TheSlash
Established Member
Today I received some very poor customer service from a member of South West Trains staff.
Two of my friends travelled to a major SWT station, using BR priv passes. These passes were correctly filled out and checked by the guard en route.
To exit the station, they presented they're passes at the ticket barrier and they were inspected by a Revenue Protection Assistant {RPA}.
Earlier in the journey when my friend filled out her pass, the train jolted and the pen smudged. To correct this and emphasize the date, she overwrote the smudge.
The pass had barely been used, so had lots of free journeys still available.
She explained all this to the RPA, but he refused to accept the explanation, he confiscated the pass and said it would be sent away for testing as part of an investigation into Fraud.
As I was nearby, my friends contacted me, hoping I could assist them with the incident.
I arrived promptly and my friends identified the RPA to me.
I approached the RPA and asked if we could have a word in private, but he chose to carry on our conversation on the station concourse. I wasn't very happy about this, but I didn't want to lose track of the main issue, so I carried on.
I reviewed the incident with him and asked some basic questions as to why he refused to believe the explanation given. He gave me very vague answers that did not satisfy me, so I asked to speak to the station manager. He replied that The station manager has no authority over my work.
Logically, my question was the details for his direct manager. He refused me these details.
At this point, he excused himself from the conversation. He stated he had an urgent matter to attend to and would be back in Thirty seconds.
I waited with my friends at the location for five minutes, timed on the station clock. He failed to return was not visible on the station. I felt this was exceptionally poor customer service.
The other issue I had was his appearance. When I first approached him, his shirt was untucked, his trousers torn and he wasn't wearing a name badge.
As a Team Leader for the National Infrastructure Owner, the presentation of my staff is important to me.
The image staff give off represents three bodies;
It represents the company.
The appearance of a Trackman will go along way to the public perception of the company. Although we carry out heavy engineering in a dirty environment, it's no excuse for a poor appearance. At the end of a shift, any dirty PPE is put in the laundry. It's not a good image or good for your health to be walking around in the same grease stained PPE day in, day out.
It represents Me.
As the Team Leader, my lads' represent me. How can people be confident for me to deliver a professional service if the people I use to do the work are covered in dirt and look like they live on the streets.
It represents themselves.
People who take pride in they're image are automatically qualified to take pride in other things.
I believe somebody who takes pride in they're image will take pride in they're work. A Trackman who wears clean PPE, laces his boots up properly and keeps himself tidy, will want his work to be the same.
Somebody with no self respect will have no respect for the work they carry out and it's quality. They are the people I expect to be chasing for higher quality.
The other thing that concerns me is the person responsible for this RPA. That person has allowed the individual to go out into the public eye in that condition. They will also not of challenged them about they're appearance during that shift.
Two of my friends travelled to a major SWT station, using BR priv passes. These passes were correctly filled out and checked by the guard en route.
To exit the station, they presented they're passes at the ticket barrier and they were inspected by a Revenue Protection Assistant {RPA}.
Earlier in the journey when my friend filled out her pass, the train jolted and the pen smudged. To correct this and emphasize the date, she overwrote the smudge.
The pass had barely been used, so had lots of free journeys still available.
She explained all this to the RPA, but he refused to accept the explanation, he confiscated the pass and said it would be sent away for testing as part of an investigation into Fraud.
As I was nearby, my friends contacted me, hoping I could assist them with the incident.
I arrived promptly and my friends identified the RPA to me.
I approached the RPA and asked if we could have a word in private, but he chose to carry on our conversation on the station concourse. I wasn't very happy about this, but I didn't want to lose track of the main issue, so I carried on.
I reviewed the incident with him and asked some basic questions as to why he refused to believe the explanation given. He gave me very vague answers that did not satisfy me, so I asked to speak to the station manager. He replied that The station manager has no authority over my work.
Logically, my question was the details for his direct manager. He refused me these details.
At this point, he excused himself from the conversation. He stated he had an urgent matter to attend to and would be back in Thirty seconds.
I waited with my friends at the location for five minutes, timed on the station clock. He failed to return was not visible on the station. I felt this was exceptionally poor customer service.
The other issue I had was his appearance. When I first approached him, his shirt was untucked, his trousers torn and he wasn't wearing a name badge.
As a Team Leader for the National Infrastructure Owner, the presentation of my staff is important to me.
The image staff give off represents three bodies;
It represents the company.
The appearance of a Trackman will go along way to the public perception of the company. Although we carry out heavy engineering in a dirty environment, it's no excuse for a poor appearance. At the end of a shift, any dirty PPE is put in the laundry. It's not a good image or good for your health to be walking around in the same grease stained PPE day in, day out.
It represents Me.
As the Team Leader, my lads' represent me. How can people be confident for me to deliver a professional service if the people I use to do the work are covered in dirt and look like they live on the streets.
It represents themselves.
People who take pride in they're image are automatically qualified to take pride in other things.
I believe somebody who takes pride in they're image will take pride in they're work. A Trackman who wears clean PPE, laces his boots up properly and keeps himself tidy, will want his work to be the same.
Somebody with no self respect will have no respect for the work they carry out and it's quality. They are the people I expect to be chasing for higher quality.
The other thing that concerns me is the person responsible for this RPA. That person has allowed the individual to go out into the public eye in that condition. They will also not of challenged them about they're appearance during that shift.
, I am glad you reported this wally, it sounds like he is full of his own self importance and deserves everything he gets.
