First Railway Job

[ChrisTheRef]

I am just about to finish my A Levels and really don't fancy university.

I'd love a job on the railway as I think I'd be really good in any customer facing role. Whilst I have 5 years experience refereeing and have lots of awesome things to write about it, but for every place I apply for, somebody's going to have more experience facing customers and I can't really see anyway to get my foot in the door.

Ideas would be greatly appreciated. Much love!

 

[mumrar]

I am just about to finish my A Levels and really don't fancy university.

I'd love a job on the railway as I think I'd be really good in any customer facing role. Whilst I have 5 years experience refereeing and have lots of awesome things to write about it, but for every place I apply for, somebody's going to have more experience facing customers and I can't really see anyway to get my foot in the door.

Ideas would be greatly appreciated. Much love!

Well, in customer facing roles on the railway it is quite often you will come up against a 'tough call' and also some aggression from customers. As a referee, you must have excellent experience in this area, at balancing being Devils advocate. That and plenty of common sense, keeness to learn and being able to make the harder choices. Sometimes things are not what they seem, so judgement is important to build up.

 

[DavyCrocket]

As above, as a referee you have customers. The teams, fans and the people who make the rules. Some might be dificult and have to have things explained to them as to whats gone on...

 

[richw]

what do you referee, i've been refereeing rugby since i was 16 (now 22) and my refereeing helped me get a restaurant managerial role despite no proper management experience, as the employer felt refereeing was management of the 30 rugby players, and he also stated he felt that was more difficult than managing the restaurant as the sports players are far more difficult to control especially at my age

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Football, I'm pretty good at it too.

I may well use that. I haven't gone for managerial roles as I'm getting rejected from things which are lower down. Thanks for the help

 

[attics26]

have to say thought refs were blind so can see no benefit in future employment - best keep being ref a secret ! .... tho seriously wish you all the best in securing a worthwhile position.
while some customers will think you know nowt atleast its not quite reffing where both teams think you are wrong.

 

[142094]

What I'm sure you'll find is once you have your foot in the door, then it is much easier getting up the ranks than it would be for an outsider. Keep checking the vacancies lists and hope that some sort of platform staff or ticket office role comes up.

 

[First class]

My TOC has recently issued 'guidance' stating "the customer is always right" and "never engage into any argument".

From what I've gathered we're just to advise if their ticket is invalid- not to actually do anything about it except pass to Revenue Protection if they are there (and they have been banned from being static at my location). Pretty much a 'you're ticket is invalid- you'll have to buy one over there'. If they say it is valid, let them through anyway! I first thought this might be an attempt to increase PFs but it seems not- simply it is a misguided way of "improving" customer service. It's not just ticket restrictions, it's altered passes...anything... probably worried other customers think we are "heavy handed" or "unapproachable".

I personally think that my TOC in particular would prefer people who just stand there smiling and waving people through asking how their day has been.

Another latest one is trying to make "suggestive sells" to people who miss their train. It doesn't say try and offer them alternative routes, (indeed no training is provided for staff to even tell them what these alternatives are!) it says tell them they can buy a coffee from the ticket office!

I would strongly recommend AGAINST saying you can handle/manage conflict with this TOC, (maybe the OPs local TOC), because they want you to say there won't be any to start with by always accepting the customer is right regardless of what they say/do/have.

either way-
A Liverpool-based TOC, (Merseyrail), should be recruiting Station Assistants for the Liverpool City Centre area soon. So check http://www.merseyrail.org/careers.html over the next few weeks.

I've finally learnt that I get paid no matter what - not me losing the revenue. If they want me to stand there asking how people are being Mr Customer Service, then I'm getting paid extremely well. When I'm filling in an abuse form for some of the responses I will receive back, it's paperwork for them! I do wonder how long these "ideas" will stay for though once they realise the amount of revenue that is being lost through the Underground stations! I'd have a serious think about joining the railway though... it seems good when you have enthusiasm for the career path. Management are more interested in everyone being uniform, following THEIR procedures, not using your own knowledge. They think they are helping the business- maybe they are - but you get no extra thanks for doing that bit more than everyone else. Plus the shifts! Argh! They take some getting used to!! Don't forget that a lot of threads on this forum are negative ones about railway staff who were simply following instructions...

All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than animals that know nothing.

 

[CarterUSM]

My TOC has recently issued 'guidance' stating "the customer is always right" and "never engage into any argument".

From what I've gathered we're just to advise if their ticket is invalid- not to actually do anything about it except pass to Revenue Protection if they are there (and they have been banned from being static at my location). Pretty much a 'you're ticket is invalid- you'll have to buy one over there'. If they say it is valid, let them through anyway! I first thought this might be an attempt to increase PFs but it seems not- simply it is a misguided way of "improving" customer service. It's not just ticket restrictions, it's altered passes...anything... probably worried other customers think we are "heavy handed" or "unapproachable".

I personally think that my TOC in particular would prefer people who just stand there smiling and waving people through asking how their day has been.

Another latest one is trying to make "suggestive sells" to people who miss their train. It doesn't say try and offer them alternative routes, (indeed no training is provided for staff to even tell them what these alternatives are!) it says tell them they can buy a coffee from the ticket office!

I would strongly recommend AGAINST saying you can handle/manage conflict with this TOC, (maybe the OPs local TOC), because they want you to say there won't be any to start with by always accepting the customer is right regardless of what they say/do/have.

either way-
A Liverpool-based TOC, (Merseyrail), should be recruiting Station Assistants for the Liverpool City Centre area soon. So check http://www.merseyrail.org/careers.html over the next few weeks.

I've finally learnt that I get paid no matter what - not me losing the revenue. If they want me to stand there asking how people are being Mr Customer Service, then I'm getting paid extremely well. When I'm filling in an abuse form for some of the responses I will receive back, it's paperwork for them! I do wonder how long these "ideas" will stay for though once they realise the amount of revenue that is being lost through the Underground stations! I'd have a serious think about joining the railway though... it seems good when you have enthusiasm for the career path. Management are more interested in everyone being uniform, following THEIR procedures, not using your own knowledge. They think they are helping the business- maybe they are - but you get no extra thanks for doing that bit more than everyone else. Plus the shifts! Argh! They take some getting used to!! Don't forget that a lot of threads on this forum are negative ones about railway staff who were simply following instructions...

All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than animals that know nothing.

That's a very apt, thought provoking and rather sad post. I can relate to many of those points you've made, i still cannot work out whether the way you've stated your company is going, is a good or bad thing, i can see a lot of parallels with my own employer though, that is for sure, while i enjoy my job, it is very easy to get bogged down with the negativity so prevalent at the moment.

 

[ChrisTheRef]

My TOC has recently issued 'guidance' stating "the customer is always right" and "never engage into any argument".

From what I've gathered we're just to advise if their ticket is invalid- not to actually do anything about it except pass to Revenue Protection if they are there (and they have been banned from being static at my location). Pretty much a 'you're ticket is invalid- you'll have to buy one over there'. If they say it is valid, let them through anyway! I first thought this might be an attempt to increase PFs but it seems not- simply it is a misguided way of "improving" customer service. It's not just ticket restrictions, it's altered passes...anything... probably worried other customers think we are "heavy handed" or "unapproachable".

I personally think that my TOC in particular would prefer people who just stand there smiling and waving people through asking how their day has been.

Another latest one is trying to make "suggestive sells" to people who miss their train. It doesn't say try and offer them alternative routes, (indeed no training is provided for staff to even tell them what these alternatives are!) it says tell them they can buy a coffee from the ticket office!

I would strongly recommend AGAINST saying you can handle/manage conflict with this TOC, (maybe the OPs local TOC), because they want you to say there won't be any to start with by always accepting the customer is right regardless of what they say/do/have.

either way-
A Liverpool-based TOC, (Merseyrail), should be recruiting Station Assistants for the Liverpool City Centre area soon. So check http://www.merseyrail.org/careers.html over the next few weeks.

I've finally learnt that I get paid no matter what - not me losing the revenue. If they want me to stand there asking how people are being Mr Customer Service, then I'm getting paid extremely well. When I'm filling in an abuse form for some of the responses I will receive back, it's paperwork for them! I do wonder how long these "ideas" will stay for though once they realise the amount of revenue that is being lost through the Underground stations! I'd have a serious think about joining the railway though... it seems good when you have enthusiasm for the career path. Management are more interested in everyone being uniform, following THEIR procedures, not using your own knowledge. They think they are helping the business- maybe they are - but you get no extra thanks for doing that bit more than everyone else. Plus the shifts! Argh! They take some getting used to!! Don't forget that a lot of threads on this forum are negative ones about railway staff who were simply following instructions...

All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than animals that know nothing.

First Class, that is a sad post, and yes, I hate your employer too...

I do think they have been too heavy handed in the past, but this is clearly too far the other way.

Does explain my recent situation though. On Wednesday, I tried to buy a ticket at Aigburth (travelling from a secondary school you might be slightly familiar with ) and found the ticket office to be shut with a sign saying "Ticket office staff are currently unavailable. Please buy your ticket at your destination" Having been through Central many times before, I thought I'd be dragged aside by a man wearing a stupid hat, read a riot act and penalty fared. The man on the barrier just directed me towards the shop, not even looking back to see if I'd actually gone inside to buy one!

Sad times, sad times.

 

[Aictos]

What I'm sure you'll find is once you have your foot in the door, then it is much easier getting up the ranks than it would be for an outsider. Keep checking the vacancies lists and hope that some sort of platform staff or ticket office role comes up.

You don't always have to start as platform staff or work in the booking office to get a job with the railway but they are just two examples.

If you use me as a example, I got a tip off that FCC were looking for shunters in the Peterborough area so went though and lost out at the interview but the interviewing manager offered me a alternative job as a cleaner based at Hornsey.

I then worked there for about a month before being transferred to Kings Cross for about 3 months before transferring yet again to Welwyn to train as a general purpose relief working as a cleaner or shunter before losing out and transferring back home to Peterborough as a turnround cleaner on the platform before finally getting my current position as a dispatcher based on the Hertford area.

So with that being said, just put in for any job with the railway even if it means cleaning then once a opening comes up just go for it as you would already have had your foot in the door.

 

[142094]

You don't always have to start as platform staff or work in the booking office to get a job with the railway but they are just two examples.

Very true, any job really will get you inside the company and probably at a better advantage when it comes to other jobs that need more experience. Northern always seem to be looking for train presentation crew at various depots so maybe that would be a good starting point for Christheref.

 

[mumrar]

Very true, any job really will get you inside the company and probably at a better advantage when it comes to other jobs that need more experience. Northern always seem to be looking for train presentation crew at various depots so maybe that would be a good starting point for Christheref.

As an example of this I started in 1997 as a guard, straight off the street having just turned 19. Only previous work was in a bar.

 

[142094]

What kind of qualifications to guards/drivers/managers usually have?

 

[richw]

have to say thought refs were blind so can see no benefit in future employment - best keep being ref a secret !

sometimes we can do a good job, i have refereed county games and a cup final, and i'm only 22 must be doing something right, tbh i agree with what you say though after watching some referees, although unless your a neutral you'll rarely appreciate a good referee, as bound to make a decision against you thats borderline at some point!
, i must say the english linesman was outstanding in the italy slovakia game, he was very good, and got several brilliant close calls, that was no more than an inch or so offside, i dont think the italians were impressed by his inch perfect calls

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Rich, are you on this?

And what level are you? (sorry to go off topic!)