Staff manners

[David Goddard]

Don't know if anyone else has noticed, but there seems to be more and more instances of rail staff doing things that they ould aprehend passengers for doing.

We saw an example yesterday when on boarding a Cross Country service at Reading, the Catering assistant was taking her break in the quiet coach, with her feet up on the seats! This hardly presents the right impression.

 

[Aictos]

Only a minority I can assure you.

 

[lookingforit35]

In an industry employing so many people, there will always be some individuals that don't have as high standards as their colleagues. It's the same in any business.

That is not an excuse, but just the reality. It is sad though that some staff would feel it acceptable to behave in a way that reflects so badly.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

...an often heard quote from past times - " This would be a lovely job if it wasn't for the passnegers". Are freight drivers happier folk than their passenger counterparts ?

 

[dk1]

Don't know if anyone else has noticed, but there seems to be more and more instances of rail staff doing things that they ould aprehend passengers for doing.

We saw an example yesterday when on boarding a Cross Country service at Reading, the Catering assistant was taking her break in the quiet coach, with her feet up on the seats! This hardly presents the right impression.

You should have seen it in BR days. Many areas had no customer service at all. You smoked where & when you wanted, if asked train times you told them to look at the boards & staff usually took over 1st class compartments to crash out & have a kip. Happy days!!

 

[SS4]

Never had problems with staff. Putting feet on the seats is far but if they want to rest I see no reason to not let them, I don't know what kind of day they've had

 

[Harlesden]

Which was the last service running on British rails where one could legally smoke on the train?

 

[dk1]

Which was the last service running on British rails where one could legally smoke on the train?

Anglia was 2004 & GNER 2005. Not sure if they where the final TOCs.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Some say an empty train is a happy train.

There are a few bad apples but that is the case in any industry, most of us are pretty good I hope!

 

[michael769]

Never had problems with staff. Putting feet on the seats is far but if they want to rest I see no reason to not let them, I don't know what kind of day they've had

But passengers are not permitted to do this (yes I know some do and some confrontation averse staff turn a blind eye, but that does not change the fact it is not permitted) and the TOCs have no idea what kind of day their passengers have had!

 

[ainsworth74]

There are a few bad apples but that is the case in any industry, most of us are pretty I hope!

Well I'm sorry to say but I've not come across many staff who I would say are 'pretty'

As others have said I find the majority of staff to be pretty good to be honest, I've only come across poor staff very very occasionally. I think the biggest complaint I could make is that staff sometimes seem a bit miserable but then you can't really blame them for that as for all I know they've just come from dealing with an abusive passenger which would be enough to wipe the smile of any ones face I'm sure.

 

[CarterUSM]

Which was the last service running on British rails where one could legally smoke on the train?

It may have been the lounge car of the Caledonian Sleeper. Can't remember exactly when it was no longer permitted to smoke though.

 

[Flying Snail]

most of us are pretty I hope!

Post up your passport photo and let the forum be the judge of that.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But passengers are not permitted to do this (yes I know some do and some confrontation averse staff turn a blind eye, but that does not change the fact it is not permitted) and the TOCs have no idea what kind of day their passengers have had!

With regard to "feet on seats", I remember an incident about four months ago when my wife and I were travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe on a 323 unit (via the Styal line) and there was one young "business-type" sat in the opposite side of the unit to us, travelling to Holmes Chapel, who put his Financial Times newspaper on the seat opposite him, stretched out his legs and put his feet on the newspaper and proceeded to tap merrily away on his lap-top. He was asked to desist by the member of the train staff but did not, so when the train pulled in at platform 3 at Manchester Airport to make its reversal, the conductor returned to the transgressor with a senior member of staff, who insisted that the passenger leave the train in order to carry out further enquiries, which after about 30 seconds of "bluster" that his feet were on a newspaper on the seat, he then decided to accede to the request and left the train with the rail staff, not to return on our particular train. My wife and I wondered what the outcome might have been.

 

[SteamPower]

You should have seen it in BR days. Many areas had no customer service at all. You smoked where & when you wanted, if asked train times you told them to look at the boards & staff usually took over 1st class compartments to crash out & have a kip. Happy days!!

Sounds like a miracle the railways have survived this long

 

[Yew]

There are a few bad apples but that is the case in any industry, most of us are pretty I hope!

Well I'm sorry to say but I've not come across many staff who I would say are 'pretty'
sure.

I had a pretty ginger girl for a guard yesterday. (she seemed to be in training, another guard was keeping an eye on her )

 

[Matt Taylor]

I do frequently crash out in 1st on a 450 but only when running ECS!

 

[12CSVT]

Don't know if anyone else has noticed, but there seems to be more and more instances of rail staff doing things that they ould aprehend passengers for doing.

We saw an example yesterday when on boarding a Cross Country service at Reading, the Catering assistant was taking her break in the quiet coach, with her feet up on the seats! This hardly presents the right impression.

Do Cross Country on-train staff have access to mess room facilities for their breaks ?

If not, then it's something the trade unions should be investigating.

 

[wintonian]

With regard to "feet on seats", I remember an incident about four months ago when my wife and I were travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe on a 323 unit (via the Styal line) and there was one young "business-type" sat in the opposite side of the unit to us, travelling to Holmes Chapel, who put his Financial Times newspaper on the seat opposite him, stretched out his legs and put his feet on the newspaper and proceeded to tap merrily away on his lap-top. He was asked to desist by the member of the train staff but did not, so when the train pulled in at platform 3 at Manchester Airport to make its reversal, the conductor returned to the transgressor with a senior member of staff, who insisted that the passenger leave the train in order to carry out further enquiries, which after about 30 seconds of "bluster" that his feet were on a newspaper on the seat, he then decided to accede to the request and left the train with the rail staff, not to return on our particular train. My wife and I wondered what the outcome might have been.

I saw a Scotrail guard the other day who asked a passenger to move his feet off the seat the guard the grabbed a newspaper and put it on the seat opposite said passenger and said "there you go" passenger them promptly pus feet back onto the seat with the newspaper.

 

[scotsman]

I saw a Scotrail guard the other day who asked a passenger to move his feet off the seat the guard the grabbed a newspaper and put it on the seat opposite said passenger and said "there you go" passenger them promptly pus feet back onto the seat with the newspaper.

I find ScotRail Conductors are very good when it comes to newspapers - one went through the train, checked tickets, found an abandoned copy of the Scotland on Sunday, took it with him and then returned to his cab with it when he was finished!

 

[Minilad]

Do Cross Country on-train staff have access to mess room facilities for their breaks ?

If not, then it's something the trade unions should be investigating.

Yes we do. I would imagine this was on a layover of one of the terminating services. Due in 08 and out at 40. If the person was working in and straight back out it wasn't a PNB and probably not worth the walk to the mess room for such a short time

 

[David Goddard]

Had absolutely no problem with the break being taken on the train. It was a comfortable place to sit and did not hinder any passengers, and they returned to their duties well in advance of the on time departure. It was purely the feet on the seats that we had issue with!

 

[krisk]

Feet on seats, hardly a good image is it. I'm supposed to have my break out of passenger view but show me where that is and ill have it there.

 

[mikkel]

No matter what kind of day any staff member has had, seats are for sitting on and feet should stay on the floor.

Years ago a passenger complained about getting her White skirt dirty on a seat, yet still had her feet (shoes) on the opposing seat.

Where normal manners are concerned, Some staff need to learn the meaning of the word and Not ignore passengers when delays occur for whatever reason, and I say it after experiencing some not too long back at one London station.

 

[IanXC]

he then decided to accede to the request and left the train with the rail staff, not to return on our particular train. My wife and I wondered what the outcome might have been.

I don't recommend reading this comment after watching Spooks.

Maybe he was extraordinarily rendered to a Pacer.

 

[deltic1989]

he then decided to accede to the request and left the train with the rail staff, not to return on our particular train. My wife and I wondered what the outcome might have been.

I don't recommend reading this comment after watching Spooks.

Maybe he was extraordinarily rendered to a Pacer.

Maybe he wasn't seen again because they chained him to the front of the unit? I've always found rail staff to be really polite and courtious I've never had a major issue. I've come across staff that look in a bad mood but on a rainy day invthe open with passengers being abusive I can kind of see their point.

 

[RichmondCommu]

You should have seen it in BR days. Many areas had no customer service at all. You smoked where & when you wanted, if asked train times you told them to look at the boards & staff usually took over 1st class compartments to crash out & have a kip. Happy days!!

This is precisely why I don’t mourn the loss of BR, or indeed a railway network under state ownership. Back in the days of BR customer service was shoddy to say the least. It is undoubtedly much better now.

 

[Blindtraveler]

only bad example iv ever had, and iv had more chance than most due to my disabilitty and meed to ask staff assistance regularly was a man in the information booth on the southeastern/FCC platforms at London Bridge who called me a number of names and said "youv got a ****ing train service, what else do you *****ing want?"
this in answer to a simple request for some assistance to the Southern platforms after the FCC gatwick train was cansled!

Luckilly 2 of his coleegs plus a guard and some other passengers heard him and between us he got his cumuppance for his moment of roodness!

 

[Prodigy]

Had a bunch of TPE staff making use of the First Class seats whilst us passengers were crammed in and standing up, some were off duty and some were on...they coulda invited us in .

 

[The Crab]

We had a visitor up from London at the weekend who had to change at Sheffield onto a Hope valley train for Hathersage. She asked one of the station staff where the Hathersage train would be and was stunned when he gave a friendly smile and walked her over to the appropriate platform, chatting pleasantly as they went. She was so impressed by the different attitude compared to London that she mentioned it more than once over the weekend. BTW she is a middle aged woman not a dolly bird (is that expression still used?) Good for the Sheffield staff!