XC Staff gets upset that they need to move luggage for wheelchair user in 1st

[BluePenguin]

Does he really deserve castigating like this for being a bit grumpy? He did his job; he just complained a bit whilst doing it.

Yes he does, as this is not good customer service. You should not speak to passengers in that tone. Saying "I have only just got in mate, I am not annoyed with him not you" is hardly "Sorry for the inconvenience sir, I do apologise I have only just started my shift and didn't realise the wheel chair space was booked. Allow me a moment to get the suitcases moved for you"

Personally, I find anyone I don't know calling me "mate" who I don't know to be rather inappropriate. Although as the train manager is northern, we could allow this to slide as he probably was not intending to be rude - but it still is not polite.

 

[yorkie]

In these litigious days, I would have thought that videoing someone without permission and posting said video was an invitation to a legal complaint.

I don't know where you get that idea but it's something you have made up.

And his response should therefore have been "bear with me, I'll get this lot shifted".

Exactly

BWV is tightly-controlled.

That's a completely different matter to what @irish_rail was saying; they were referring to people acting differently when being filmed.

Does he really deserve castigating like this for being a bit grumpy? He did his job; he just complained a bit whilst doing it.

The XC staff member did not "do their job", which includes:

As a Train Manager or Senior Conductor you will handle a wide range of responsibilities while remaining customer focused and approachable....

(From an old post; I will look later to see if I can find a better quote/source)

In a public facing role, having a good relationship with customers and providing clear, calm and appropriate communication is absolutely part of the job.

Well yeah, he was acting like the passenger in the wheelchair was an inconvenience, which is very bad, really. Wheelchair users should not be made to feel like they are making someone's day more difficult, nor should they be asked routinely if they have the correct ticket on boarding; that doesn't happen to me.

Exactly .

No, they are still public places regardless of who owns the premises.

You can reasonably expect privacy in a closed office, or the toilet, for example, but not in a train carriage or a shop floor.

Totally correct.

To be fair, he did say that he had only just joined the train himslef, so the luggage had been allowed in the wheelchair space by the colleague he was taking over from.

That's not the issue. I can only guess you have not seen the video.

 

[Watershed]

BWV is tightly-controlled.

That's as may be, but the post I was relying to stated that the mere act of videoing is disrespectful.

 

[Flying Snail]

Aren't there railway staff and BTP who routinely use video recording?

Do they also routinely upload edited portions of those recordings to youtube to publicly castigate and shame the people they come into contact with?

 

[yorkie]

Do they also routinely upload edited portions of those recordings to youtube

That isn't what was being debated.

to publicly castigate and shame the people they come into contact with?

That sounds like a serious allegation you are making; surely the aim is to point out the mistakes that are being made? These sort of mistakes are not as uncommon as they should be.

 

[Busaholic]

Do they also routinely upload edited portions of those recordings to youtube to publicly castigate and shame the people they come into contact with?

If they did, it would be right that they received instant dismissal if and when traced. They have powers that the ordinary passenger/customer doesn't.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does he really deserve castigating like this for being a bit grumpy? He did his job; he just complained a bit whilst doing it.

One should not ever complain publically about one's job while doing it.

 

[Davester50]

surely the aim is to point out the mistakes that are being made? These sort of mistakes are not as uncommon as they should be.

If the videographer had PM'd the company concerned first you'd have a point.
Going public first negates that.

 

[Towers]

The really rather obvious issue here is the way the customer in the wheelchair would have been made to feel, most likely an unwelcome nuisance. A wheelchair user is not an item of cargo, they should be addressed personally and individually and any conversation regarding them or their journey should involve them directly; is isn’t rocket science!

 

[northwichcat]

Does he really deserve castigating like this for being a bit grumpy? He did his job; he just complained a bit whilst doing it.

Doesn't the disabled passenger have enough to worry about using public transport in this country without some grumpy train manager not wanting him on a train that another member of staff has just assisted him in getting on?

One of the worst traits in customer facing roles is to blame everything on a colleague who isn’t present. Whether it is true or not is irrelevant from the customer’s point of view: what they need is a constructive attitude to resolve the issue. The bitching can wait for the rest room

Indeed. A different CrossCountry train manager turning a blind eye doesn't mean it's not the problem of the current Crosscountry train manager. He seems to be blaming the Northern platform assistant. Would he have preferred the wheelchair passenger to have remained on the platform and for the dispatcher to refuse to dispatch the train until he had sorted the problem?

Do they also routinely upload edited portions of those recordings to youtube to publicly castigate and shame the people they come into contact with?

Yes when they've done something wrong e.g. https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/video/british-transport-police-release-video-153656874.html

The fact that a disabled passenger already had a camera running before the incident occured suggests they'd encountered problems before and they weren't taken seriously.

 

[N0G83]

Aren't there railway staff and BTP who routinely use video recording?

They’re worn to record evidence, criminal or negligence. I believe the BTP (British Transport Police) are the custodians to BWV (Body Worn Video) used by TOC railway staff, BTP and contractors.

 

[AlterEgo]

If the videographer had PM'd the company concerned first you'd have a point.
Going public first negates that.

I'm actually rather glad stuff like this is made public because otherwise I might have a hard time believing just how rude and incompetent some people can be towards paying customers.

 

[Merseyrailfan]

Surely him filming the situation, probably did not help matters.

 

[yorkie]

If the videographer had PM'd the company concerned first you'd have a point.
Going public first negates that.

Unfortunately my experience of complaining to train companies regarding poor service is that such complaints are not always treated seriously. And they keep happening. So it's understandable in my opinion.

I'm actually rather glad stuff like this is made public because otherwise I might have a hard time believing just how rude and incompetent some people can be towards paying customers.

Agreed.

I choose not to do it personally but, as someone who has been mistreated and witnessed people being mistreated on numerous occasions, I am glad some people do.

 

[AlterEgo]

The really rather obvious issue here is the way the customer in the wheelchair would have been made to feel, most likely an unwelcome nuisance. A wheelchair user is not an item of cargo, they should be addressed personally and individually and any conversation regarding them or their journey should involve them directly; is isn’t rocket science!

Quite.

 

[northwichcat]

They’re worn to record evidence, criminal or negligence. I believe the BTP (British Transport Police) are the custodians to BWV (Body Worn Video) used by TOC railway staff, BTP and contractors.

And would the evidence collected be used to determine if a member of staff was in the wrong, or would the passenger need their own evidence?

Surely him filming the situation, probably did not help matters.

In what way? Would you be less likely to drive sensibly if you thought the vehicle behind you had a dashcam fitted?

 

[CC 72100]

Personally, I find anyone I don't know calling me "mate" who I don't know to be rather inappropriate. Although as the train manager is northern, we could allow this to slide as he probably was not intending to be rude - but it still is not polite.

I've not watched the video, but come on? This isn't crime of the century.

Personally speaking, I avoid use of gendered pronouns to avoid me presuming people's gender identity. I'm not joking or saying this for effect here; Ladies/Gents Madam/Sir is incredibly old fashioned and with a whole variety of gender identities, best avoided. Some of the more gender neutral or gender inclusive terms are possibly a little more familiar, but I'd rather be criticised for being over familiar than totally mis-gendering somebody or making them feel not included.

I think a lot more is about the way you speak and the words that go before and after it, than the actual term used. (This is a more general context comment, not in respect of the video).

 

[Merseyrailfan]

And would the evidence collected be used to determine if a member of staff was in the wrong, or would the passenger need their own evidence?



In what way? Would you be less likely to drive sensibly if you thought the vehicle behind you had a dashcam fitted?

Well, maybe the staff member in question, was frustrated on having to delay the train for him to get on board, even by a minute or so.

I think both sides did not really help each other. The wheelchair user filmed it, better of two. but Train staff, was just miserable and rude and getting angry just about a train having to delayed for minute and putting luggage over a wheelchair user. Isn’t there luggage ranks above the Seats on voyagers, Its a bit ironic he‘s angry to say the least.

 

[N0G83]

And would the evidence collected be used to determine if a member of staff was in the wrong, or would the passenger need their own evidence?



In what way? Would you be less likely to drive sensibly if you thought the vehicle behind you had a dashcam fitted?

In this case with the XC Train Mgr I would have thought a letter of complaint to XC with the YT video as evidence would suffice for a ‘customer service issue’, That should be the end of it. I very much doubt BTP would get (even with BWV) involved.

 

[JB_B]

One should not ever complain publically about one's job while doing it.

Wow!

For someone working for a decent employer maybe that's reasonable.

Many people aren't so lucky.

 

[Merseyrailfan]

Surely he should take a lawsuit against CrossCountry over a breach of disability discrimination regulations? As the Train manager treated him poorly. Treated him like a burden and caring for luggage over a passenger. What a disgrace, CrossCountry!

 

[northwichcat]

Well, maybe the staff member in question, was frustrated on having to delay the train for him to get on board, even by a minute or so.

If that's so I'll remember it's OK to act like that the next time I'm on a train and it's delayed by a minute due to the guard not being ready to release the doors in time.

 

[ComUtoR]

as there wasn't a first class host?

What is the relevance of there not being a first class host ? I don't understand why that was important.

Cheers in advance.

Personally, I find anyone I don't know calling me "mate" who I don't know to be rather inappropriate.

What would you like to be called ?

Although as the train manager is northern, we could allow this to slide as he probably was not intending to be rude

Can I call you Guv (I'm from London) or if your female can I call you 'Luv' ?

What about 'flower' or 'pet'. Dude ? Boss ?

 

[Silenos]

I suppose that at its root this is a resource conflict - if there were adequate luggage space, perhaps the wheelchair space would have been left free, and the whole sorry incident need never have happened.

 

[N0G83]

Surely he should take a lawsuit against CrossCountry over a breach of disability discrimination regulations? As the Train manager treated him poorly. Treated him like a burden and caring for luggage over a passenger. What a disgrace, CrossCountry!

I don’t think the TM has discriminated the passenger, as per the video it’s a customer service issue inconveniencing the passenger with regards to in/correct placement onboard.

 

[Davester50]

What is the relevance of there not being a first class host ? I don't understand why that was important.

Cheers in advance.

I don't know, but it seems to be why the videographer was moved from his reserved place to the other train.
Not getting the service?

 

[azOOOOOma]

A deeply unpleasant display of toxic masculinity (from both sides). Nothing excuses the TM’s behaviour however I can understand why he feels aggrieved. I find that when a passenger films (as they are entitled to do) I always make a point of repeatedly symmetrising the situation. For example (I’m cabin crew); ‘so you’ve chosen to select a seat which specifically says you can’t sit children at the exit row and I’m asking you to move to a different seat just for takeoff’. It deters the mumsnet yummy mummy types or god awful mummybloggers putting me online for doing my job.

As for luggage space is it not the reason that the end of coach B facing that there are two luggage stacks specifically because of the fact that first class only has one stack? No other coach has triple luggage stacks so I just assumed it was for overspill from first.

Laura x

 

[Krokodil]

What is the relevance of there not being a first class host ? I don't understand why that was important.

If you've paid for first class, you are entitled to complimentary refreshments. This is provided at one's seat by the First Class Host. First class passengers in the other set can go and see the Retail Service Manager (very fancy term for someone who pushes a trolley) but if you're in a wheelchair then you won't be able to do this.

Can I call you Guv (I'm from London) or if your female can I call you 'Luv' ?

What about 'flower' or 'pet'. Dude ? Boss ?

I must admit that I find it weird when American tourists call me "Sir".

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wow!

For someone working for a decent employer maybe that's reasonable.

Many people aren't so lucky.

No. You can complain about your job at home, in the pub, to the Union, in the mess room, whatever you like. But when in uniform representing your employer to the public, you must always be polite and respectful, even if you have to be firm and assertive.

Anywhere other than the railway, that guy would have been sacked long ago.

 

[farleigh]

If you think it is OK to speak to customers/passengers in that manner, what possible objection could you have to it being uploaded to twitter/youtube etc?