As others have said it is about reaching a clear understanding between both parties. I've attended some of the Comms Reviews Group meetings held between Network Rail and TOC's. The scores are marked according to a criteria laid down in a Group Standard. Depending on the scores achieved by a caller(s) they can find themselves having a meeting with their manager and a performance action plan introduced.
The main thing is to remain professional throughout. A couple of note I have heard were the caller has brought the recipient down to their level - a full blown argument between a driver and a signalman. Another example was a signaller that made his conversation something more akin to listening to the Jimmy Young radio show - younger readers may need to ask someone about Jimmy Young, or search the internet.
That said the Comms Review Group isn't there to be used as a stick to beat staff. There can be some good examples of spot-on comms. However many incidents occur through poor communication protocols. Part of the problem these days, in my opinion, has been the introduction of GSM-R. It can be difficult to ascertain when a caller classes it as a radio call, using the appropriate voice protocols, or the call is a telephone call that doesn't require the same radio protocols.
