Most Wanted Improvements

[whole diary]

[Btline]

Chiltern do, the "Chiltern Carnet" of 10 tickets, aimed at the business traveller.

Perhaps other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) do, but they clearly don't advertise them as well as Chiltern.

[vacman]

My list of most wanted improvements (I realise these are all pie in the sky for the most part, but it doesn't stop me longing for them)

1. At stations other than halts have properly staffed ticket offices and entrances to platforms. Heritage railways seem to manage it - take a lesson from them.

2. Reintroduce platform tickets, and charge at least 20p. It'll generate revenue and ensure everyone on the platform has business being there.

2. Rename "revenue protection officers" as "customer travel assistants".

3. Remind the CTAs^▸ (Compulsory Ticket Area) who pays their wages. They are there primarily to assist the travelling public. The very name "revenue protection officers" shows that Management's priorities lie with the company's shareholders rather than the people who they are providing the service to.

answer to number 1, heritage railways use volunteers who work for free,
2 just rubbish! they are there to protect revenue due to the railway and investigate travel fraud and issue penalty fares, not assist with bags or nicey nicey, they do their bit for customer service by protecting the people who actually pay their fares, this can be, and from what I see, is done without being rude, there may be one or two who need an attitude transplant but you can say that with any grade whether guard, driver, customer host.....
3. They do a lot to pay their own wages because if they weren't there  then lots of revenue would be lost!

[Tim]

They are there primarily to assist the travelling public. The very name "revenue protection officers" shows that Management's priorities lie with the company's shareholders rather than the people who they are providing the service to.

Lets not get too excited about names.  I'd prefer the straightforward "ticket inspector" to "Revenue Protection Officer" but "Customer Travel Assistant" is even worse because it is misleading to the point of being dishonest.  If the staff are there mainly to check tickets (and I would say that that is an important job that someone needs to do), then a title connected with that role is appropriate.

[Btline]

Both RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) and CTA^▸ (Compulsory Ticket Area) are ridiculous titles.

They are called "Ticket Inspectors", who enhance ticket checking done by the Guard.

By all means have extra staff on platforms to assist passengers. But as these staff would deal mainly in despatch, I still can't see the title "Passenger Travel Assistants" working.

[willc]

One small thing would be the ability for frequent but irregular passengers to buy carnet tickets.  Woudl save time in the morning

They also exist on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) for a number of journeys into Oxford from stations in the county but their existence seems to be on a need-to-know basis - bit like the Cotswold Railcard.

[grahame]

2. Rename "revenue protection officers" as "customer travel assistants".

2 just rubbish! they are there to protect revenue due to the railway and investigate travel fraud and issue penalty fares, not assist with bags or nicey nicey, they do their bit for customer service by protecting the people who actually pay their fares, this can be, and from what I see, is done without being rude, there may be one or two who need an attitude transplant but you can say that with any grade whether guard, driver, customer host.....

You have struck something of a nerve there, Vacman, if my mailbox is anything to go by.  As I understand Phil's point (Phil - perhaps you would like to follow up?), he's suggesting that customer facing staff on the railway should have job titles which give positive indicators to the customers, and which naturally remind those staff of the importance of the customer who has no intentions of breaking any rules getting a good experience and being protected.

There majority of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stafff are, indeed, polite and helpful.  There's a small minority (but, sorry, rather more than one or two in my experience) who'll do their best to pass the buck on to a colleague (or will let the buck drop at the end of the passenger's journey, problem never solved, "write in about it").  And there's a small minority who'll assume that customers are guilty of trying to break the rules, and let the customers know that too, until they prove their innocence.  Job descriptions that re-inforce these attitudes, and bullying techniques such as dismissing the customer's view as "just rubbish" are, I'm afraid, remembered far more that the good experiences.

We're getting well off the "most wanted improvements" here, though.   Let's get back on topic!

[ReWind]

Perhaps a few newly built/reintroduced railway lines for our towns and CITY that do not have one.

1.  A line that goes from Yate to Thornbury maybe.  Therefore Thornbury would be connected to the railway network, and Yate would also benefit from a more frequent service.

2.  A line from Bristol - Radstock - Shepton Mallet - Wells - Glastonbury - Castle Cary maybe.  Connected popular somerset towns, and a city to the rail network, and possibly providing a faster alternative for the Bristol - Weymouth services.

3.  As previously discussed on this forum, a railway line/passenger service from Bristol - Portishead, and possibly Clevedon.  More option for us Bristol Commuters.

4.  Perhaps a line from Ashchurch - Tewkesbury.  I know there is a connecting bus service there, but I do feel Tewkesbury deserves a rail service.

5.  A line from Barnstaple - Bude - Padstow - Newquay.  I feel the north west coast of Devon could do with some sort of rail line.  Some of these places are some way of a rail station.

I know these are all very very optimistic, and probably will never happen, but if the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) wants to expand the Bristish Rail Network, and take people from there cars onto trains, then I feel more local stations, and a wider rail network will be needed.

[eightf48544]

One small thing would be the ability for frequent but irregular passengers to buy carnet tickets.  Woudl save time in the morning

Good to hear Chiltern do them, but aren't they available on some of the West Country branches?

The trouble with Carnets is that we are still wedded to the non transferrable ticket, one person one ticket. Heaven forbid that one person buys 10 carnet tickets and sells them to their mates.

It's why we don't have many group travel tickets such as the Lander tickets unlimted travel on public transport (not ICE/IC^▸ (Inter City)/EC) for one day (9:30 to 03:00 weekdays unlimited weekends) for up to 5 people.

Going back to the thread. I think the most realistic aim for a quick fix is the fare structure. Like the concept of Red Yellow Green trains with matching fares. It will make a very pretty timetable!

[Btline]

Easy way to prevent carnets being misused would be to issue photocards for carnet passengers.

Basically, like a railcard, so the tickets have "Crnt" on them (same place as "Y-P" for a Student Railcard) plus a photocard number, so only the person who buys them can use them.

[grahame]

Easy way to prevent carnets being misused would be to issue photocards for carnet passengers.

Barnstaple line carnet tickets are usable by any members of the same household ... so it's be no means certain that a new carnet scheme would be tickets for an individual, which is implied by a photocard.    In fact, I wonder why a lot more tickets aren't transferrable.

[Btline]

In fact, I wonder why a lot more tickets aren't transferrable.

Because BR^▸ (British Rail(ways))/TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) needed/need as much revenue as possible!

[IndustryInsider]

The trouble with Carnets is that we are still wedded to the non transferrable ticket, one person one ticket. Heaven forbid that one person buys 10 carnet tickets and sells them to their mates.

Chiltern's Carnet tickets are transferable: http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/latest-news/chiltern-carnet-keeps-business/

[cereal_basher]

There are carnet tickets for the Gunnislake and Looe branches I believe.

[vacman]

2. Rename "revenue protection officers" as "customer travel assistants".

2 just rubbish! they are there to protect revenue due to the railway and investigate travel fraud and issue penalty fares, not assist with bags or nicey nicey, they do their bit for customer service by protecting the people who actually pay their fares, this can be, and from what I see, is done without being rude, there may be one or two who need an attitude transplant but you can say that with any grade whether guard, driver, customer host.....

You have struck something of a nerve there, Vacman, if my mailbox is anything to go by.  As I understand Phil's point (Phil - perhaps you would like to follow up?), he's suggesting that customer facing staff on the railway should have job titles which give positive indicators to the customers, and which naturally remind those staff of the importance of the customer who has no intentions of breaking any rules getting a good experience and being protected.

There majority of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stafff are, indeed, polite and helpful.  There's a small minority (but, sorry, rather more than one or two in my experience) who'll do their best to pass the buck on to a colleague (or will let the buck drop at the end of the passenger's journey, problem never solved, "write in about it").  And there's a small minority who'll assume that customers are guilty of trying to break the rules, and let the customers know that too, until they prove their innocence.  Job descriptions that re-inforce these attitudes, and bullying techniques such as dismissing the customer's view as "just rubbish" are, I'm afraid, remembered far more that the good experiences.

We're getting well off the "most wanted improvements" here, though.   Let's get back on topic!

My arguement is against having a job title of "Customer ........." for revenue staff, everyone on the railway has a job to do and like it or lump it revenue protection are there to protect revenue due to the company, there's nothing wrong with that, every business has the right to employ staff to protect it's revenue/products, just like Tesco's employ security guards to stop people nicking stuff!

Revenue staff can still do their job and be polite and courteous but with a name like "Customer travel assistant" or whatever they would become a magnet for everything else, and it's also about being clear to the travelling public, you wouldn't wear a police uniform if you drove an ambulance would you?

A colleague who's in Revenue protection was telling me the other day that their name badges will have a job title of "Customer Service" from 15th June, so when that person is issuing a Penalty fare and the passenger reads that..........

We can call bailiffs "Customer furniture removers" aswell whilst we're at it!

[vacman]

There are carnet tickets for the Gunnislake and Looe branches I believe.

Which are transferrable