SWT Commercial Guard

[Stigy]

It's official now...

SWT Commercial Guard earns LESS than a Non-commercial Guard...!

From the SWT Site (http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/job-search.aspx) Latest job vacancies:

Commercial Guard, Basingstoke
Reference number SWT00684

- Salary £14,823 rising to £26,951 after qualifying
- Plus Regional Allowanceouth East-inc Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Southampton and Portsmouth - £379
_____________________________________________________________
Guard, Waterloo
Reference number SWT00686

- Salary £17,335 rising to £26,001after qualifying
- Plus Regional Allowance:£1,949 London(Inner)-inc Waterloo and Wimbledon

So why does a Commercial Guard get £2.5k p/a less than a non-commercial Guard during training?!

Even excluding the allowances (as London jobs do tend to get more) a Commercial Guard only gets £950 p/a more than a non-commercial Guard...that is pretty dismal if correct, for the extra revenue and cash-handling responsabilities.

Yes I know that SWT used to advertise commercial guards at around £32k p/a (incl. allowances I think), so why the big drop in salary, unless this is a mistake?!

They must just copy/paste the remuneration in from any of the previous, much older vacancies, as the £26,000pa was from way back in 2006/7 if memory serves.

 

[richw]

They must just copy/paste the remuneration in from any of the previous, much older vacancies, as the £26,000pa was from way back in 2006/7 if memory serves.

This is what we do my company, copy old requisitions and repost. On a couple of occasions we have had applications question the pay rate, as we have use such old adverts it doesnt meet current minimum wage, we currently pay about 30p over minimum wage to our staff

 

[Matt Taylor]

Non-commercial Guard just operates the doors, only doing operational duties, whilst the Commercial Guard does the above PLUS also issuing and checking tickets!

Despite the impression that some guards make the only difference between commercial and non-commercial is the two week retail course, commercials do tickets but non-commercials don't. As a non-commercial I still have a customer service role to perform.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Despite the impression that some guards make the only difference between commercial and non-commercial is the two week retail course, commercials do tickets but non-commercials don't. As a non-commercial I still have a customer service role to perform.

You're definitely right!

Although it's disappointing to see that most non-commercial guards will just stay in their compartment, from experience, only 10% actually walk through the carriages and make use of the door controls in those carriages!

 

[richw]

You're definitely right!

Although it's disappointing to see that most non-commercial guards will just stay in their compartment, from experience, only 10% actually walk through the carriages and make use of the door controls in those carriages!

I think i'd find sitting in compartment boring, i'm the kind of person who'd want to be out helping or talking to customers as a minimum really!

 

[Matt Taylor]

And that's what I do! Unfortunately most times when I walk through a whole 8 car unit I get no conversation or questions from passengers.

 

[joe south]

Hello. I am new to this site and I failed the very last part of the Commercial guards assessment and I was wondering if there is a website that I can access to practice on.
I have been told that I can sit the last bit in 6 months time and obviously I would like to practice working out the on/off peak to senior citizens discount single/returns tickets valid last tuesday etc...
any advice would be very appreciated.
Thank you Joe

 

[bailey19]

Hi Joe
i applied for a guard and commercial guards job in july with SWT ive recently been told that i have passed the application stage but no assesment date can be given at the mo,i've been praticing the tests off the how to become website but was wondering if you had any advice after your experience .
many thanks .