very hard to see why Avanti think they are different.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I bought a coffee on a Grand Central service tonight. The staff member put it in a bag. He did not feel the need to make any comment, nor were there on-train announcements. It is very hard to see why Avanti think they are different.

I've just boarded an Avanti train and the Shop Assistant stated about the mandatory bag for any hot drinks sold during her announcement. I'm guessing it's a new thing because I don't remember it being specifically stated until recently.

 

[BG2024]

Avanti's post-sale emails are now just as spammy as the announcements.

"You're travelling with us tomorrow!"
"You're travelling with us today!"
"How was your journey with us today?"

Particularly annoying when buried among them was the email telling me my train is cancelled.