"Brimstone" wrote in message
...

Which sector of the British public doesn't have a "total distaste for the
service culture and ... total lack of communication or interpersonal
skills".

My sector, for one. I have clients, and if I treated them the way bus
drivers treat us, they'd dispense with my services forthwith! They should
just take a look at the way staff in bars and restaurants treat their
customers. And the way that the majority of LU staff handle awkward
customers and dim-witted tourists. The list is endless.

If they have impeccable customer service skills when they start, many lose
them once they've dealt with Joe Public for any length of time since not
only is JP is totally unwilling to acknowledge a good job well done but
constantly picks holes and whinges.

Nonsense! The majority of bus drivers have no knowledge of these skills at
all, and never have. They are clearly not trained in anything other than how
to drive at either breakneck speeds or a turtle-like crawl (nothing
in-between) and how to pull over the bus to go into a shop to buy fags; then
wait through two changes of traffic lights while they chat to their pal
driving a bus going in the opposite direction; and finally to play drum 'n'
bass music on a radio in their cab - yes, all this happened to me on one
journey a few days ago from Wimbledon to Tooting Broadway!

Ian

Ian F. wrote:
"Brimstone" wrote in message
...

Which sector of the British public doesn't have a "total distaste
for the service culture and ... total lack of communication or
interpersonal skills".

My sector, for one. I have clients, and if I treated them the way bus
drivers treat us, they'd dispense with my services forthwith! They
should just take a look at the way staff in bars and restaurants
treat their customers. And the way that the majority of LU staff
handle awkward customers and dim-witted tourists. The list is endless.

I suspect that people who do your job are not slagged off in the "popular"
press endlessly and are treated in a civilised manner by thier clients.



If they have impeccable customer service skills when they start,
many lose them once they've dealt with Joe Public for any length of
time since not only is JP is totally unwilling to acknowledge a good
job well done but constantly picks holes and whinges.

Nonsense! The majority of bus drivers have no knowledge of these
skills at all, and never have. They are clearly not trained in
anything other than how to drive at either breakneck speeds or a
turtle-like crawl (nothing in-between) and how to pull over the bus
to go into a shop to buy fags; then wait through two changes of
traffic lights while they chat to their pal driving a bus going in
the opposite direction; and finally to play drum 'n' bass music on a
radio in their cab - yes, all this happened to me on one journey a
few days ago from Wimbledon to Tooting Broadway!


I was moving it on beyond bus drivers but since you want to stay there, you
might also consider that since it is seen as a "low grade" job, in London at
least, then you are not going to get many high quality people applying for
it.

Are you really saying that *all* bus drivers behave in the manner you
describe, or do you only notice who are especially bad? What about the ones
who are especially good and those who are neither but are nevertheless
compettent and civil?

If you really feel that it is deserving of being done better (and I would
agree that it is in many cases) are you up for the challenge of signing up
to do it and if not why not?.

"Brimstone" wrote in message
...

I suspect that people who do your job are not slagged off in the "popular"
press endlessly

I'm in PR - I rest my case!

I was moving it on beyond bus drivers but since you want to stay there,
you
might also consider that since it is seen as a "low grade" job, in London
at
least, then you are not going to get many high quality people applying for
it.

I know people earning *half* what a bus driver earns who treat their
customers with respect and kindness.

Are you really saying that *all* bus drivers behave in the manner you
describe, or do you only notice who are especially bad?

I'm sure not all of them do - the driver of the no. 30 involved in the
bombings was wonderful. But I can't say I've ever come across any who gave a
monkey's.

If you really feel that it is deserving of being done better (and I would
agree that it is in many cases) are you up for the challenge of signing up
to do it and if not why not?.

No, I'm not. I'm trained for other roles, and I couldn't live the way I do
on a bus driver's salary. No one *has* to do anything they don't want to do,
but those in customer-facing roles (and the bosses who put them there)
should at least have a basic training in how to deal with people without
grunting or staring blankly at them as though they don't exist.

Ian

Ian F. wrote:
"Brimstone" wrote in message
...

I suspect that people who do your job are not slagged off in the
"popular" press endlessly

I'm in PR - I rest my case!

I was moving it on beyond bus drivers but since you want to stay
there, you
might also consider that since it is seen as a "low grade" job, in
London at
least, then you are not going to get many high quality people
applying for it.

I know people earning *half* what a bus driver earns who treat their
customers with respect and kindness.

Are you really saying that *all* bus drivers behave in the manner you
describe, or do you only notice who are especially bad?

I'm sure not all of them do - the driver of the no. 30 involved in the
bombings was wonderful. But I can't say I've ever come across any who
gave a monkey's.

If you really feel that it is deserving of being done better (and I
would agree that it is in many cases) are you up for the challenge
of signing up to do it and if not why not?.

No, I'm not. I'm trained for other roles, and I couldn't live the way
I do on a bus driver's salary.

So change the way you live. You'd have to if you lost your job for any
reason. The fact that people in PR and other non-essential occupations gets
paid significantly more than people doing essential work shows where the
priorities lie in out society. (No I'm not "anti" people being paid a decent
wage and being paid for their knowledge and skills, merely suggesting that
the those who take such people to work should be suitably recognised and
rewarded).

No one *has* to do anything they don't
want to do,

If you really believe that then it's obvious you've never been out of work
for any length of time..


but those in customer-facing roles (and the bosses who
put them there) should at least have a basic training in how to deal
with people without grunting or staring blankly at them as though
they don't exist.


I quite agree, but imagine having clients who treated you in just that
manner. How long do you think it would be before you adopted a similar
outlook and behaviour? (If you say "Never" then I would suggest you are not
a very effective PR type.)

"Mr T" wrote in message
...

"Phil Richards" wrote in message
...
Mr T wrote:

You forgot to mention the **** pay and conditions we have to work under.

At least one of the major bus companies around here (Arriva) advertise
earnings of £500 a week (including overtime). I think many would be very
greatful for that sort of pay.

--
Phil Richards
London, UK
Home Page: http://www.philrichards1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Don't be fooled by the glossy adverts and ****.

First of all that £500 is before any stoppages.

Salaries are always quoted before stoppages.
What other way would you expect?

tim

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 09:39:46 +0100, "Ian F."
wrote:

"Nicholas D Richards" wrote in message
...

Does your work
include being at danger from verbal and physical assault from irrational
members of the public, being blown up by irrational terrorists, harried
by an often irrational management, whose actions have often inflamed the
irrational public? I think not.

No one is forcing them to do the job. I don't see why the (rational members
of the) public should have to be at the end of their acid-tongued insults
and sour faces just because they're unhappy with their lot. They could
always go for jobs as prison warders or traffic wardens instead - it would
certainly better suit the average bus driver's demeanour, his total distaste
for the service culture and his total lack of communication or interpersonal
skills.

Here we go again - branding the majority based on the experience of a
minority. The attributes you mention elsewhere in the thread are found
in a very small proportion of bus drivers in my experience.

Most are unfailingly professional despite being locked behind plastic
screens that make communication difficult, having to keep to utterly
unrealistic timetables and battling their way through awful London
traffic while being responsible for upwards of 80 people on a crowded
double deck. They also have to look after cash, check tickets and
generally deal with the Great British Public (GBP). Bus drivers have one
of the most awful and stressful jobs in London and in my opinion are
occasionally entitled to look a bit grumpy. From my experience, dealing
with the GBP is one of the most soul destroying jobs you can have. You
can be unfailingly polite and helpful and meet every aspect of customer
service properly and still you will get moaned at - usually for
something that is completely outside of your control. The GBP are
generally uninformed, unprepared to compromise or consider options and
generally don't listen. They are not the same as your PR clients.

I try to say thank you to bus drivers for getting me home safely - they
get very little by way of recognition and yet they are responsible for
all their passengers, young and old, as well as the safety of other road
users.

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:


I try to say thank you to bus drivers for getting me home safely - they
get very little by way of recognition and yet they are responsible for
all their passengers, young and old, as well as the safety of other road
users.


That's something I always try and do when leaving a bus, but with the
central exit door on the London fleet, it can be nigh on impossible for
the driver to see you or hear you say "cheers mate", "thanks" or whatever.

Cheers,
Steve M

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 19:54:11 +0100, Steve M
wrote:

That's something I always try and do when leaving a bus, but with the
central exit door on the London fleet, it can be nigh on impossible for
the driver to see you or hear you say "cheers mate", "thanks" or whatever.

I tend to give an acknowledging wave towards the inside wing mirror.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

"tim (moved to sweden)" wrote in message
...

"Mr T" wrote in message
...

"Phil Richards" wrote in message
...
Mr T wrote:

You forgot to mention the **** pay and conditions we have to work
under.

At least one of the major bus companies around here (Arriva) advertise
earnings of £500 a week (including overtime). I think many would be very
greatful for that sort of pay.

--
Phil Richards
London, UK
Home Page: http://www.philrichards1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Don't be fooled by the glossy adverts and ****.

First of all that £500 is before any stoppages.

Salaries are always quoted before stoppages.
What other way would you expect?

tim



A coke and a smile perhaps

Tut Tut Ian...and U bein in PR and all that.....What`s all this HE
****...????
HE...HIS....?
I certainly hope You are not resorting to sexual stereotyping.....There`s
laws agin dat sorta ting U kno...!
I`m sure some of your "Clients" are female Wimmin too and im sure they are
devasted to a man at your tarring of all Busmen with the same bush !!
Time for retraction,revision or redirection perhaps.....
Ding Ding...hold the bar there now Missus...!!