London Bridge - new platforms, same old problems

[Jeremy]

I disagree Otta/SJ, if you work for a company in a public facing role, you're representing the company. Yeah your complaint won't be formally processed, but you would expect such a staff member to be able to feed back general customer sentiment back to management. But of course, there's no call for any rudeness/aggression.

[Otta]

Hmm, in my book they should point people towards the customer service desk and that's it.

But what do people expect to acheive by complaining (even politely) to these guys?

I'm sure they mention to their line managers that a load of people were giving them verbal, and I'm sure that acheives nothing.

[StraferJack]

again, this isn't like a bank where front line staff deal with a queue of people, some of whom wish to complain

it's an tidal wave of people getting off a train, overly annoyed, and taking it out on people who can't do anything about it

You can see it yourself when it's happening

And on a day like yesterday when it's incessant, these people are doing an amazing job by just not retaliating IMO

[Jeremy]

Not suggesting anyone starts "taking it out on" the staff. Certainly not.

If the station staff points the customer in the right direction should they wish to complain... well surely that's fine, and actually would go to show that approaching them did acheive something...

[KidKruger]

I thought LBG had the dingy little bar near the entrance to the Kent lines ?

[James]

If you're going to privatise trains and run them for profit like a business, your staff should behave like people who work for any other business. I.e. they should be helpful and sympathetic towards complaints. When we pay the highest fares in Europe, I should think so too!

In my experience I have found Southern Trains staff to be ill-informed, unhelpful and on occasions, downright rude and incompetent. However I don't think it's their fault. It's symptomatic of bad management from the top downwards.

[Otta]

Exactly James.

There is no excuse for them being rude, but being ill informed is probably not their fault. And I very much doubt they're getting a decent slice of all this profit.

[StraferJack]

", your staff should behave like people who work for any other business. I.e. they should be helpful and sympathetic towards complaints"

gee, could you point me towards some of these businesses?

I would say most companies (there are notable exceptions) are desperately poor at complaint handling

[AbDabs]

I've noticed that the Southern Trains staff under 40 tend to be perfectly pleasant and willing (and reasonably well informed if you take into account what their particular job is) - it's the older one's who think the world owes them a living. I assume they earn similar amounts.

By the way, from the Southern website, a clear expectation that you may speak directly to the frontline staff:

"Our staff will do all they can to resolve the problem straight away. If this is not possible, they will provide you with details of how to contact Customer Services."

[matthew123]

I complained to one member of station staff a few weeks ago, and politely asked why my train was late. She shrugged her shoulders and sipped her hot drink by the turnstile heater whilst I shivered in the cold. I then asked her to get the station manager. She said no, I asked why not, she shrugged her shoulders, smiled and carried on sipping her drink.

The daily problems are not acts of God.

[Otta]

She sounds like she was having a Michael Douglas "Falling down" moment.

[Tr?]

We all sympathise with front line staff who are inundated with complaints, and I'm sure we all agree rudeness and aggressiveness are out of line. But surely ad hoc complaints to front line staff are a pretty decent barometer of what's ticking your customers off at any given time? And I'm sure these staff are given oodles of complaint handling training (it sounds like the woman above has executed this to perfection!).

[Penguin68]

I have used LB station recently (I don't normally) on a number of occasions (coming in from Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Brockley way - so avoiding the nightmare platforms) and out of rush hour - the station staff have been admirably helpful and polite, but I wasn't travelling in rush hour and I wasn't stressed myself. I suspect passenger stress starts to rub-off on staff - and if you've had a rude experience you don't know how much grief the staff member has had before your interaction. These things often become viscious spirals, as stress breeds stress.

Which is not to say that, given the obvious and increasing problems, management shouldn't have taken action to get more staff out there to help pasengers. When we had our tame Railway Senior Mananger on the forum this could have been dealt with far more effectively.

[StraferJack]

ad hoc complaints maybe

but yesterday morning, you think it was an occasional, ad-hoc complaint, politely addressed to the staff?

[Guest]

Went to London Bridge yesterday for first time in ages and I like the new look.

[StraferJack]

I've been impressed with all of the station revamps recently

both Kings X stations

Blackfriars

What I've seen of LB to date

these places were humongous shite-holes

[Tr?]

I have no idea, I wasn't there, and my comments were general not specific to yesterday.

But yes, I imagine there were some tools throwing pointless abuse around.

Could I please put a 'no' vote in for the Denmark Hill revamp?

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ad hoc complaints maybe

>

> but yesterday morning, you think it was an

> occasional, ad-hoc complaint, politely addressed

> to the staff?

[StraferJack]

you can indeed

I file it under "things I don't miss"

[Alan Medic]

I catch early trains into LB and so far haven't had a problem. I don't understand why later trains should be held up if that is the problem. Same number of platforms available as last week.

[Otta]

Probably more trains running.

[BeadyBoo]

Do any oyster card users know how we can claim refunds for delayed journeys/ cancelled trains ?

[Jeremy]

I think it stands to reason that trains earlier in the morning are less likely to be impacted by knock-on problems...

[James Barber]

London Bridge used to have 19 platforms. They closed 3 to make room for the signalling box and staff car parking in the 1970's. They closed 3 more at the start of all these works (which also killed amongst other services the SLL). So clearly if they needed 16 platforms before and are trying to run services with 3 less platforms and at the end of all this will only have 15 platforms then they obviously create a near impossible operational conundrum.

Have you noticed how British Transport Police are now hanging around to discourage passengers anger. The cattle pens. The narrow platforms. Not welcoming.

[rch]

I was the only councillor on the Planning Committee that broke ranks and voted against this redesign. Just wait until they start knocking down the nearby heritage buildings to expand the soulless frontage...

[StraferJack]

There are heritage buildings worth keeping out there?