Disruptions and driver shortages
Disruptions and driver shortages
(03 Sep 2022, 6:16 pm)Unber43 You said it not us! All Customer Service team, they're great!
(03 Sep 2022, 6:16 pm)Unber43 You said it not us! All Customer Service team, they're great!
(03 Sep 2022, 6:22 pm)Dan No, no - customer services are shite too.
Supervisors in the control room, duty detailers allocating shifts, leading drivers, as well as a whole host of other staff sitting behind the scenes - useless. Sack the lot of ‘em.
None of them will be working hard, working tirelessly to reduce the inconvenience to customers that the current service delivery is causing, stopping back late beyond their hours to get the job done. Nah.
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(03 Sep 2022, 6:22 pm)Dan No, no - customer services are shite too.
Supervisors in the control room, duty detailers allocating shifts, leading drivers, as well as a whole host of other staff sitting behind the scenes - useless. Sack the lot of ‘em.
None of them will be working hard, working tirelessly to reduce the inconvenience to customers that the current service delivery is causing, stopping back late beyond their hours to get the job done. Nah.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(03 Sep 2022, 6:37 pm)streetdeckfan This new Commercial Development Manager, whoever he is, seems like a load of crap as well! Been in the job 3 days and everything's already gone to pot!
(03 Sep 2022, 6:22 pm)Dan No, no - customer services are shite too.Whoever allocates vehicles need to go I can tell you that!
Supervisors in the control room, duty detailers allocating shifts, leading drivers, as well as a whole host of other staff sitting behind the scenes - useless. Sack the lot of ‘em.
None of them will be working hard, working tirelessly to reduce the inconvenience to customers that the current service delivery is causing, stopping back late beyond their hours to get the job done. Nah.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(03 Sep 2022, 6:22 pm)Dan No, no - customer services are shite too.Whoever allocates vehicles need to go I can tell you that!
Supervisors in the control room, duty detailers allocating shifts, leading drivers, as well as a whole host of other staff sitting behind the scenes - useless. Sack the lot of ‘em.
None of them will be working hard, working tirelessly to reduce the inconvenience to customers that the current service delivery is causing, stopping back late beyond their hours to get the job done. Nah.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(03 Sep 2022, 6:11 pm)Dan Aye, everyone’s shite apart from drivers and engineers.
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(03 Sep 2022, 6:11 pm)Dan Aye, everyone’s shite apart from drivers and engineers.
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I mean, at least GNE's customer service isn't just a team of, like, 4 people somewhere in London that know literally nothing about the North East, since that's essentially what Arriva's customer service is like.
(03 Sep 2022, 6:51 pm)Ambassador you’re part of the problem Dan, sorry you can’t see it
you can’t defend today.
(03 Sep 2022, 6:51 pm)Ambassador you’re part of the problem Dan, sorry you can’t see it
you can’t defend today.
(03 Sep 2022, 6:56 pm)wibblejunior I mean, at least GNE's customer service isn't just a team of, like, 4 people somewhere in London that know literally nothing about the North East, since that's essentially what Arriva's customer service is like.
(03 Sep 2022, 6:57 pm)Dan You clearly don’t realise that people are employed to do specific jobs. Just because service delivery is poor doesn’t mean to say that people in other roles are doing a bad job, or aren’t trying. You’re criticising people who aren’t of a position to change things to combat the issues with service delivery.
I normally agree with most of your comments, but you’re just making yourself look like an even bigger cock by having a vendetta against everyone who isn’t a driver or engineer. Feel free to carry on though - sorry you can’t see it.
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(03 Sep 2022, 6:56 pm)wibblejunior I mean, at least GNE's customer service isn't just a team of, like, 4 people somewhere in London that know literally nothing about the North East, since that's essentially what Arriva's customer service is like.
(03 Sep 2022, 6:57 pm)Dan You clearly don’t realise that people are employed to do specific jobs. Just because service delivery is poor doesn’t mean to say that people in other roles are doing a bad job, or aren’t trying. You’re criticising people who aren’t of a position to change things to combat the issues with service delivery.
I normally agree with most of your comments, but you’re just making yourself look like an even bigger cock by having a vendetta against everyone who isn’t a driver or engineer. Feel free to carry on though - sorry you can’t see it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(03 Sep 2022, 6:57 pm)Dan You clearly don’t realise that people are employed to do specific jobs. Just because service delivery is poor doesn’t mean to say that people in other roles are doing a bad job, or aren’t trying. You’re criticising people who aren’t of a position to change things to combat the issues with service delivery.
I normally agree with most of your comments, but you’re just making yourself look like an even bigger cock by having a vendetta against everyone who isn’t a driver or engineer. Feel free to carry on though - sorry you can’t see it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(03 Sep 2022, 6:57 pm)Dan You clearly don’t realise that people are employed to do specific jobs. Just because service delivery is poor doesn’t mean to say that people in other roles are doing a bad job, or aren’t trying. You’re criticising people who aren’t of a position to change things to combat the issues with service delivery.
I normally agree with most of your comments, but you’re just making yourself look like an even bigger cock by having a vendetta against everyone who isn’t a driver or engineer. Feel free to carry on though - sorry you can’t see it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(03 Sep 2022, 6:58 pm)streetdeckfan Isn't it just a team of 2 for GNE these days?
And isn't Arriva's CS based in Sunderland? I'm sure last time I spoke to them I got someone with a funny accent
He's probably the type of guy that shouts at the staff in Tesco because they've ran out of Corn Flakes
(03 Sep 2022, 6:58 pm)streetdeckfan Isn't it just a team of 2 for GNE these days?
And isn't Arriva's CS based in Sunderland? I'm sure last time I spoke to them I got someone with a funny accent
He's probably the type of guy that shouts at the staff in Tesco because they've ran out of Corn Flakes
(03 Sep 2022, 8:31 pm)Ambassador oh dear Streetdeckfan…what a sellout, expected more.
(03 Sep 2022, 8:31 pm)Ambassador oh dear Streetdeckfan…what a sellout, expected more.
(03 Sep 2022, 6:58 pm)streetdeckfan Isn't it just a team of 2 for GNE these days?
And isn't Arriva's CS based in Sunderland? I'm sure last time I spoke to them I got someone with a funny accent
He's probably the type of guy that shouts at the staff in Tesco because they've ran out of Corn Flakes
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Service Manager, Coatham Connect
(03 Sep 2022, 6:58 pm)streetdeckfan Isn't it just a team of 2 for GNE these days?
And isn't Arriva's CS based in Sunderland? I'm sure last time I spoke to them I got someone with a funny accent
He's probably the type of guy that shouts at the staff in Tesco because they've ran out of Corn Flakes
Forum Moderator | Let us know if you have any issues
Service Manager, Coatham Connect
(02 Sep 2022, 10:38 pm)Andreos1 There are many ways to improve buy in and loyalty beyond pay.
If pay is a motivating factor, then look at it and do something about it.
Ditto rotas, planning, routes, management, rewards, incentives, on-board driver monitoring, micro-management and many other things beyond fancy slogans and depot meetings that promise lots, but deliver little.
Ultimately, they need to value the people that keep the company alive.
Without them, it sinks.
I don't think there's an all singing, all dancing solution which will fix this problem overnight.
It's far too gone for that.
(03 Sep 2022, 7:36 am)Stanleyone From an ex drivers point of view, I left just over 6 months ago, opting for life as an HGV driver. 10 years I spent at GNE, Crook, CLS and finally Stanley/Consett. I loved the job but the politics of it were ridiculous, the final push to get out came after being "awarded" with a 6 month personal coaching plan (PCP) for hitting the trigger points. These trigger points being off more than 1 week more than once over a year long period. Harsh I thought seeing as those periods of absence were for 1, catching covid 2, Death of a family member and finally 3 a heart condition, but hey trigger points. Add to that the daily abuse recieved from those not happy about the bus infront not running, over 18s not getting the child fare, it all added up. Stressed coming in from work every day/Night.
Since leaving the buses, stress is no more, work/life balance is so much better. Still friends with those on the buses and it's the same talk of " the jobs sh@@ ", pay needs to go up massively but years of " we can't afford x% " are now paying off and drivers like me that have left and others that are waiting to go through their class 2 or 1 and get away.
(03 Sep 2022, 2:49 pm)streetdeckfan Tbh, it's no different from when they closed Crook and all the CLS drivers were constantly going the wrong way because of the lack of route learning. Although in this case I would think they'd just allocate CLS drivers to the X21 who know the route!
I'm not usually one to blindly defend GNE, but I think it may be wise to give them a few days to get things sorted
If you're expecting them to transfer an entire depot 10-15 miles overnight and there not to be issues the next day, then you're completely deluded!
(03 Sep 2022, 5:44 pm)Ambassador I think we all knew today had the potential of being a disaster but today has been spectacular! We knew the switch was coming but there’s been apparent zero prep to absolute chaos
Maybe GNE need to stop playing with marketing and gimmicks and let some professionals come in and run the business because the current lot have failed beyond belief. The Durham Road corridor and kibblesworth has been abandoned today.
For all the failings of Arriva and Stagecoach, at their worst day they are a million times better than GNE and aside drivers and engineers I’d be utterly embarrassed to claim to be a employee
Excuse after excuse.,perhaps GNE can look inward and work out the problem is perhaps them
(02 Sep 2022, 10:38 pm)Andreos1 There are many ways to improve buy in and loyalty beyond pay.
If pay is a motivating factor, then look at it and do something about it.
Ditto rotas, planning, routes, management, rewards, incentives, on-board driver monitoring, micro-management and many other things beyond fancy slogans and depot meetings that promise lots, but deliver little.
Ultimately, they need to value the people that keep the company alive.
Without them, it sinks.
I don't think there's an all singing, all dancing solution which will fix this problem overnight.
It's far too gone for that.
(03 Sep 2022, 7:36 am)Stanleyone From an ex drivers point of view, I left just over 6 months ago, opting for life as an HGV driver. 10 years I spent at GNE, Crook, CLS and finally Stanley/Consett. I loved the job but the politics of it were ridiculous, the final push to get out came after being "awarded" with a 6 month personal coaching plan (PCP) for hitting the trigger points. These trigger points being off more than 1 week more than once over a year long period. Harsh I thought seeing as those periods of absence were for 1, catching covid 2, Death of a family member and finally 3 a heart condition, but hey trigger points. Add to that the daily abuse recieved from those not happy about the bus infront not running, over 18s not getting the child fare, it all added up. Stressed coming in from work every day/Night.
Since leaving the buses, stress is no more, work/life balance is so much better. Still friends with those on the buses and it's the same talk of " the jobs sh@@ ", pay needs to go up massively but years of " we can't afford x% " are now paying off and drivers like me that have left and others that are waiting to go through their class 2 or 1 and get away.
(03 Sep 2022, 2:49 pm)streetdeckfan Tbh, it's no different from when they closed Crook and all the CLS drivers were constantly going the wrong way because of the lack of route learning. Although in this case I would think they'd just allocate CLS drivers to the X21 who know the route!
I'm not usually one to blindly defend GNE, but I think it may be wise to give them a few days to get things sorted
If you're expecting them to transfer an entire depot 10-15 miles overnight and there not to be issues the next day, then you're completely deluded!
(03 Sep 2022, 5:44 pm)Ambassador I think we all knew today had the potential of being a disaster but today has been spectacular! We knew the switch was coming but there’s been apparent zero prep to absolute chaos
Maybe GNE need to stop playing with marketing and gimmicks and let some professionals come in and run the business because the current lot have failed beyond belief. The Durham Road corridor and kibblesworth has been abandoned today.
For all the failings of Arriva and Stagecoach, at their worst day they are a million times better than GNE and aside drivers and engineers I’d be utterly embarrassed to claim to be a employee
Excuse after excuse.,perhaps GNE can look inward and work out the problem is perhaps them
(03 Sep 2022, 8:46 pm)Adrian I don't always agree with you, but I think in terms of route learning, you can only teach someone a route a limited amount of time in advance of them doing it. There's no point in doing it 3 months prior to the move, because most drivers will have forgotten it having not driven it for the 3 months that follow.
You can only lead a horse to water too. I know if I'm working on something I'm unfamiliar with, I make it my business to work out what I need to be doing. As above though, when you have the morale issues that exist in the bus industry, you're not going to get that same level of buy-in of people wanting to go over and above... after all, it's the operator's responsibility to roster a service with drivers that know the route.
(03 Sep 2022, 8:46 pm)Adrian I don't always agree with you, but I think in terms of route learning, you can only teach someone a route a limited amount of time in advance of them doing it. There's no point in doing it 3 months prior to the move, because most drivers will have forgotten it having not driven it for the 3 months that follow.
You can only lead a horse to water too. I know if I'm working on something I'm unfamiliar with, I make it my business to work out what I need to be doing. As above though, when you have the morale issues that exist in the bus industry, you're not going to get that same level of buy-in of people wanting to go over and above... after all, it's the operator's responsibility to roster a service with drivers that know the route.
(03 Sep 2022, 9:00 pm)streetdeckfan I know when Crook was closed and the X21 was transferred to CLS, I did see drivers a few times sitting upstairs at the front taking notes. Not sure whether this was a thing they were doing in their own time as they were wearing their uniform, or whether it was a part of the route learning by GNE, but it seemed like a pretty good idea to me.Also running dead I noticed the X20 drivers some go via Durham whereas some go via washington.
I often wonder, when drivers are learning the route, are they told alternative ways like if a road is closed, or if they make a wrong turn how to get back on to the route?
(03 Sep 2022, 9:00 pm)streetdeckfan I know when Crook was closed and the X21 was transferred to CLS, I did see drivers a few times sitting upstairs at the front taking notes. Not sure whether this was a thing they were doing in their own time as they were wearing their uniform, or whether it was a part of the route learning by GNE, but it seemed like a pretty good idea to me.Also running dead I noticed the X20 drivers some go via Durham whereas some go via washington.
I often wonder, when drivers are learning the route, are they told alternative ways like if a road is closed, or if they make a wrong turn how to get back on to the route?
(03 Sep 2022, 6:58 pm)streetdeckfan Isn't it just a team of 2 for GNE these days?
And isn't Arriva's CS based in Sunderland? I'm sure last time I spoke to them I got someone with a funny accent
He's probably the type of guy that shouts at the staff in Tesco because they've ran out of Corn Flakes
(03 Sep 2022, 6:58 pm)streetdeckfan Isn't it just a team of 2 for GNE these days?
And isn't Arriva's CS based in Sunderland? I'm sure last time I spoke to them I got someone with a funny accent
He's probably the type of guy that shouts at the staff in Tesco because they've ran out of Corn Flakes
(03 Sep 2022, 9:04 pm)Unber43 Also running dead I noticed the X20 drivers some go via Durham whereas some go via washington.
Do they learn these dead runs or do they need to learn them in their private time.
(03 Sep 2022, 9:04 pm)Unber43 Also running dead I noticed the X20 drivers some go via Durham whereas some go via washington.
Do they learn these dead runs or do they need to learn them in their private time.
(03 Sep 2022, 9:04 pm)Unber43 Do they learn these dead runs or do they need to learn them in their private time.
(03 Sep 2022, 9:04 pm)Unber43 Do they learn these dead runs or do they need to learn them in their private time.