Thanks buddy ?

[Pinza-C55]

I know the days of British Rail are long gone with all they entailed and we are now in the wonderful world of privatisation. Times have changed.
I rarely travel on trains nowadays but I am on a Virgin East Coast service and have just had my ticket checked by what I assume was the conductor. He finished the proceedings by saying "Thanks buddy". I am not saying I was a paragon of virtue but when I was working trains, certainly ECML trains, I would never address a passenger in this way.
What are your views on this ?

 

[AlterEgo]

Sounds fine to me buddy.

 

[najaB]

He finished the proceedings by saying "Thanks buddy". I am not saying I was a paragon of virtue but when I was working trains, certainly ECML trains, I would never address a passenger in this way.
What are your views on this ?

The idea is to make the service personal rather than a stuffy "Sir". Some people like it, some people don't - and that's both staff and passengers.

 

[Pinza-C55]

The idea is to make the service personal rather than a stuffy "Sir". Some people like it, some people don't - and that's both staff and passengers.

So are they actually trained to say this ? It's just that I expect it from pub staff but I tend to expect a more professional attitude from rail staff.

 

[Saint66]

Had an EC guard say the same thing last week (I have a feeling it might be the same guy)... He was a lovely chap, and I couldn't care less how he finished the conversation. He was chatty, nice and happy with everyone and made the journey much more pleasant.

Also made some amusing announcements which got plenty of laughs in the carriage I was in.

 

[8J]

Complete non story. If you complained to VTEC I doubt you'd get anything in the form of a proper response (although if their West Coast customer relations department if anything to go by, you'd get £100 in RTV's and a letter apologising about the quality of the WiFi!!!).

 

[teslatech]

Personal preference. I tend to tailor my service to the sort of customer I think they are. I work in retail. Older people, those in suits etc I tend to be more formal as in my experience that's what they prefer. But I do also use 'buddy' or similar if it feels right. It can be a bit of a minefield. Personally I prefer a more friendly approach than formal, when I'm being spoken to.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

 

[Pinza-C55]

Complete non story. If you complained to VTEC I doubt you'd get anything in the form of a proper response (although if their West Coast customer relations department if anything to go by, you'd get £100 in RTV's and a letter apologising about the quality of the WiFi!!!).

I never said it was an amazing story and I am not worried enough to complain about it. It was just a topic for discussion. Sorry if I have annoyed you.

 

[Bromley boy]

I know the days of British Rail are long gone with all they entailed and we are now in the wonderful world of privatisation. Times have changed.
I rarely travel on trains nowadays but I am on a Virgin East Coast service and have just had my ticket checked by what I assume was the conductor. He finished the proceedings by saying "Thanks buddy". I am not saying I was a paragon of virtue but when I was working trains, certainly ECML trains, I would never address a passenger in this way.
What are your views on this ?

Sounds like he was just trying to be friendly and disarming. As others have said it's a bit of a minefield as some people prefer a more formal style of address, some actively prefer less formality. I'm not sure I agree with your other comment that this form of address is any less "professional".

There may be a generational divide? On the whole younger people tend to use a less formal style of communicating in general.

 

[AlterEgo]

I think the days of everyone being "Sir" are long over. I can't say I've ever been offended by a guard using anything other than "Sir" to address me, as long as it was polite!

I think a lot of it depends on perceptions too. I'm not so sure I would be over the moon if, when I travel BA First, the senior cabin crew member called me "buddy" when welcoming me. You'd expect that on Virgin.

 

[najaB]

So are they actually trained to say this ?

I can't speak for VTEC but where I work our training now is to just be yourself.

 

[birchesgreen]

We are a much more casual relaxed country now, when i was working at a large university even the vice-chancellor was referred to by his first name. It wouldn't bother me being referred to as buddy, or sir. Gruppenfuhrer i might draw the line at.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

I just use what seems appropriate for the situation. 99.9% of the time my passengers seem happy.

 

[TheEdge]

Gruppenfuhrer i might draw the line at.

Ooooh, I might start introducing myself as the Gruppenfuhrer, or more appropriately, Grippenfuhrer.

 

[richw]

I think I hear 'mate' the most.

The one that i dislike the most is 'madam'. I associated it with the phrase little madam, so a madam would be the same but not so little

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=little madam

little madam
Snotty, daddy's girl, princess, brat-like.
She was a right little madam.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Why risk a negative reaction (as in 'I've just had a 's*** day, missed the previous train had to pay an additional £100 for this ticket I am definitely not your f*****' buddy) when a simple thanks would suffice ?
Unless you're engaged in a conversation with someone where you can judge their mood a simple 'Tickets Please' and follow up 'thank you' are less likely to give you any grief.

 

[cf111]

I get everything from "thank you sir" to "cheers mate" from guards when they are checking tickets; I think I prefer the latter but as long as people are being polite I don't really care what they call me.

 

[Pinza-C55]

Why risk a negative reaction (as in 'I've just had a 's*** day, missed the previous train had to pay an additional £100 for this ticket I am definitely not your f*****' buddy) when a simple thanks would suffice ?
Unless you're engaged in a conversation with someone where you can judge their mood a simple 'Tickets Please' and follow up 'thank you' are less likely to give you any grief.

That was generally how I thought of it. If I addressed everyone the same they couldn't have any reason to complain.
I get the thing mentioned earlier about the generation divide but I wonder how far this will go with railway staff.

 

[theironroad]

Buddy,bud,fella,pal,mate,cheers,thanks,ta, all fine with me.

Next I suppose Brits will want the guard to bow as they enter and exit the carriage, Japanese trains style.

 

[najaB]

Unless you're engaged in a conversation with someone where you can judge their mood a simple 'Tickets Please' and follow up 'thank you' are less likely to give you any grief.

You can get a pretty good feel for someone's mood in a couple of seconds - and if in doubt just go with 'Thanks' or 'Thank you'.

 

[Pinza-C55]

Buddy,bud,fella,pal,mate,cheers,thanks,ta, all fine with me.

Next I suppose Brits will want the guard to bow as they enter and exit the carriage, Japanese trains style.

How about "chewy" or "mush" ?

 

[teslatech]

I once had a customer tell me off for saying ' hey how are you?' because hey isn't English, I should have said ' hello'

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

 

[Welshman]

Mods - please close this pointless thread.

 

[richw]

Loop & Link has said all there is to be said.
Mods - please close this pointless thread.

I disagree, it's interesting to see what people think is acceptable and unacceptable. Many of us have different opinions and could be useful to those in a service job, for a consensus what people find acceptable.

If it was someone of similar age to myself mate is more appropriate, but to an elderly person I would find mate not acceptable

If you don't like the thread don't read it

 

[306024]

Mods - please close this pointless thread.

Good to see freedom of speech alive and well

Just one story. Talking to a British Airways cabin crew member the other week. He used to work for Virgin but apparently was told the crew had to be 'more flirty' with the passengers. Now that may be Virgin's style, but it isn't for me so I don't fly with them. It wasn't for him either so he left to join BA.

 

[ainsworth74]

I'd much rather have an interaction with rail staff who are allowed to have some of their personality show through than a mechanical robot like 'Tickets please' and 'Thank you sir' interaction. If that means that I get referred to as 'buddy', 'mate', 'pal' or similar then so be it! As long as they don't go for 'Oi! You! Show us your ticket you git!' then I don't see an issue

 

[Monty]

Personal preference. I tend to tailor my service to the sort of customer I think they are. I work in retail. Older people, those in suits etc I tend to be more formal as in my experience that's what they prefer. But I do also use 'buddy' or similar if it feels right. It can be a bit of a minefield. Personally I prefer a more friendly approach than formal, when I'm being spoken to.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

This bascially, I find there are just as many passengers who would be offended at being called 'sir or madam' as there would be being called 'buddy or mate'. I treat every situation differently and try to judge the most appropriate way to address someone be it sir or pondlife.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

I disagree, it's interesting to see what people think is acceptable and unacceptable. Many of us have different opinions and could be useful to those in a service job, for a consensus what people find acceptable.

If it was someone of similar age to myself mate is more appropriate, but to an elderly person I would find mate not acceptable

If you don't like the thread don't read it

Adopting an over cheery it's a wonderful day stance would not go down too well with someone just on their way to/from hospital to visit a terminal patient.
Keeping it simple reduces the possibilities of awkwardness/confrontation etc.
You don't know what's running through people's minds - some people are full time narks looking for any excuse why give them one ?

 

[TheEdge]

I once called the Queen "luv" and got slapped by a member of the Household Cavalry.

 

[Elecman]

Ooooh, I might start introducing myself as the Gruppenfuhrer, or more appropriately, Grippenfuhrer.

Obergrippenfuhrer is an RPI isn't it?