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Scruffy Virgin staff - Crewe

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185

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Not like me to pick on any fellow staff, but last few weeks seen some half-dressed staff dispatching trains. Most are wearing trainers some just have a HV vest over jeans and tshirt.

Last month spent an hour wandering the station after half the trains vanished off the PIS screens... the platform staff (dispatcher) was a bloke dressed in filthy overalls!!!

If I turned up like that at my company Id be sent down the road. Anyone know whats going on?
 
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Temple Meads

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I saw a dispatcher in full hi-viz (jacket and trousers) plus a hat with flaps at Didcot Parkway the other day.

I could hardly believe my goggly bins :lol:
 

Flamingo

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I saw a dispatcher in full hi-viz (jacket and trousers) plus a hat with flaps at Didcot Parkway the other day.

I could hardly believe my goggly bins :lol:

Very cold, wet and windy on the platform at Didcot.

Mind you, the dispatch staff at Reading look like Xmas Trees these days. All they are short of is flashing lights on top of their heads!
 

Tracky

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At Crewe I have generally been dispatched on time and always by staff in proper customer facing Virgin uniform.

That much Hi Vis sounds like a shunter to me...
 

Nym

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185, trust you to pick up on how they're dressed...

Wouldn't mind having a professional image for such a high profile company though, wonder what riccardo would think if he saw them dressed like that.
 

tsr

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Wouldn't mind having a professional image for such a high profile company though, wonder what riccardo would think if he saw them dressed like that.

Bearing in mind he never seems able to button his shirt up properly, I am hoping he would not be too critical, although it would (hopefully) be less hypocritical if someone else in the management hierarchy had a strong word...
 

Nym

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Bearing in mind he never seems able to button his shirt up properly, I am hoping he would not be too critical, although it would (hopefully) be less hypocritical if someone else in the management hierarchy had a strong word...

The shirt buttoning thing is part of his corporate image of Branson Plc. though, the same as Steve Jobs and them jumpers...
 

tsr

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The shirt buttoning thing is part of his corporate image of Branson Plc. though, the same as Steve Jobs and them jumpers...

At least Steve Jobs looked smart (as have all the Apple employees I've met). Richard Branson does not, and therefore he should not expect to be able to criticise his staff. However, that is beside the point, as I was suggesting that other senior staff who take more pride over their appearance probably should make sure that those they manage dress acceptably.

I don't think any customer would be too upset if a member of staff was wearing overalls (dirty or not), as most people perceive the railway to be a pretty industrial environment, but wearing jeans and a t-shirt, or other generally casual clothing (because, let's face it, it is casual) is probably not acceptable for customer-facing roles (plain-clothed RPIs aside!).
 

6Gman

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Certainly didn't notice any scruffiness among the Crewe platform staff on Monday or Wednesday.
 

NSE

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I don't think any customer would be too upset if a member of staff was wearing overalls (dirty or not), as most people perceive the railway to be a pretty industrial environment, but wearing jeans and a t-shirt, or other generally casual clothing (because, let's face it, it is casual) is probably not acceptable for customer-facing roles (plain-clothed RPIs aside!).

Aye, not that I take much notice, but overalls wouldn't stand out to me at all, I'd take that as fine. After all, I'm sure thats what depot fitters and the like wear, so I'd not blink an eye at overalls.
 

142094

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No matter what TOC or operator, I'd say that all front-line customer facing staff should be smartly dressed.
 

Temple Meads

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Virgin Shunters at Crewe are also dispatchers

They ain't at Didcot Parkway though (to the very best of my knowledge), all this guy was doing was doing apart from dispatching, was complaining about the cold (despite his attire)
 

reb0118

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Scotrail shunters at the Waverley also dispatch trains. They have one day shift for dispatch and are always smartly turned out. However on nightshift it would depend on how dirty they had got coupling/uncoupling the sleepers prior to dispatch as to how they would appear. Remember the station is officially closed at that time and any passengers on the train should in theory be safely tucked up in bed so in my view no real customer service issue.
 
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