chrischarles
New Member
Hello
I would like to seek some advice because I am really seething and I'm not sure wether to go ahead and make a complaint or not against a member of staff. I have been travelling on the Northern network regularly and use it to commute between Manchester and stations futher down the line. I have endured many long delays and cancellations and have never EVER been abusive to staff or anyone else who are obviously just trying to do their job and are often the brunt of rudeness from some passengers.
However, today the train I was going to get was delayed by over 70 minutes. A few minutes before the train was due to arrive at our station, the tannoy said it was delayed due to a member of train crew staff was unavailiable so the train was stuck at the station before ours. Fair enough. I understand how train crews swap over and the train must be running behind. After about 40 mins and still delayed I was thinking about alternative ways to get home as the following 2 trains after ours had already been cancelled (plenty of notice beforehand). Then the tannoy announced emergency services were dealing with an incident futher down the line and this was the cause of the delay. So I was a bit confused what that meant, was the train crew present but now it was a different issue, or the same issue which prevented the train crew arriving and so both reasons were valid. Whatever, i wasnt too fussed. The important thing for me was to know if the late running train was going to be cancelled. I checked the northern journey check app and it didnt show as cancelled but I thought i'd ask the staff member on the platform (who blows the whistles etc..sorry dont know thier official titile) if he had any information.
The conversation went like this:
Me: "Excuse me, do you know if the train has been cancelled?"
Him: "Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "Oh Ok, So do you think it might be cancelled?"
Him: "It means its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "Ok, but what i mean is, do you think it might be cancelled or something?"
Him: "It means Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "So it hasnt been cancelled?"
Him: "It means Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "So, its running, but its just waiting for the delay to clear?"
Him: "It means Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Now to me, asking if the train is cancelled has 3 answers: Yes, no or I dont know. Either are perfectly fine, especially if the answer is I dont know. But the big problem for me was that I needed to arrange transport home if there was a good chance it would be cancelled. I guess what I was asking was his (professional) opinion or at the very least a friendly little exchange and I can understand in todays litigious society you have to be careful not to commit to something which somebody can hold you responsible for but it was just the outrageous obnoxiousness of his behaviour which had me seething. As I was asking him and he was just repeating his answer he was half walking away too, as if to say dont waste my time trying to talk to me.
What was worse was there was a very unpleasant traveller who was clearly upset about being delayed and looking for someone to take his frustration on, rudley kept interrupting me as I was asking the staff the question by half-yelling "IT MEANS THE TRAINS DELAYED, IVE BEEN HERE FOR AN HOUR WAITING"....I tried to ignore him but his attitude made it hard to talk to the staff so I turned to him and said firmly "excuse me" and then went back to trying to to the staff but then the traveller started swearing at me and the situation was in danger of escalating. The staff member could see this happening and he knew his attitude of repeating himself was unhelpful and contributing to the escalation but the staff carried on doing it.
I quickly realised I was getting nowhere and not wanting the situation to become worse, especially as I was between the rude traveller and the edge of the platform where a nasty push from him could have happened, I just walked away and out of the station. I was furious, especially as I had been nothing but polite to the staff guy but he really was very arrogant and obnoxious, like he was talking to a child. Although sadly, typing it all out, probably doesnt show that as well as the real life situation would have.
I guess this is as much of a venting post as well but what i'd really like to ask is if you think the staff member could have given me a better answer than what he did. The exchange just doesnt feel right to me and I dont know if I should raise the issue or if Im just overreacting. I dont expect heads to roll, but if he did that to me, then he will probably do it to someone else too.
This shouldnt matter, but I work in a patient facing role in healthcare and I've seen it and heard it all. Rude aggressive drunks I can tolerate, but when "normal" people behave this way and especially when it brings others into the situation like with that really unpleasent traveller, it really makes me angry.
Thanks for reading, sorry its so long!
I would like to seek some advice because I am really seething and I'm not sure wether to go ahead and make a complaint or not against a member of staff. I have been travelling on the Northern network regularly and use it to commute between Manchester and stations futher down the line. I have endured many long delays and cancellations and have never EVER been abusive to staff or anyone else who are obviously just trying to do their job and are often the brunt of rudeness from some passengers.
However, today the train I was going to get was delayed by over 70 minutes. A few minutes before the train was due to arrive at our station, the tannoy said it was delayed due to a member of train crew staff was unavailiable so the train was stuck at the station before ours. Fair enough. I understand how train crews swap over and the train must be running behind. After about 40 mins and still delayed I was thinking about alternative ways to get home as the following 2 trains after ours had already been cancelled (plenty of notice beforehand). Then the tannoy announced emergency services were dealing with an incident futher down the line and this was the cause of the delay. So I was a bit confused what that meant, was the train crew present but now it was a different issue, or the same issue which prevented the train crew arriving and so both reasons were valid. Whatever, i wasnt too fussed. The important thing for me was to know if the late running train was going to be cancelled. I checked the northern journey check app and it didnt show as cancelled but I thought i'd ask the staff member on the platform (who blows the whistles etc..sorry dont know thier official titile) if he had any information.
The conversation went like this:
Me: "Excuse me, do you know if the train has been cancelled?"
Him: "Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "Oh Ok, So do you think it might be cancelled?"
Him: "It means its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "Ok, but what i mean is, do you think it might be cancelled or something?"
Him: "It means Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "So it hasnt been cancelled?"
Him: "It means Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Me: "So, its running, but its just waiting for the delay to clear?"
Him: "It means Its been delayed due to emergency services dealing with an incident"
Now to me, asking if the train is cancelled has 3 answers: Yes, no or I dont know. Either are perfectly fine, especially if the answer is I dont know. But the big problem for me was that I needed to arrange transport home if there was a good chance it would be cancelled. I guess what I was asking was his (professional) opinion or at the very least a friendly little exchange and I can understand in todays litigious society you have to be careful not to commit to something which somebody can hold you responsible for but it was just the outrageous obnoxiousness of his behaviour which had me seething. As I was asking him and he was just repeating his answer he was half walking away too, as if to say dont waste my time trying to talk to me.
What was worse was there was a very unpleasant traveller who was clearly upset about being delayed and looking for someone to take his frustration on, rudley kept interrupting me as I was asking the staff the question by half-yelling "IT MEANS THE TRAINS DELAYED, IVE BEEN HERE FOR AN HOUR WAITING"....I tried to ignore him but his attitude made it hard to talk to the staff so I turned to him and said firmly "excuse me" and then went back to trying to to the staff but then the traveller started swearing at me and the situation was in danger of escalating. The staff member could see this happening and he knew his attitude of repeating himself was unhelpful and contributing to the escalation but the staff carried on doing it.
I quickly realised I was getting nowhere and not wanting the situation to become worse, especially as I was between the rude traveller and the edge of the platform where a nasty push from him could have happened, I just walked away and out of the station. I was furious, especially as I had been nothing but polite to the staff guy but he really was very arrogant and obnoxious, like he was talking to a child. Although sadly, typing it all out, probably doesnt show that as well as the real life situation would have.
I guess this is as much of a venting post as well but what i'd really like to ask is if you think the staff member could have given me a better answer than what he did. The exchange just doesnt feel right to me and I dont know if I should raise the issue or if Im just overreacting. I dont expect heads to roll, but if he did that to me, then he will probably do it to someone else too.
This shouldnt matter, but I work in a patient facing role in healthcare and I've seen it and heard it all. Rude aggressive drunks I can tolerate, but when "normal" people behave this way and especially when it brings others into the situation like with that really unpleasent traveller, it really makes me angry.
Thanks for reading, sorry its so long!