Customer service skills

[Nevillehill]

I would like to apply for a role on the railway, I have no experience with working with the public, so to gain customer service would it be a good idea to go on a course at college, or practical skills such as volunteering ?

 

[Nevillehill]

I would like to apply for a role on the railway, I have no experience with working with the public, so to gain customer service would it be a good idea to go on a course at college, or practical skills such as volunteering ?

Take it your username refers to worth valley ? if so why not volunteer their but only put it down in hobbies as the big railway don't like volunteers, they only employ people who don't volunteer.

 

[transportphoto]

Take it your username refers to worth valley ? if so why not volunteer their but only put it down in hobbies as the big railway don't like volunteers, they only employ people who don't volunteer.

I'm not so certain about that statement, it's rather sweeping. We've had discussions on this on this forum before, it's not the case at all.

Go out there, find something to do, even if it's a job in retail, volunteering or anything which will give you hands on experience of dealing with the public! It's all well and good knowing the theory behind good customer service from a college course, but realistically, this isn't going to help you much.

TP

 

[455driver]

Take it your username refers to worth valley ? if so why not volunteer their but only put it down in hobbies as the big railway don't like volunteers, they only employ people who don't volunteer.

FGW had better sack 10 staff at my depot then! :roll:

 

[grumblingalong]

I would like to apply for a role on the railway, I have no experience with working with the public, so to gain customer service would it be a good idea to go on a course at college, or practical skills such as volunteering ?[/QUOT


Take it your username refers to worth valley ? if so why not volunteer their but only put it down in hobbies as the big railway don't like volunteers, they only employ people who don't volunteer.

Yup that'd be the end if at least 30 staff in Anglia!

 

[LowLevel]

Not to mention a large number of drivers, guards, fitters, station staff and managers here!

 

[Jonfun]

One of the lasses at our depot asked if I still did heritage stuff, and I explained that I was spending much less time there but kept my hand in. One of the quieter guys who was sat nearby happened to glance up.
"Heritage, like, steam trains?"
"Aye, we do steam trains. Mostly at the weekends, like."
"Oh, okay. And like, old diesels too?"
"Yeah, we do a few diesel events each year."
"Ah, okay..."



"...do you have a Western?"

 

[Nevillehill]

Thanks for the info, Nevillehill obviousley does'nt know what he is on about.

 

[theironroad]

I don't think there is any bias whether you do heritage volunteering or not.

However, if you are safety critical, especially driver and guard, you should include the heritage stuff together with mainline stuff when considering hidden rules. Tocs not only have to comply with hidden and competence records but then there is the 'fatigue index' which is a contentious minefield regarding life outside your main job.

 

[Stigy]

I would like to apply for a role on the railway, I have no experience with working with the public, so to gain customer service would it be a good idea to go on a course at college, or practical skills such as volunteering ?

What role would you be looking at? You don't necessarily need previous experience with dealing with the public or customer service, as the railway is very good at drumming this in to their staff through training internally. It's probably more important to make a good impression at the application stage. It'll be a little more difficult of course, as application form questions usually ask for examples of giving good customer service, but you can use examples from your personal life if you're struggling.

 

[TDK]

I would like to apply for a role on the railway, I have no experience with working with the public, so to gain customer service would it be a good idea to go on a course at college, or practical skills such as volunteering ?

How old are you?

 

[craigybagel]

Take it your username refers to worth valley ? if so why not volunteer their but only put it down in hobbies as the big railway don't like volunteers, they only employ people who don't volunteer.

What the "Big Railway" really doesn't like is people with axes to grind. As has been said, there are many people on the railway who also volunteer. There are many more, myself included, who are enthusiasts of varying degrees but take a less visible role.

People who apply for jobs thinking they'll do well just because they've got Heritage Railway experience will struggle; people who apply for jobs who can show they've got the right experience, which might have come from a heritage railway, they tend to do better, if that makes any sense?

That said, if you're looking for a Customer Facing role (Station Staff, Guards, Catering) then Customer Service is one of the big things they look for. IMO it's far easier to learn the contents of the rule book than it is to learn how to deal with the public. If I'd gone straight into my guards job off the street with no Customer Service experience I reckon I'dve been eaten alive!

 

[E&W Lucas]

The same discussion was had a couple of weeks back, involving the same people (person?).
Axes definitely adjacent to abrasive wheel.

 

[Clip]

Take it your username refers to worth valley ? if so why not volunteer their but only put it down in hobbies as the big railway don't like volunteers, they only employ people who don't volunteer.

Maybe you just didn't show the right attitude when you were applying for your job then because you talk crap.


@OP - As others have said local heritage with passengers would be a help but so would just getting a Saturday job or something in a pub/shop/club anything like that to get a feel of how it is to talk to absolute strangers. As long as you demonstrate that you have the qualities then Im sure anyone would hire you .

 

[redbutton]

I think everyone is jumping the gun a little bit by assuming kwvr101 meant volunteering on a railway.

I'm a driver, not HR, but I think volunteering anywhere for the experience would look better on an application rather than just sitting around.