I know we've drifted from the original subject topic (so perhaps the mods need to split the Diamond posts away to form a separate thread) but there are a number of highly subjective views and some factual inaccuracies.
First of all, it is fair to say that whilst not knowing the gentleman, Simon Dunn has fashioned a profitable business and for that, credit should be given. It is also right to point out that he engages with the enthusiast fraternity, notably on the WM bus photo forum, where he takes time to answer questions and refer to concerns. Not many senior industry figures would do that, so credit where it's due. Rotala has also invested in new vehicles, whether it be Mellor Stratas, Streetlites or Streetdecks - perhaps not everyone's preferred choices but they have spent money on fuel efficient vehicles.
However, the idea that the Rotala business under its various guises (e.g Preston Bus, Hallmark, Diamond NW, Diamond WM/Worcs) is some peerless exemplar of the bus industry is simply laughable. Even Bob Dunn recognises the issues that they have experienced in taking on the Bolton business.
In late 2016, the WM/Worcs business appeared in front of the TC who said "I am clear that on too many occasions the company’s service has fallen far short of the required standards. After continued issues during 2017, they were again in front of the TC who whilst acknowledging the "good repute" of the company and it's TM said "It is clear, however, that these efforts have not yet fed through to produce services of a reliability (in some areas at least) which passengers have the right to expect. I will ask DVSA to continue to keep Diamond Bus Ltd’s services under observation. The company should be in no doubt that the reliability of its services must improve further.” The TC said that the public of Kidderminster had been "poorly served". In that background, it is perhaps not surprising that the views of passengers are low.
The statement that Diamond were pioneers of mobile/smartphone ticketing is factually untrue. Both First and Arriva were trialling and implementing mobile ticketing in 2013/4 - well ahead of Rotala.
I do hope that Rotala in their various incarnations do manage to improve the level of service. They clearly do have some dedicated, hard working staff; one particular Diamond NW journey I experienced in Dec 2018 was possibly the best driven journey I've had in many years and there are some things in which they should be congratulated (such as they new vehicle investment). However, the overall quality is below average and this is shown in objective metrics (DVSA monitoring), subjective metrics (personal experience) and customer surveys.