Booking office and guard customer service levels in the 'good old' BR days.

[Philip]

In general terms how did you find the level of customer service given during the later BR days, especially from booking office and guard staff? Old BR employees still working in ticket offices often refer to the 'good old days' of BR. However, I've heard that it wasn't too uncommon to find booking office staff lazily slumped drinking a can of lager, reading a newspapers or smoking a cigarette and not being particularly helpful to passengers ("don't ask me" being a typical reply). But apparently it all worked very well.

Some rail passengers can be annoying and complain for England, but is the above a fairly accurate description of BR retail staff in the 80s and 90s, or were they indeed 'the good old days'?

 

[jfollows]

I remember booking office staff at Poynton and Prestbury in particular in the 1970s. Pleasant "good morning" in the mornings and then diligently checking tickets in the afternoons/evenings. Never any problem with unusual requests, or paperwork associated with council-funded season tickets. Later on, happy to give me outdated working timetables etc.

But although I have been associated with Wilmslow since 1982, when I lived in my current house as a student, I've only lived here permanently since 2008. And I have always found the staff at Wilmslow to be pleasant and helpful as well.

So my experience is that the "good old days" were no different to today, at least as far as booking office staff go.

A good friend of mine was a BR guard, with whom I travelled on many occasions, so on ECS workings as well, for example. Today's equivalents have more to do because they need to check tickets, which was never the case on local trains in BR days. They probably hide on late trains, but otherwise I see them often today and they are great, never had an issue and invariable up-beat and polite. The fact I've got a ticket already probably helps.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I genuinely believe and have many stories to tell that the good old BR days did not have as good customer service as today.

 

[stj]

I found the rudest and unclean to be many of the catering staff,both in stations and onboard.

 

[peteb]

At my local station in the 1970s the (elderly) station master was proudly ex GWR. When my Grandad went to purchase a single ticket for the next day (Hagley to Kettering) he was quoted via Worcester, Oxford, Paddington. A journey of some considerable length. When asked why not "via Birmingham" the stationmaster said but that's via the LMS, surely you dont want to go that way?!! Still clearly proud of his pre BR employers.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

I genuinely believe and have many stories to tell that the good old BR days did not have as good customer service as today.

Seconded. The cliched story was of BR staff saying to each other "this job would be all right if it wasn't for [insert expletive] passengers". Sadly it was not apocryphal as I heard it (or similar) plenty of times myself. It may well have been the view of a minority but that minority was big enough to drag the whole job down. The biggest lesson to learn in customer service is that a single negative experience will out weigh a huge number of positive ones and the scales in BR days were tipped very much in the wrong direction.

Of course BR pay was poor so retaining decent staff could be difficult. Those who believe a re-invented "BR" should start by assaulting pay and conditions would do well to remember that.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Of course BR pay was poor so retaining decent staff could be difficult. Those who believe a re-invented "BR" should start by assaulting pay and conditions would do well to remember that.

So very true in all walks of life. Money may not motivate but lack of money sure as hell often demotivates.

 

[Ashley Hill]

When I joined BR in the 80s I initially worked on stations. I knew a couple of clerks who could be quite rude and surly to passengers. One had a magnet attached underneath the counter and if annoyed by a passenger would (if not looking) rub their credit card against it after paying. But,these two were a very small minority as the majority were helpful,some going beyond. Likewise when I became a guard,yes there were some that were cantankerous but not many. Post privatisation there are a few who have joined in recent years who behave in very strange ways towards the public so it is not just a BR thing. Likewise my local Co-op has a wide variety of staff,a few miserable ones amongst them but most are helpful.

 

[30907]

I don't think you can generalise - either then or now - about unhelpful staff (see this forum, passim).

Seconded. The cliched story was of BR staff saying to each other "this job would be all right if it wasn't for [insert expletive] passengers". Sadly it was not apocryphal as I heard it (or similar) plenty of times myself.

Much the same was being said earlier this year when punctuality soared - and I suspect the equivalent is said in many industries/trades/professions. The question is - does the grumbling affect customer service?

Ashley Hill has made almost the same point. Which reminds me that a national supermarket chain took over a branch of another whose staff were notoriously unhelpful/incompetent - and several years later, despite all the new managment and customer-focussed policies, the old hands hadn't changed much. (I hope I have been careful not to identify the store concerned.)

 

[Ashley Hill]

The cliched story was of BR staff saying to each other "this job would be all right if it wasn't for [insert expletive] passengers".

Yes,I've said similar myself(without the expletive). If it wasn't for the passengers we'd run on time and we did! This of course was said in jest and yes occasionally to a passenger who enqired how the trains had been over lockdown with tongue very firmly in cheek and followed by my winning smile.

 

[DarloRich]

I suspect it was fairly uncommon to find people slumped drinking a can of lager............

I was a fairly regular user of the railways and often rang up darlington starion with complex travel requirments and never had a problem or encountered a problem when collecting tickets from the self service machine behind the counter called dave.

Much more fun to slag off staff though eh?

 

[steamybrian]

When I joined BR (Southern Region) in 1966 and thoroughly enjoyed work in the good old days. We all worked together as a big team with most of my colleagues being enthusiasts. Although I worked in Divisional/ Headquarters offices I had the opportunity to gain experience in ticket offices/ enquiry offices/ permanent way and other departments. It was rare if ever I came across bad customer service. I left Railtrack in 1996 when I saw BR being broken up. I worked for a railway contractor for three years many empployees being ex- railway staff. Now each member of staff is working for their own contractor/company. I am great supporter of re-nationalisation.

 

[CHAPS2034]

Which reminds me that a national supermarket chain took over a branch of another whose staff were notoriously unhelpful/incompetent - and several years later, despite all the new managment and customer-focussed policies, the old hands hadn't changed much.

Oh - sounds like Blackpool North

 

[Backroom_boy]

Any kind of booking office will soon be a luxury

 

[Philip]

Any kind of booking office will soon be a luxury

I think the news this week about the franchises probably keeps booking offices going for the foreseeable.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Merseyrail booking offices have always been clueless (though friendly) and parcelled you off "to Lime St" for anything even vaguely complex.

Brian, who used to work at Aughton Park, was particularly pleasant in that sort of British way, I would often be greeted with "So where are you going *this* time then?" as my requests got more obscure and distant the older I got - and I think he was genuinely interested, meanwhile I just had to show my face at Ormskirk ticket window for them to know I wanted a YP single to Aughton Park (often walked down and got the train back up the hill). Someone told me a while back that he had sadly passed away now though I forget who.

At least if you rang the enquiry service (0151 709 9696) it was in Rail House above Lime St and they knew what they were doing.

 

[LowLevel]

I remember guards being a bit more rough n ready than they are now in places, probably a legacy of freight work going DOO and some people who would never normally have encountered passengers being moved to passenger depots via redundancy. Nowadays more emphasis is placed on customer service though they don't always get it right. I genuinely like dealing with people, good or "bad" (who is to say what is bad) and I find that makes dealing with them nicely regardless easier.

On the other hand for example I once knew a conductor who, very naughtily, if presented with a bank card that 'has definitely got money on it mate, I don't know why it's declined" was an expert in saying "let me just have a look, it might be the machine" and in a blink of an eye putting some random numbers in 3 times and blocking the card. It was quite an impressive bit of slight of hand. Yet he was extremely charming with passengers generally *shrug*

 

[webbfan]

Commuted from Nuneaton to Euston for over 10 years in the 90's and early 2000's. Found with most Guards if you were friendly with them then they would do anything for you and always ready for a laugh or chat and let you know what was going on. Even got quietly let in at guards door when one train cancelled and next stopped without opening passenger doors. He had to be careful as lot of managers on board.
Booking office staff were a bit formal but always pleasant except when requested another 3 months worth of reservations - would be given a look then, but again, if you were friendly they would be more inclined to help.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

My local station was on the Altrincham-Manchester line; booking office staff there in BR days were invariably cheery and genuinely helpful, equally competent in issuing local tickets and more unusual long distance fares.

Now an unmanned Metrolink stop and the old and long time closed booking office recently re-opened having been converted into a coffee shop!

Such is progress.

 

[Backroom_boy]

I think the news this week about the franchises probably keeps booking offices going for the foreseeable.

Possibly, but if it leads to a much simpler fare system the need for them will decline.

 

[Alfonso]

In general terms how did you find the level of customer service given during the later BR days, especially from booking office and guard staff? Old BR employees still working in ticket offices often refer to the 'good old days' of BR. However, I've heard that it wasn't too uncommon to find booking office staff lazily slumped drinking a can of lager, reading a newspapers or smoking a cigarette and not being particularly helpful to passengers ("don't ask me" being a typical reply). But apparently it all worked very well.

Some rail passengers can be annoying and complain for England, but is the above a fairly accurate description of BR retail staff in the 80s and 90s, or were they indeed 'the good old days'?

I was always impressed at the booking office staff in Canterbury who would deal with the very differing needs and speeds of London commuters, tourists unfamiliar to britian, and still issue reservations for European couchettes etc all from a relatively small station. There was less gloss and more smoking 40 years ago but I think this was more about changes in culture in general than a BR versus franchising thing

 

[WesternLancer]

In general terms how did you find the level of customer service given during the later BR days, especially from booking office and guard staff? Old BR employees still working in ticket offices often refer to the 'good old days' of BR. However, I've heard that it wasn't too uncommon to find booking office staff lazily slumped drinking a can of lager, reading a newspapers or smoking a cigarette and not being particularly helpful to passengers ("don't ask me" being a typical reply). But apparently it all worked very well.

Some rail passengers can be annoying and complain for England, but is the above a fairly accurate description of BR retail staff in the 80s and 90s, or were they indeed 'the good old days'?

NEVER experienced anything like that - but smoking in workplaces was common until the 90s and one would not have thought more about it if a staff member was smoking at work. In an office job I started in 1992 I was asked if I wanted to sit in part of the office where people smoked or did not, as staff were allowed to smoke at their desks etc. I said I didn't mind and was given a desk beside 2 staff who smoked. Thought nothing of it.
My university tutor in the 80s smoked a pipe in tutorials. Students smoked in tutorials IIRC etc.

Some staff more helpful than others, just like every place you encounter employees.

I guess big cities with busy places may have had more brusque employees - who probably had to deal with larger share of rude passengers, then as now.

 

[SteveM70]

It was the same as it is now - most staff were good, some were brilliant, some were poor, and a few were downright rude. And I’m sure the ones I encountered who were rude weren’t always like that - probably a combination of having a bad day and then having to deal with a bunch of snotty nosed 12 year olds with parkas and Adidas bags.

Often you’d get all four kinds at the same station. Coventry ticket office staff were abrupt and unfriendly, but the staff in the travel centre were unfailingly brilliant, even when me and my dad basically planned a week’s freedom of Scotland with them. I just wish I still had my notes and photos.

 

[LowLevel]

I think another factor can be the type of service. I know I'm most relaxed on local trains where you often see the same faces week in week out for years. On one particular route despite being at a depot with a 3 figure establishment you end up at the point of small talk conversations with everyone from the chap who always gives the crew a chocolate bar each when he goes for his shopping to being on first name terms with the local drug addict who will pay his fare with a bit of persuasion but also genuinely appreciates it if you don't leave him stranded when he has gotten himself into the brown smelly stuff financially as he does at least twice a month.

With the exception of business first class passengers which up until COVID had the atmosphere of a gentleman's club with the staff and passengers all knowing each other I find Intercity or long distance work to be far more formal and you're less likely to build up a rapport, though you do still get regulars.

 

[peteb]

I think another factor can be the type of service. I know I'm most relaxed on local trains where you often see the same faces week in week out for years. On one particular route despite being at a depot with a 3 figure establishment you end up at the point of small talk conversations with everyone from the chap who always gives the crew a chocolate bar each when he goes for his shopping to being on first name terms with the local drug addict who will pay his fare with a bit of persuasion but also genuinely appreciates it if you don't leave him stranded when he has gotten himself into the brown smelly stuff financially as he does at least twice a month.

With the exception of business first class passengers which up until COVID had the atmosphere of a gentleman's club with the staff and passengers all knowing each other I find Intercity or long distance work to be far more formal and you're less likely to build up a rapport, though you do still get regulars.

I often travelled to London from Worcester in the 1980s and 1990s. The morning HST workings often had a full breakfast service in first class, supposedly for 1st class only. Yet despite the gentleman's club atmosphere from Kingham, Charlbury, Oxford etc, if you asked nicely the on train staff would serve you a proper breakfast in 1st with a student railcard 2nd ticket, and not push you out once you'd eaten it. I don't ever recall being ticket checked by a conductor once the catering staff had sat me down. The only snag was having to pay cash for the breakfast!

 

[WesternLancer]

I often travelled to London from Worcester in the 1980s and 1990s. The morning HST workings often had a full breakfast service in first class, supposedly for 1st class only. Yet despite the gentleman's club atmosphere from Kingham, Charlbury, Oxford etc, if you asked nicely the on train staff would serve you a proper breakfast in 1st with a student railcard 2nd ticket, and not push you out once you'd eaten it. I don't ever recall being ticket checked by a conductor once the catering staff had sat me down. The only snag was having to pay cash for the breakfast!

Quite right, tho I think the beauty of BR restaurant cars (and GWR Pullman now) is that they are open to 2nd class / std for the rice of the meal. This si the biggest loss with the "free" food offering on LNER / west coast etc. Downgraded offer, not open to all.

 

[Trackman]

As for booking offices small ones were great, larger stations big attitude problem.
I remember buying the wrong ticket or he misheard me and basically said tough and pointed out there was a large queue behind me and to get out of the way.

 

[deltic]

My local station was on the Altrincham-Manchester line; booking office staff there in BR days were invariably cheery and genuinely helpful, equally competent in issuing local tickets and more unusual long distance fares.

Now an unmanned Metrolink stop and the old and long time closed booking office recently re-opened having been converted into a coffee shop!

Such is progress.

I used to live on that line too - ticket office staff always seemed to know what they were doing and it was manned most of the day. I remember travelling on a Bank Holiday once to Styal with my parents and the booking office staff came down on to the platform to apologise that after selling us our tickets he realised that the bank holiday timetable meant the train we expected to travel on wasnt running and did we want a refund.

 

[47296lastduff]

One Sunday in the 1970s my wife and I were returning from holiday with our luggage. Our local station was Guide Bridge, closed on Sundays. I spoke to the guard of the Stalybridge train at Stockport, and he had a word with the driver. A special stop was made for us at GB. Even though the passenger entrance was all locked up, we were able to exit via the signing on lobby for GB depot.
I also used the night staff trains from Man Picc to Mottram Yard, which stopped at GB, when I was too late for the last public trains. Again, I was always made welcome. Sometimes there would be a free copy of next day's paper, as these were being loaded onto the night trains (such as the 0117 to Cleethorpes).

 

[Rob F]

I may have told this story before but in 1985 I was 17 and we were on holiday in Dawlish. Dad worked for BR so I used a ’priv box’ to have a day out in St Ives. Coming back, I got on the train at St Ives and the guard told me that it turned round at Lelant Saltings and didn’t go to St Erth meaning I would miss my connection. Never mind, he said, just get out at Saltings and walk along the track to St Erth, there won’t be any trains! I was rather surprised by this but thought why not? Never got to do it because he found me again after Carbis Bay and said there was a parcel on the train that had to get on the London train so we would be going to St Erth after all.

I have often wondered what the signalman or the platform staff at St Erth would have done if I had casually sauntered round the curve from the branch and up the platform ramp!