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Passengers moaning on social media
- Thread starter PaulHarding150
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And what's the betting it was an enormous "Chelsea Tractor" that wouldn't even fit in one space?
You would be amazed how much malicious and downright fabricated stuff gets sent in. One person I work with recently got a tweet in complaining about him smoking on the platform, which was impressive, given he doesn't smoke.
That's hardly an excuse, though. Sure, on here we're aware that the whole setup is complex, and procuring new trains takes a long time, but if you're trying to get on the 07:57 and wondering why it's 8 cars long while those St Neots people get 12 and whizz past half-empty, you may just feel a little aggrieved about it.
Those housing projects are hardly a secret. A joined up system would do its best to cater for it. But we don't have that, and it's not the TOC's fault.
That said, people do get far too irritable about it. The big moustached guy who gets the 07:57 and likes to shove people out of the way when the doors don't open by where he's standing is long overdue some kind of comeuppance. I'm so glad I don't commute to London any more!
hulabaloo
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"I hate my sh*t job and they should hate theirs!"
Minilad
Established Member
See also. I don't get paid enough and get treated like dirt at work so so should they
What irony? Complaining because she couldn't park her car? How dare she?
And what if she did live a 10 minute walk away? Maybe she didn't fancy walking home late at night? Or maybe she, or one of her kids, was disabled?--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And what's the betting it was an enormous "Chelsea Tractor" that wouldn't even fit in one space?
And what's the betting she was a terrible driver and she looked like the back of a bus? I mean obviously nobody on here knows anything about this woman but let's crucify her anyway eh? And people on here moan about social media? Oh the irony!
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Loop & Link
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Really? Well if a member of staff is doing something they shouldn't isn't a passenger perfectly entitled to report it? I wouldn't include drivers eating a sandwich or singing, well as long as the latter wasn't over the PA
Some passengers have also used twitter to praise members of staff, one springs to mind about the recent incident at Catford Bridge for example. You can't have it both ways!
I've seen some bare-faced lies about staff put on there though. When they mention the member of staff was rude for example, the fail to mention the torrent of verbal abuse they have gave them. I've also seen pictures put up of rail staff which is big no-no!!
Well two wrongs don't make a right and in any public facing job rudeness from a customer does not excuse being rude back, and I know it takes a lot of self control sometimes.
I like to use it to engage with staff in a positive or useful way - I've used it to highlight helpful ticket office staff, broken lights, ticket machines which have crashed, etc. For this sort of thing I've always had a polite and prompt response which is all you really need. I've never understood attacking, slandering, making unreasonable demands, blaming for external factors etc but I suppose thats as an enthusiast who knows where to find out why most things happen, rather than just blaming "the trains."
Gemz91
Member
I once got called "the worse train conductor in the world" on Twitter. I took it as a badge of honour. Apparently it was my fault that the train driver was stuck in traffic because there had been a large fire blocking major a road into the town, so he was delayed getting to work.
ChathillMan
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Someone wrote an article about how social media is actually creating worse customers.
http://www.senseimarketing.com/social-media-is-creating-bad-customers/
http://www.senseimarketing.com/social-media-is-creating-bad-customers/
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Drogba11CFC
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Really? Well if a member of staff is doing something they shouldn't isn't a passenger perfectly entitled to report it? I wouldn't include drivers eating a sandwich or singing, well as long as the latter wasn't over the PA
Some passengers have also used twitter to praise members of staff, one springs to mind about the recent incident at Catford Bridge for example. You can't have it both ways!
Indeed; I took to twitter on Saturday to praise a guard who had, bluntly, said that the train was being cautioned through Swaythling due to idiots getting too close to the track.
Johncleesefan
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I don't think tocs should be on social media, all they achieve is lists upon lists of moaners complaining about things usually out of the tocs control. In this industry you are felt to be watched in this day and age of technology and iphone zombies filming everything. Cant even scratch butt without a glance over your shoulder
bb21
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The way I look at it, i'd rather people venting their spleen at their computer than on one of our trains.
The issue about complaints over twitter is more about what you do with them. A simple "we will pass the matter onto relevant people" is all that is needed. What happens after that is down to the company.
Customers can be as awkward as they want. It does not mean the company has to take their words as gospel.
The issue about complaints over twitter is more about what you do with them. A simple "we will pass the matter onto relevant people" is all that is needed. What happens after that is down to the company.
Customers can be as awkward as they want. It does not mean the company has to take their words as gospel.
So TOC's should remain in the dark ages? Just about every other industry has embraced social media so why should the rail industry be any different? I think you're being a touch paranoid quite honestly, most complaints I see on twitter are about the overall service rather than individual members of staff and as I mentioned previously (shock, horror!) some people do actually use twitter to praise staff!
DelayRepay
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I was once on a train which was delayed due to a fatality (not our train, the one in front). We were held at a red signal for ages and then had to go back to the previous station. Our driver was excellent giving announcements and a RPI who was on board was also excellent walking through the train explaining what was happening (this was a DOO service so no guard).
When we got back to the previous station, there was only one member of staff on duty who probably should have already gone home. Between him and the RPI they directed people to bus services and arranged taxis for everyone who couldn't complete their journey by bus.
I thought this was very good but the Twitter brigade were slagging off the staff, moaning that the driver did not make announcements (he did) and the station staff stood around doing nothing (they didn't). When I got home I sent in an email and a letter to Thameslink praising these staff and correcting what I had read on Twitter but all I got back was a standard "sorry you were delayed" letter and a voucher.
I do hope my feedback was passed on to the staff involved though.
NSEFAN
Established Member
I find Twitter is a faster way of reporting problems than emails, which tend to be about as quick as written letters when it comes to getting a response.Johncleesefan said:
To be fair to the woman trying to park as mentioned above, not being able to turn up and park after commuting time is a real problem nationally, and must put off a lot of people wanting to give their money to the railway. It has certainly put me off in the past. My local station had its surface-only car park replaced with a small multistorey a few years ago. Things were fine for a while, but when I walk past now - on several days a week - the car park is full and the gates closed by 10am. I imagine most stations on the WCML are the same, and it puts people off travelling by train at the very time - off-peak - when the railway promotes any spare capacity. There are no easy answers however, I admit. Had to laugh the other day, a woman drives up in a nice big brand new Merc - the gates clearly shut - I could see the expression of bewilderment on her face... she then reverses and attempts to drive into the barriered 'exit' lane, expecting to gain admission. A few moments later a car drives up from within the car park, quite properly, in order to exit via the barrier that the Merc was now blocking. The woman in the Merc then froze and a 1960's Berlin Wall style eyeball-to-eyeball moment ensued. How some people get through life really is beyond me at times!
A few moments later a car drives up from within the car park, quite properly, in order to exit via the barrier that the Merc was now blocking. The woman in the Merc then froze and a 1960's Berlin Wall style eyeball-to-eyeball moment ensued. How some people get through life really is beyond me at times!
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But the 'twitter brigade' aren't some select band of people, they are obviously a cross section from various walks of life. Yes some people do make unreasonable complaints and/or demands on twitter just as some people do in real life. Obviously I wasn't there but maybe some people had a different view of what happened than you did?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
To be fair to the woman trying to park as mentioned above, not being able to turn up and park after commuting time is a real problem nationally, and must put off a lot of people wanting to give their money to the railway. It has certainly put me off in the past. My local station had its surface-only car park replaced with a small multistorey a few years ago. Things were fine for a while, but when I walk past now - on several days a week - the car park is full and the gates closed by 10am. I imagine most stations on the WCML are the same, and it puts people off travelling by train at the very time - off-peak - when the railway promotes any spare capacity. There are no easy answers however, I admit. Had to laugh the other day, a woman drives up in a nice big brand new Merc - the gates clearly shut - I could see the expression of bewilderment on her face... she then reverses and attempts to drive into the barriered 'exit' lane, expecting to gain admission.
So the car park entrance was closed and she tried to enter through the exit? Hardly sounds like the most heinous crime!
carriageline
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No, it's not. But doesn't exactly demonstrate a huge amount of common sense. If I turned up to a car park which was had gates across it, then I would take it as the car park was full or closed. To try and enter via the exit lane is bonkers. I wonder if there was a sign on the gate, which would make the most sense (IE CAR PARK FULL)
How people get by day to day whilst having these fabulous ideas I do not know!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dear god.... no, it isn't, I thought I'd just add a little humour to the post. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Yes, there was indeed a car park full sign as well!
Well I wasn't there so it's rather difficult to pass judgment but it hardly seems a big deal whatever the circumstances but it does seem to be fashionable on here to portray passengers as a bunch of idiots with barely a brain cell between them, of course anybody stereotyping staff like that on here would be shot down in flames!
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That seems fair enough to me, I don't use Twitter I prefer the other name for it
I don't know anybody that does maybe that's just a Northern thing, and having worked in the IT industry for over 20 years its not as though I'm technology illiterate, why would anybody want to waste their time with such rubbish, and if the train companies are going to use it just make it a one way thing to give out info etc.
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
Is a forum classed as social media? There seem to be an awful lot of moaning ninnies on here moaning about moaning ninnies (and the rail industry in general.....)
X-D
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I wouldn't say that all passengers are idiots - some give a good impression
- but I reckon an increasing number of our fellow citizens don't possess a sufficient level of awareness and common sense required to get through life today, whether that is whilst on the railway, or anywhere else for that matter. I've seen some buffoon walk into a station lamp post because he was moving around the platform like someone with Saint Vitus Dance, at the same time as looking at his smartphone - quite possible reporting a life-changing ten minute delay on Twitter! Is a forum classed as social media? There seem to be an awful lot of moaning ninnies on here moaning about moaning ninnies (and the rail industry in general.....)
Yes but does anybody really give a monkeys about what's said on here except those that post, and how many people will actually read this, a few hundred maybe at best.
Johncleesefan
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They're aren't in the dark ages. They have web pages full of information that is worthy of reading. Social media can and is attempted to be used in the same way but it seems no matter what's posted by them, they always get the same boring list of comments complaining about things off subject which should be directed to the complaints department where it would get sorted. Other industries who use it get the same responses. Everyone has an opinion and cant wait to put their drivel on the internet. (like me here)
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