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The Christmas Cheshireman 30/11/2013

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by BillR, Nov 24, 2013.

  1. 6029 King Stephen

    6029 King Stephen Member

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    ^^ Yes, what Cambrian55 said. And stewards at pick up points.
     
  2. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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    Only problem I can see with an on-train contact phone for emergencies, is if the number got out, lineside cranks would end up abusing it finding out where "their" train was.

    From that perspective you can see why they don't.....
     
  3. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Isn't that what RTT does ?.
     
  4. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    But others do give out this number and the system works, passengers have called to ask what the delay is and in some cases to say that they will not be joining the train due to unforseen circumstances, so it works both ways.
     
  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Quite right. And on the subject of communication - is there not a better way of communicating to passengers on the train by using wireless technology and a mobile PA. There is no doubt that someone walking through the train repeating the same message umpteen times is effective but hardly effiicent. And sadly, it seems that wired systems fall prey to broken contacts and other issues when the stock is remarshalled.
     
  6. Phil K

    Phil K Member

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    Whenever I have called the Steam Dreams Mobile, it's always been an answer phone with a recorded message providing the latest update. Never answered as such but always a timed message. Surely that is the most effective option as it avoids engaged tones too & the abuse mentioned above.
     
  7. brasso1

    brasso1 New Member

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    Just looking on TripAdvisor, one customer has commented that...

    Coming home we were held at Shrewesbury for over an hour and when asking the stewards why we were being delayed the response was "not allowed to tell you".

    An earlier comment on a forum said that a passenger had asked and was told "there had been a disagreement between the signaller and the driver".

    It seems RTC do not like interacting with customers.


    As raised here, another customer says...

    "The underlying problems were not of RTC's making, but the issue I have with them is that they make themselves deliberately uncontactable - the office is unmanned and you just get an answerphone, and they provide no "on the day" contact number. Any problems, tough, you're on your own."


    Bad reviews will kill the company sooner or later.
     
  8. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    There is an alternative to someone walking the whole train that is used by some companies, text message sent to all coach stewards who then relay it to just their one coach.... This is quick and reasonable efficient and certainly effective as the passengers have already had contact with the person passing on the information.
     
  9. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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    How much does a dozen walkie talkies cost in the great scheme of things?????

    Instant feedback to passengers, all stewards singing off the same hymn sheet.

    Obviously on a different channel to the operations staff on footplate etc....

    Cellphone out of range, no info????
     
  10. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Precisely. I can't think of any reason why information shouldn't be available easily by whatever means is most efficient but the systems to do so seem to be somewhere in the mid 20th Century. Although the rolling stock has to be so, the sharing of information doesn't. I understand that the continuous broadcast of information can become tiresome and we get it daily at times on the big railway. But the people on these trains have, I would suggest, more than a passing interest in what is going on and if things go wrong, why, plus the steps that are being taken to sort it out.

    I recall speaking once to a WC guard at Norwich on a trip when there might have been potential difficulties back in the London area, not to mention routing. He was clear about what was going to happen and why, (also in this instance why RTT was wrong!) so the will is there but, it would seem, not the means.

    The irony is that the right info at the right time can instantly dispel any concerns.
     
  11. malc

    malc Part of the furniture

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    The problem with relaying via information via stewards is that some stewards are better than others at passing on the info, some have very good railway knowledge (or, in some cases, think they have!) and some may have liitle or no railway knowedge. This can all lead to the info being passed on sometimes being incorrect or incomplete as each steward puts his or her interpretaion on the message. On a recent tour, our coach steward was speaking very authoritavely to some other passengers, but what he was saying was totally wrong. Much better for important info to come directly from the train manager (or simular), ideally via the PA or, if that's not available, by him or her walking through the train.
     
  12. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    At least £2500 for reasonable quality, downside is if you are not careful communications can be overheard, or misheard neither of which is acceptable. Having heard them being used by train crew reception can often be dodgy and repetition needed.
    These days basic cell phone coverage is pretty good, and text messages get through sooner than speech.
     
  13. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    Deciding the technology used to broadcast information to passengers or prospective passengers is a comparatively minor issue when we are thinking about RTC. The major one is the company's attitude to providing accurate and timely information at all. As brasso1 puts it, "Bad reviews will kill the company sooner or later.". And then all of us who enjoy travelling behind steam on the main lines will be the losers.
     
  14. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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    Maybe they should give me a call then, 6 walkie talkies supplied to chemical company this week, change out of £500, come with earpieces for privacy, have 18 hour batteries, and 3/4 mile coverage easy.

    Its not hard, but you must have the will to want and improve, as mentioned many times, the adage that "it is too hard, too expensive", is proved time and again to be misguided, and customer service suffers.

    Something that many are now refusing to put up with, if that trickle turns into a steady stream, your UK steam tours are in trouble.

    In recent times the UK mainline steam market has got away with very public breakdowns, mis communication between parties, and frankly mis-selling.

    If you think is a good business model, then the inevitable is just around the corner, it cannot go on the way it is, its why I don't do it now.....
     
    Big Al and spicer21 like this.
  15. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Christmas certainly would be coming early if anything sensible suggested on this Forum was taken up by a TOC or tour promoter. (By the way, do you do a good line in portable heaters for the cold coaches and personal lamps for when the lights go out?)
     
  16. brasso1

    brasso1 New Member

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    Another method of assisting customers before they join the train would be to work a bit more closely with the TOCs who run the stations. The train manager from the Northern Belle will make himself known to station staff and VSOE work with individual station managers to ensure correct information can be given out.

    Also, it would be worth charter train operators and promoters familiarising themselves with PIDD and discussing contingency plans with the TOCs over the routes of the charters. PIDD, or Passenger Information During Disruption is a code of practice created by ATOC to ensure correct, up to date, clear information is handed out when things go badly wrong. During a train failure, or line blockage a TOC may declare a CSL2 incident and will apoint local and control managers to look after the situation but I guess charter promoters are left out.
     
  17. malc

    malc Part of the furniture

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    That's fine if the TOC's are co-operative, some some stations are downright hostile towards charters. I was recently told of one station where the staff locked the toilets before a charter arrived to ensure that the passengers didn't use them.
     
  18. brasso1

    brasso1 New Member

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    I can't comment on the toilet comment.

    Running the railway day to day is not easy. When you are used to working at a station with a flow of easy units to a simple range of destinations it causes a massive amount of disruption to have a big old train stopping even just to pick up or set down. Add into that enthusiasts, some of whom may be on the anti-social side and it can become a problem. The key is for the promoter to interact with the local managers and assist the local station staff.

    Do any operators stick a sample ticket in an envelope and address it...
    "FAO Gateline Staff
    The Railway Station
    xxxxxxx"
    so that they can be more positive on the day.

    Efforts like that make all the difference.
     
  19. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Brasso, I don't how you are involved with charters if at all, but I can tell from experience that as has been said, some stations are very helpful and will put info up on indicator boards regarding charters, others, well you can imagine what they say.
    I'm sorry if a charter spoils their quiet routine, but they are there to serve the public however they depart/arrive and if it's a few joining at an intermediate station or 500 people at the destination then they must get a grip and get on with it. If the station management have not picked up on the fact that a charter is due then I cannot see it's the charter companies responsibility
    One guy who has never complained runs a coffee stall outside Bishop Auckland Station, and when a Compass tour starts from there with about 200 passengers boarding, he serves his drinks like there's no tomorrow.
     
  20. brasso1

    brasso1 New Member

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    Could you read my post before replying. thanks.
     

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