Lumo - new Open Access operator on the East Coast Main Line

[island]

Could be worse, at least they don't call drivers engineers like Amtrak...

 

[swt_passenger]

Could be worse, at least they don't call drivers engineers like Amtrak...

What did ASLEF stand for again?

 

[the sniper]

What's wrong with it? It describes what they do, doesn't it? Ultimately, they are employed for the benefit of customers.

Would any passenger say or think, 'I need to speak to the ambassador'...?

 

[tornado]

As long as the Ambassadors maintain diplomatic relations with their LNER counterparts, peace should prevail.

 

[Watershed]

Could be worse, at least they don't call drivers engineers like Amtrak...

"Customer driver" is still vomit-inducing. Engineer is also a more appropriate term in the US, given the wider range of duties they tend to undertake there.

 

[Bletchleyite]

"Customer driver" is still vomit-inducing. Engineer is also a more appropriate term in the US, given the wider range of duties they tend to undertake there.

"Customer driver" is just silly, the job is "driver", or "train driver" if you must.

 

[BayPaul]

"Customer driver" is just silly, the job is "driver", or "train driver" if you must.

I think that Customer Driver and Ambassador are quite clever job titles - designed specifically to distance themselves from the rest of the rail industry and the entrenched habits of many staff.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Would any passenger say or think, 'I need to speak to the ambassador'...?

Maybe they can claim asylum on the train?

Drifting wildly off-topic, but it's just an excuse to try and elevate the status of the position without actually paying them anymore than a steward. Much like the job 'salesman' has become a 'senior sales executive'.

 

[norbitonflyer]

"Customer driver" is still vomit-inducing. Engineer is also a more appropriate term in the US, given the wider range of duties they tend to undertake there.

"Engineer" is a protected title in many countries - you cannot claim to be one unless you have a degree or similar qualification in engineering. Sir Nigel Gresley was an engineer. Joe Duddington wasn't.

 

[Grumpy Git]

"Engineer" is a protected title in many countries - you cannot claim to be one unless you have a degree or similar qualification in engineering.

Quite.
Unfortunately in the UK, most people think an engineer is the bloke who fixes their washing machine.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think that Customer Driver and Ambassador are quite clever job titles - designed specifically to distance themselves from the rest of the rail industry and the entrenched habits of many staff.

Something like "train captain" as I've heard of in Europe would be a better way to do that, I'd say. But then the whole thing is covered in FirstGroup's classic business bovine faeces, to be honest. Shame they didn't get Mr Stenning in, or even the guy who does the LNR marketing, which is nowhere near as good but not as bad as most of this.

 

[the sniper]

I think that Customer Driver and Ambassador are quite clever job titles - designed specifically to distance themselves from the rest of the rail industry and the entrenched habits of many staff.

Rather self indulgent isn't it, if your customers can't decipher your job titles because you're seemingly engaged in a one sided ideological battle against internal industry politics that don't really affect your own company.

 

[Grumpy Git]

I think that Customer Driver and Ambassador are quite clever job titles - designed specifically to distance themselves from the rest of the rail industry and the entrenched habits of many staff.

I suppose responses like this explain why such titles are handed-out.

"Bull**** baffles brains" springs to mind.

Will I be reported to Personnel or Human Resources, now there's a quandary.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Will I be reported to Personnel or Human Resources, now there's a quandary.

A US firm I used to work for (EDS, no longer a thing and long since taken over by HP then spun back out as DXC) used "LCM" or "Leadership & Change Management", which demonstrated clearly that they didn't give a monkeys about the actual staff. I think that's the worst I've heard as a name for that business function.

 

[BayPaul]

Rather self indulgent isn't it, if your customers can't decipher your job titles because you're seemingly engaged in a one sided ideological battle against internal industry politics that don't really affect your own company.

I think it's as much for the customers as well, at least the Ambassador title - if you have a role called guard, many people would now associate them with cancelled services due to strikes, so getting rid of the guard job title, rightly or wrongly, moves Lumo away from association with poor customer service experienced on other trains.

 

[centro-323]

Drifting wildly off-topic, but it's just an excuse to try and elevate the status of the position without actually paying them anymore than a steward...

According to the job advert that went up, they're on £30k, so I imagine they ARE actually being paid more than most (non-dispatch) on board crew

 

[Grumpy Git]

According to the job advert that went up, they're on £30k, so I imagine they ARE actually being paid more than most (non-dispatch) on board crew

Good for them, still a bloody awful job title though (don't get me started on the "customer" v "passenger" argument).

 

[the sniper]

I think it's as much for the customers as well, at least the Ambassador title - if you have a role called guard, many people would now associate them with cancelled services due to strikes, so getting rid of the guard job title, rightly or wrongly, moves Lumo away from association with poor customer service experienced on other trains.

How many TOCs actually use 'Guard' as the job role title (even if that's what many passengers/customers call them)...?

 

[Grumpy Git]

How many TOCs actually use 'Guard' as the job role title (even if that's what many passengers/customers call them)...?

Is there any reason why ANY rostered staff on a train who are not either:
1. driving
2. cooking
3. waiting-on
4. RPI

.................... are not carrying-out the role of a guard?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How many TOCs actually use 'Guard' as the job role title (even if that's what many passengers/customers call them)...?

SWT was the only post privatisation TOC I knew of that did that, conductor/senior conductor/train manager are more common. I don't know if SWR carried it on.

 

[Bishopstone]

As the job titles are silly, according to the internet, was there a shortage of applicants?

Likewise, if the job titles are silly, let’s see whether that leads to a shortage of customers.

 

[the sniper]

As the job titles are silly, according to the internet, was there a shortage of applicants?

Likewise, if the job titles are silly, let’s see whether that leads to a shortage of customers.

How will we quantify if passengers are mealy bemused by the title? The number of complaints on Twitter about the lack of onboard Ferrero Rocher?

 

[Grumpy Git]

How will we quantify if passengers are mealy bemused by the title? The number of complaints on Twitter about the lack of onboard Ferrero Rocher?

At least the champagne will be cheaper now in 2023.

 

[Christmas]

SWT was the only post privatisation TOC I knew of that did that, conductor/senior conductor/train manager are more common. I don't know if SWR carried it on.

East Coast called them guards right until Virgin changed the grade name to train managers.

 

[ainsworth74]

East Coast called them guards right until Virgin changed the grade name to train managers.

Though that did come with a change in responsibilities as they took on responsibility for organising the catering crews, with the senior hosts binned, so it was a logical rename.

 

[DanNCL]

LNER need to sort out how they announce Lumo services at Newcastle. Just heard an apology for the delay announcement for a Lumo service that’s currently 1 minute early!

 

[londonteacher]

It really doesn't matter what the name of the role is if the people doing the job are happy!

 

[800001]

1E86 (803001) has just called at York, conveying passengers diverted from West Coast Mainline due to the weather disruption, the first passenger call of these at York.

Stopped with only one door on platform (where track joins plat 3 prior to bridge), and customers exited via local door release

 

[TheBigD]

1E86 (803001) has just called at York, conveying passengers diverted from West Coast Mainline due to the weather disruption, the first passenger call of these at York.

Stopped with only one door on platform (where track joins plat 3 prior to bridge), and customers exited via local door release

I'm guessing to cover the passenger's off TPE 1612 Edinburgh to Manchester Airport which was cancelled due to the weather. The stop at York allowing connections in to other TPE service to Manchester.

 

[800001]

I'm guessing to cover the passenger's off TPE 1612 Edinburgh to Manchester Airport which was cancelled due to the weather. The stop at York allowing connections in to other TPE service to Manchester.

Yep, been acceptance with lner and XC for services between York and Edinburgh all day.