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+--- Forum: Go North East (https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=54)
+--- Thread: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - January 2015 (/showthread.php?tid=831)
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Dan - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 11:57 am)MarcTheA4 I find a lot of drivers do this. They advise customers on the fastest bus, for example - if I got on a 28 to get to Ouston from Chester, he/she would tell me the 34 would get me there twenty odd minutes quicker.
It's an example of good customer service. Bus drivers are deemed to be the 'experts', so they should be able to provide the customer with advice on which product/service is best for them.
Of course, the quality of customer service can reduce depending on the stress a driver has to undergo... If s/he is late, s/he is less likely to provide a list of tickets available to each and every customer, for example.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Michael - 11 Jan 2015
Anyone updates on repaints?
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Dan - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 12:16 pm)Michael Anyone updates on repaints?
We only get them between Monday and Friday!
Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - S813 FVK - 11 Jan 2015
8247 is back at Washington. Just seen it on service 82A.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Dan - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 12:28 pm)Robert 8247 is back at Washington. Just seen it on service 82A.
3868 likewise at Chester-le-Street.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Adrian - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 11:55 am)Dan ..and before the inevitable accusations of 'Go North East have done this on purpose so that customers aren't aware of the ticket and have to pay more money for a day ticket' begin, the chances are it's been an error in communication when the website (and its content) has been altered.
Nine times out of ten, bus drivers will always offer the cheapest/best value day ticket to achieve what the customer wants, unless the customer has explicitly asked for another ticket.
I don't think there's any possible logic that can be injected into this situation? If they didn't want customers to be aware, so they had to pay more, then surely they'd just withdraw the ticket completely?
Some of the website content is really poor, and it perhaps needs looking at. I've dropped them an email about the lack of 'Wear Valley Saver' on the Pronto and OK Way pages. Pronto advertises the Pronto Saver, but not a mention of Wear Valley Saver, but like you say, I'm sure that it's just an honest mistake by the webmasters.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Dan - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 12:46 pm)aureolin I don't think there's any possible logic that can be injected into this situation? If they didn't want customers to be aware, so they had to pay more, then surely they'd just withdraw the ticket completely?
Some of the website content is really poor, and it perhaps needs looking at. I've dropped them an email about the lack of 'Wear Valley Saver' on the Pronto and OK Way pages. Pronto advertises the Pronto Saver, but not a mention of Wear Valley Saver, but like you say, I'm sure that it's just an honest mistake by the webmasters.
My point exactly. The same applies to bus operators conducting customer consultations prior to service changes, but a few members of the forum suggested that Go North East had alternative motives... When looking at the ANE/SNE areas, it's clear that some members of the forum often overlook honest mistakes there too, and make the respective operator out to be a 'big bad wolf'.
Outdated web content and inconsistencies really irritate me, and Arriva are exactly the same for doing it. I think the problem of outdated web content arises from members of management having a large span of control - the employee in charge of updating the website mightn't be informed of a new ticket available and hence the website isn't updated to reflect this.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Drifter60 - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 12:58 pm)Dan My point exactly. The same applies to bus operators conducting customer consultations prior to service changes, but a few members of the forum suggested that Go North East had alternative motives... When looking at the ANE/SNE areas, it's clear that some members of the forum often overlook honest mistakes there too, and make the respective operator out to be a 'big bad wolf'.
Outdated web content and inconsistencies really irritate me, and Arriva are exactly the same for doing it. I think the problem of outdated web content arises from members of management having a large span of control - the employee in charge of updating the website mightn't be informed of a new ticket available and hence the website isn't updated to reflect this.
But if the company isn't promoting these tickets then they might as well be misinforming customers. I've never even heard of a highwayman day saver.
Living in East Durham, the amount of people who know about the East Durham Day Saver ticket is very few. I've got family who don't drive, friends who do/don't drive and I think only one of them had even heard about the ticket.
So in that case in my opinion, go north east don't do enough to promote such tickets. It's potentially the same for other operators too. The East Durham ticket is great value which can be used across three Buzzfare zones (Tuqiouse, Green & Red) in Hartlepool, Wingate, Peterlee, Durham, Pittington, Easington, South Hetton, Murton, Seaham & Sunderland, covering all East Durham branded buses and also X35/X7 (Sunderland-Starion Town). But many don't know about it and just opt for a Two Zone Buzzfare, priced at £1.55 more.
No one from Peterlee-Sunderland should ever need the buzzfare system, even if making a connection out of Peterlee (as the only bus that isn't covered by day saver is X9, which isn't a local service).
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Dan - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 1:22 pm)Drifter60 But if the company isn't promoting these tickets then they might as well be misinforming customers. I've never even heard of a highwayman day saver.
Living in East Durham, the amount of people who know about the East Durham Day Saver ticket is very few. I've got family who don't drive, friends who do/don't drive and I think only one of them had even heard about the ticket.
So in that case in my opinion, go north east don't do enough to promote such tickets. It's potentially the same for other operators too. The East Durham ticket is great value which can be used across three Buzzfare zones (Tuqiouse, Green & Red) in Hartlepool, Wingate, Peterlee, Durham, Pittington, Easington, South Hetton, Murton, Seaham & Sunderland, covering all East Durham branded buses and also X35/X7 (Sunderland-Starion Town). But many don't know about it and just opt for a Two Zone Buzzfare, priced at £1.55 more.
No one from Peterlee-Sunderland should ever need the buzzfare system, even if making a connection out of Peterlee (as the only bus that isn't covered by day saver is X9, which isn't a local service).
You've probably not heard of a "Highwayman Day Saver" because you live in East Durham, and probably don't use the Highwayman services very frequently? Although details of Arriva's various 'saver tickets' being published online which I can view at my leisure, I couldn't begin to tell you what they are because I have very little need to use Arriva's services...
Despite information being on Go North East's website, very few are aware of Go North East's ticketing options. I think this is probably one of the reasons why Go North East, and other operators, have been reluctant to go to the cost of implementing online fare calculators on their websites: because the information which is currently available often isn't acknowledged. I don't regularly look at Go North East's Social Media pages, but I bet if I looked there would be questions about how much a day ticket would cost to get from A to B, when this information is already on the website.
In the past, Go North East has also produced leaflets which have been printed and stored on-board buses to advertise the different ticket options available. I doubt many customers bothered to pick them up, though!
Have just looked on Facebook, and Go North East are currently promoting their Sunderland town/city zone day/weekly ticket. So again, they are promoting ticketing options, but whether people will bother to look is another matter.
Drivers are the main point of call for customers to find out about what the various ticketing options are, so I don't think Go North East has attempted to be deceptive or anything like that at all. I have previously used the East Durham saver ticket as an example, and stated how when I was on-board the X7, the driver had plenty of waiting time at Seaham, and asked every customer where they were going when they attempted to buy a BuzzFare, so he could offer the East Durham saver ticket alternative.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Adrian - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 1:22 pm)Drifter60 But if the company isn't promoting these tickets then they might as well be misinforming customers. I've never even heard of a highwayman day saver.
Living in East Durham, the amount of people who know about the East Durham Day Saver ticket is very few. I've got family who don't drive, friends who do/don't drive and I think only one of them had even heard about the ticket.
So in that case in my opinion, go north east don't do enough to promote such tickets. It's potentially the same for other operators too. The East Durham ticket is great value which can be used across three Buzzfare zones (Tuqiouse, Green & Red) in Hartlepool, Wingate, Peterlee, Durham, Pittington, Easington, South Hetton, Murton, Seaham & Sunderland, covering all East Durham branded buses and also X35/X7 (Sunderland-Starion Town). But many don't know about it and just opt for a Two Zone Buzzfare, priced at £1.55 more.
No one from Peterlee-Sunderland should ever need the buzzfare system, even if making a connection out of Peterlee (as the only bus that isn't covered by day saver is X9, which isn't a local service).
Only the website content is incorrect. I'm sure now that they've been contacted about it, it'll sharp be changed. There's a list of route savers in the money saving guide that is produced, but the original query was, that it wasn't clear, whether the the route saver was valid on the two services that were previously Highwayman branded. Can't comment on the East Durham saver, as I don't use any of the routes, but I know the Washington Day Saver tends to be pushed by drivers, over the Purple Buzzfare.
There are a lot of tickets, which I don't think helps matters, but there's also a lot of effort put into publishing details of these tickets. The money saving guide is on the website, and there's also a hard copy of the publication, regularly available on the buses. If someone is asking for, for example, a two zone day ticket, then that's what they'll be issued. If someone asks for a 'day ticket' or a ticket to get them from A to B, then I'm sure that's when ticketing options are discussed.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Tom - 11 Jan 2015
Can anyone tell me what Lime boards at Chester-le-Street operated?
Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - R852 PRG - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:30 pm)Tom Can anyone tell me what Lime boards at Chester-le-Street operated?
How do you mean? On a Sunday?
They do 7, Stanley do 6 on normal days. I'll have a flick through my notebook and see if I can work them out.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Tom - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:35 pm)MarcTheA4 How do you mean? On a Sunday?
They do 7, Stanley do 6 on normal days. I'll have a flick through my notebook and see if I can work them out.
No on a Saturday
Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - R852 PRG - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:37 pm)Tom No on a Saturday
I think they may have changed them slightly when the rotas were amalgamated.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Tom - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:38 pm)MarcTheA4 I think they may have changed them slightly when the rotas were amalgamated.
Okay.
Do you have any idea what ones they do though?
Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - R852 PRG - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:39 pm)Tom Okay.
Do you have any idea what ones they do though?
Uno momento, I am uploading photos.
I'll have a look and PM you.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Dan - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:30 pm)Tom Can anyone tell me what Lime boards at Chester-le-Street operated?
Chester-le-Street operates the following:
10:22 #8 from Sunderland
11:22 #8 from Sunderland
11:52 #8 from Sunderland
12:52 #8 from Sunderland
13:52 #8 from Sunderland
14:22 #8 from Sunderland
The bus performs an 8 to Stanley and back to Sunderland then changes to a 78 - so there may be workings before/after the above quoted.
On Sundays, Chester-le-Street operates the 11:10 #78A from Sunderland, with all other journeys provided by Stanley.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Tom - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 3:46 pm)Dan Chester-le-Street operates the following:
10:22 #8 from Sunderland
11:22 #8 from Sunderland
11:52 #8 from Sunderland
12:52 #8 from Sunderland
13:52 #8 from Sunderland
14:22 #8 from Sunderland
The bus performs an 8 to Stanley and back to Sunderland then changes to a 78 - so there may be workings before/after the above quoted.
Cheers
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Tom - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 10:21 pm)gneasy91 With the new 36 anyone agree with me town end farm to chester lee st bit strange cant see many ppl going 2 chester from town end never no might work
No it isn't strange.
It's the local links that will be improved.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - Michael - 11 Jan 2015
(11 Jan 2015, 10:21 pm)gneasy91 With the new 36 anyone agree with me town end farm to chester lee st bit strange cant see many ppl going 2 chester from town end never no might work
Like it was said before... people won't do the full route, only sections of it.
I'll only ever use it from Durham road to Southwick/Castletown/Hylton Castle.