(08 Feb 2014, 9:54 pm)fozzovmurton wrote Off topic a bit, my sister gets shit loads of grief in her job on the phones, she works for everybodies friend, the good old taxman

She'll know what I've said is exactly how it is then, seeing as HMRC record every single call. absolutely no room to be rude to a customer in a slightest, without being hauled over the coals.

(08 Feb 2014, 9:56 pm)aureolin wrote She'll know what I've said is exactly how it is then, seeing as HMRC record every single call. absolutely no room to be rude to a customer in a slightest, without being hauled over the coals.

I am looking forward to starting work in a Call Centre on Monday at 0800 Repair in Chester, I can't wait for the Abuse to start on the Phones, and just so I am not going off topic it's next door to Chester Bus Depot.

I remember a bus driver from Murton years ago who worked for Go Ahead Northern at Murton and Philly, the nastiest twat going, a horrible, fat, sweaty beast of a bloke, face like a smacked arse who absolutely hated kids, coming back to Murton from school in Durbam one night when I was 9-10, just being a normal, daft kid, he threatened to put me off the bus one day in the middle of winter on Broomside Lane, stomping down the bus, got in my face, and made me sit where he could see me and ordered me to stay put and keep my mouth shut, he actually had me in tears, as Broomside Lane always scared, I am now 31 and would still be wary of being stranded there...Whether he would have saw his threat through, I dont know, but I did as I was told out of fear...like I said, a nasty, fat, sweaty lump of a bloke...Thats all I have to say on him, he is dead now so wont say too much about him(although you cant libel a corpse

(08 Feb 2014, 10:01 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote I am looking forward to starting work in a Call Centre on Monday at 0800 Repair in Chester, I can't wait for the Abuse to start on the Phones, and just so I am not going off topic it's next door to Chester Bus Depot.

You maybe able to answer this question within the next few days, how long do call centre staff remain "live" before they have a break, some of our duties have us in the seat for 3 1/2 hrs or 4 1/2 hrs or if we're really lucky we'll be in close to the maximum domestic hours rules, before we get our 35 minutes off.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:11 pm)nk55 wrote You maybe able to answer this question within the next few days, how long do call centre staff remain "live" before they have a break, some of our duties have us in the seat for 3 1/2 hrs or 4 1/2 hrs or if we're really lucky we'll be in close to the maximum domestic hours rules, before we get our 35 minutes off.

What is the absolute longest you can work for before you have you have to take a mandatory break???

(08 Feb 2014, 10:13 pm)fozzovmurton wrote What is the absolute longest you can work for before you have you have to take a mandatory break???

Monday to friday we'll genearlly work maximum 4.30 although 5hrs is creeping in more and more, saturdays we'll work close to 5hrs by working say 3.30 stint jumping off and back on another say 12-15mins later for anther 1.30 before we have 40-45 mins off before doing a near 4hr stint. Although on somedays we may do 2 stints of 2hrs 30 with a 37min break.

Would love the eu to introduce the same rules for domestic & coaches i.e 4 1/2 hours minimum 45 break then 4 1/2 end of shift.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:20 pm)nk55 wrote Monday to friday we'll genearlly work maximum 4.30 although 5hrs is creeping in more and more, saturdays we'll work close to 5hrs by working say 3.30 stint jumping off and back on another say 12-15mins later for anther 1.30 before we have 40-45 mins off before doing a near 4hr stint. Although on somedays we may do 2 stints of 2hrs 30 with a 37min break.

One of the lads I know who used to work at Deptford used to do stints like that on the 56, 1 round trip, then jump back off at Park Lane wait for the next one to do it all again and would sometimes work someting 4 hour blocks on services like the 42 and 60 which can be quite tedious and the same on the 61 as well

(08 Feb 2014, 10:11 pm)nk55 wrote You maybe able to answer this question within the next few days, how long do call centre staff remain "live" before they have a break, some of our duties have us in the seat for 3 1/2 hrs or 4 1/2 hrs or if we're really lucky we'll be in close to the maximum domestic hours rules, before we get our 35 minutes off.

Not too dissimilar to drivers to be honest.
Callcentre environments can be tough, with any time 'off the phone' recorded and used against you.
So if you need the toilet, you need to get a drink of water etc, it can boil down to you justifying where and where you have been.

There was an advert a few years back for car insurance and it featured battery hens answering the phones...

On the topic of good drivers vs bad - as a passenger using buses in the North East for 30 odd years, I can safely say the negatives outweigh the positives.
Yes, there are good examples and I have mentioned them on here (haven't mentioned the bad ones that I have experienced or witnessed) and there are the ordinary examples of a driver doing his/her job without any dramas.

Based on my journeys on the Coastliner services around York, I can safely say the drivers were absolutely fantastic.
Granted, I haven't used them for 30+ years, but I haven't had a bad experience and based on percentages, they out performed their colleagues in the North East.

There could be a whole range of reasons why drivers have the reputation they do and apart from the experiences they get from the ungrateful punters, there are others which we wont go into.

Whatever reasons there may be, there is no excuse or justification, for a public facing representative of an organisation to go on like they have done in the examples above.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:01 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote I am looking forward to starting work in a Call Centre on Monday at 0800 Repair in Chester, I can't wait for the Abuse to start on the Phones, and just so I am not going off topic it's next door to Chester Bus Depot.

Well done on the job!
Is this the end for your jobcentre courses?
Knowing you don't have a driving licence, do you get a giant 0800 repair screwdriver to stick on your bike :p

From what I have read here, some of these example would be as a recorded scenario in Customer service delivery training

(08 Feb 2014, 10:11 pm)nk55 wrote You maybe able to answer this question within the next few days, how long do call centre staff remain "live" before they have a break, some of our duties have us in the seat for 3 1/2 hrs or 4 1/2 hrs or if we're really lucky we'll be in close to the maximum domestic hours rules, before we get our 35 minutes off.

All I know atm is i'll be working 37.5 Hour per Week with Overtime included if I want to do that, As I have an Eye Condition I would think I would get more Regular Breaks than others, as I do get rather bad Headaches when I look at a Computer Screen too long. I know that my Dad who works at BT works for 2 Hours before having a 10 Minute Break then another 2 before having his Dinner, then does the same again until he's finished his shift. I think it varies depending on where you work, I won't expect to be on the Phones all of the time as i'm only an Apprentice, and i'll need time to learn how to use the system etc first before I do anything physically.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:11 pm)nk55 wrote You maybe able to answer this question within the next few days, how long do call centre staff remain "live" before they have a break, some of our duties have us in the seat for 3 1/2 hrs or 4 1/2 hrs or if we're really lucky we'll be in close to the maximum domestic hours rules, before we get our 35 minutes off.

Less favourable in the legal sense. A normal passenger journey from my understanding falls into the GB regulations, as it's an exception in the EU regulations. So after 5.5 hours of driving you must take a 30 minute uninterrupted break.

Workers in a call centre would fall under the standard rest breaks at work rules. They're entitled to an uninterrupted rest break of 20 minutes if they work more than 6 hours a day.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:13 pm)fozzovmurton wrote What is the absolute longest you can work for before you have you have to take a mandatory break???

nk55 wroteMonday to friday we'll genearlly work maximum 4.30 although 5hrs is creeping in more and more, saturdays we'll work close to 5hrs by working say 3.30 stint jumping off and back on another say 12-15mins later for anther 1.30 before we have 40-45 mins off before doing a near 4hr stint. Although on somedays we may do 2 stints of 2hrs 30 with a 37min break.

The law:-

Breaks and continuous driving

After 5.5 hours of driving a break of at least 30 minutes must be taken in which the driver is able to obtain rest and refreshment.

Alternatively, within any period of 8.5 hours in the working day, total breaks amounting to at least 45 minutes are taken so that the driver does not drive for more than 7 hours and 45 minutes.

The driver must in addition have a break of at least 30 minutes to obtain rest or refreshment at the end of this period, unless it is the end of the working day.

Daily driving:-
In any working day, the maximum amount of driving is 10 hours. The daily driving limit applies to time spent at the wheel, actually driving,

From:- https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/sy...europe.pdf
(page 24)

I've not had a pleasant journey along Durham Road since the days of the 724 bus conductor (who I think became a driver)

(08 Feb 2014, 10:27 pm)andreos1 wrote Well done on the job!
Is this the end for your jobcentre courses?
Knowing you don't have a driving licence, do you get a giant 0800 repair screwdriver to stick on your bike :p

Indeed it does thank god, just guttered as there is this Unreal Lass called Colette on the Course I started on Monday and I'm just going to get 50 as it stops right outside there unless the Weather is Nice and Sunny, in which I will then ride my Bike.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:36 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Indeed it does thank god, just guttered as there is this Unreal Lass called Colette on the Course I started on Monday and I'm just going to get 50 as it stops right outside there unless the Weather is Nice and Sunny, in which I will then ride my Bike.

I have seen one or two lasses in the past coming out of the 0800 repair car park at the end of a shift and there is some eye candy there.
Buses and lasses, what more do you want? :p

(08 Feb 2014, 9:36 pm)nk55 wrote Drivers view: last sunday, match day 3 passengers who'd gone out to drown their sorrows tried to use the magpie mover, i simply told them the rules of how long these passes were valid & charged the correct fare, i was branded " a f**king w*nker, a thieving jobswoth & a pr*ck", now this was within 5 mins of leaving eldon sq & i only had 8 on. Now on a typical weekday morning i welcome in excess of 150 passengers on 2 runs into newcastle, a simple morning passes my lips as those mainly pass holders get on and i can say only 10% of those will make eye contact or say morning back to me, and when the 9.30am barrier lifts and the freebies begin well lets say the conc D holders are the most ungrateful passengers i've ever met, so maybe no wonder drivers attitude is brought up in many complaints because what we have to put up with on a daily basis.

Exactly. Non bus drivers don't realise the crap you have to put up with from some passengers, even if you do your best to be helpful.

Some drivers do care and be helpfull and some don't care about anything no smiles they drive like there in a race

(08 Feb 2014, 10:56 pm)andreos1 wrote I have seen one or two lasses in the past coming out of the 0800 repair car park at the end of a shift and there is some eye candy there.
Buses and lasses, what more do you want? :p

I did see one or 2 like when I walking through the Call Centre Yesterday, before going upstairs for my Interview, But they had nothing on that lass on the Training Course.

(08 Feb 2014, 10:58 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote Exactly. Non bus drivers don't realise the crap you have to put up with from some passengers, even if you do your best to be helpful.

Same in any industry. Production line workers put up with endless crap from supervisors. Call centre workers put up with it from customers. IT workers put up with it from colleagues. Managers put up with it from their staff. The list goes on and on.

A lot of it depends on the shift itself too... For example next Saturday my morning stint is 5h23 on 27/27A in Middlesbrough, albeit with 2 12 min layovers in there (if you get them...) with a 43 min break afterwards then just under 3 hours to finish with (21A to Peterlee and back, my favourite run). There's a few 5 hour+ stints on our rota, some of them can be on intense runs like 15s or 17s!
I agree with previous comments that free pass holders can be the most rude and ignorant passengers. Not to mention many are so tight they won't pay 30p (before 0930 on Teesside) and try anything to get out of paying it. Of course the majority are lovely but as always its the minority who spoil it for the majority.... Much like comments about drivers.
As for refusing pushchairs with a wheelchair onboard, that's now the law... Amazing as it is, you can now make pushchairs be folded rather than request as wheelchair users take priority thanks to the court case brought against First recently, but that's going waaaay off topic.

(08 Feb 2014, 9:36 pm)nk55 wrote Drivers view: last sunday, match day 3 passengers who'd gone out to drown their sorrows tried to use the magpie mover, i simply told them the rules of how long these passes were valid & charged the correct fare, i was branded " a f**king w*nker, a thieving jobswoth & a pr*ck", now this was within 5 mins of leaving eldon sq & i only had 8 on. Now on a typical weekday morning i welcome in excess of 150 passengers on 2 runs into newcastle, a simple morning passes my lips as those mainly pass holders get on and i can say only 10% of those will make eye contact or say morning back to me, and when the 9.30am barrier lifts and the freebies begin well lets say the conc D holders are the most ungrateful passengers i've ever met, so maybe no wonder drivers attitude is brought up in many complaints because what we have to put up with on a daily basis.

I agree with both yours and Malarkey's post. I couldn't do the job the good drivers do after seeing some of the things that go on:
- Woman holding bus up by 5 minutes at Benton House asking the driver 101 questions. Could've planned journey in advance.
- Snooty woman at Northumbria Uni getting on.
- Woman turning upto St Mary's Place at last minute with no change or fare ready. Faffing on in bag to find it thus holding up line.
- People paying fares with 20 quid notes.
- Annoying kids getting on blasting crap music.
- People not giving a clear signal such as sticking hand out for bus to stop.
- People sprinting for bus at last second expecting driver to wait for them then they run late.
- People who make the same regular journeys and are unprepared.
- Lad getting on at St Mary's with no fare ready after sprinting at last second.
- Man getting on wrong bus then expects driver to tell him all the buses that go to Regent Centre. List is up on board at Haymarket. Line hold up and a que of passengers thus delaying the service.
- People being indecisive at last moment.

(09 Feb 2014, 12:26 am)Davey Bowyer wrote I agree with both yours and Malarkey's post. I couldn't do the job the good drivers do after seeing some of the things that go on:
- Woman holding bus up by 5 minutes at Benton House asking the driver 101 questions. Could've planned journey in advance.
- Snooty woman at Northumbria Uni getting on.
- Woman turning upto St Mary's Place at last minute with no change or fare ready. Faffing on in bag to find it thus holding up line.
- People paying fares with 20 quid notes.
- Annoying kids getting on blasting crap music.
- People not giving a clear signal such as sticking hand out for bus to stop.
- People sprinting for bus at last second expecting driver to wait for them then they run late.
- People who make the same regular journeys and are unprepared.
- Lad getting on at St Mary's with no fare ready after sprinting at last second.
- Man getting on wrong bus then expects driver to tell him all the buses that go to Regent Centre. List is up on board at Haymarket. Line hold up and a que of passengers thus delaying the service.
- People being indecisive at last moment.

I admit I do the 7th one down on a Daily Basis, except I always my Ticket or Key Card in Hand as I run for the Bus

I do sympathise and people aren't paid enough to take the crap they get in most jobs.

Shop workers, call centre, sales staff; they all get daily abuse and it is wrong but it is the sad way of the world and if people don't like it then get out of the kitchen so to speak because its not going to change.

Generally its not you they are annoyed at it's the company, the tax letter they got this morning, the argument with the other half, the boiler breaking down again, the stress of work - you are just the outlet pipe they blow out at; they don't mean it and its not you. It just happens.

But at the end of the day its all about remaining professional, no matter how you feel, its your job to offer the customer good service no matter if you've just had the gas bill, the tax bill etc etc.

(09 Feb 2014, 12:26 am)Davey Bowyer wrote I agree with both yours and Malarkey's post. I couldn't do the job the good drivers do after seeing some of the things that go on:
- Woman holding bus up by 5 minutes at Benton House asking the driver 101 questions. Could've planned journey in advance.
- Snooty woman at Northumbria Uni getting on.
- Woman turning upto St Mary's Place at last minute with no change or fare ready. Faffing on in bag to find it thus holding up line.
- People paying fares with 20 quid notes.
- Annoying kids getting on blasting crap music.
- People not giving a clear signal such as sticking hand out for bus to stop.
- People sprinting for bus at last second expecting driver to wait for them then they run late.
- People who make the same regular journeys and are unprepared.
- Lad getting on at St Mary's with no fare ready after sprinting at last second.
- Man getting on wrong bus then expects driver to tell him all the buses that go to Regent Centre. List is up on board at Haymarket. Line hold up and a que of passengers thus delaying the service.
- People being indecisive at last moment.

Having dealt with complaints for GNE and Stagecoach South, as well as in my current job I sympathise completely with bus drivers. In general anyone who makes a complaint isn't going to say the bus driver's are lovely if they drove off. Bus drivers are put in a position where they are given little respect from members of the public especially the CONC freebies who don't deserve to travel for free at all. I've dealt with people trying to complain bus drivers leave early when actually there watches are either wrong or they turn up at the last second. Then passengers standing at bus stops with little notice or no indication at all that they wish to board. And then the change so ignorant to the world around them they simply have the largest change possible although the synical amongst us would say this is a deliberate attempt to avoid payment for their bus fare... So in my view and after dealing with complaints most of the genuine complaints themselves relate to areas that bus drivers have no control over and I feel the public should be more grateful and offer lots more respect to them../

(08 Feb 2014, 1:07 pm)northtynelinks2 wrote People were saying that Deckers couldn't be purchased for service X66. How do some of the 'TEN' services manage when they go along the centrelink (if they do)? Unless a single decker is used instead.

Deckers can be used on the X66 it just would not be able to use the centrelink so I suppose would reduce the options in case of congestion. Its something that should be addressed frequency v demand. I could see that if it was an argument soley for demand then ex London deckers would work perfectly with dual doors. Its the same as Stagecoach 100 which, has never been double deckers when Northumbria ran the 602 with Olympians they could still get into the MetroCentre and the X12/X36 Superliner used to use Scotswood Bridge often much quicker.

My favourite thing is the £20 note at 5.30am for a £1.95 fare and when i say " sorry i cant change it, you'll need to collect from the depot", as if by magic the correct fare can suddenly be found!!

(08 Feb 2014, 8:43 pm)northtynelinks2 wrote Doesn't sound too good for the office people tomorrow then

Never is when I'm in a bad mood

(08 Feb 2014, 9:02 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Go North East Riverside Depot Photos From Today
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarke...690214915/

Other Photos from the Past Week should be Uploaded Tonight/Tomorrow

One thing I noticed immediately was the increase in quality between the two of your cameras Adam.
Definitely think your new one was a good purchase.

(08 Feb 2014, 9:07 pm)fozzovmurton wrote Must be bad if you have to use language like that, the worst swear word of them, but I would be thinking the same

Even the old woman was shocked he was so rude. Granted, that driver may have been late too - but we saw more Newcastle-bound 56s than Sunderland-bound 56s (think it was 5:1) and surely the same would have applied for that driver too, so he could have helped us out a bit.

(08 Feb 2014, 9:36 pm)nk55 wrote Drivers view: last sunday, match day 3 passengers who'd gone out to drown their sorrows tried to use the magpie mover, i simply told them the rules of how long these passes were valid & charged the correct fare, i was branded " a f**king w*nker, a thieving jobswoth & a pr*ck", now this was within 5 mins of leaving eldon sq & i only had 8 on. Now on a typical weekday morning i welcome in excess of 150 passengers on 2 runs into newcastle, a simple morning passes my lips as those mainly pass holders get on and i can say only 10% of those will make eye contact or say morning back to me, and when the 9.30am barrier lifts and the freebies begin well lets say the conc D holders are the most ungrateful passengers i've ever met, so maybe no wonder drivers attitude is brought up in many complaints because what we have to put up with on a daily basis.

Appreciate that drivers often have a hard time and don't get half as much respect as they deserve, but a bad experience with one customer simply should not be taken out on another.

(08 Feb 2014, 9:47 pm)nk55 wrote Wouldn't like anybody being sacked but a day at riverside on disability awareness is in desperate need for this driver.

I'd agree on this point.

(09 Feb 2014, 5:10 am)Coastliner700 wrote Having dealt with complaints for GNE and Stagecoach South, as well as in my current job I sympathise completely with bus drivers. In general anyone who makes a complaint isn't going to say the bus driver's are lovely if they drove off. Bus drivers are put in a position where they are given little respect from members of the public especially the CONC freebies who don't deserve to travel for free at all. I've dealt with people trying to complain bus drivers leave early when actually there watches are either wrong or they turn up at the last second. Then passengers standing at bus stops with little notice or no indication at all that they wish to board. And then the change so ignorant to the world around them they simply have the largest change possible although the synical amongst us would say this is a deliberate attempt to avoid payment for their bus fare... So in my view and after dealing with complaints most of the genuine complaints themselves relate to areas that bus drivers have no control over and I feel the public should be more grateful and offer lots more respect to them../

I agree with most of what you say, but about Conc pass holders, I agree in part with that, some people just have them for the sake of it, but to say we dont deserve it is a bit harsh, that pass could be old Bettys only link to the outside world, without that pass she may not be able to nip down the shops and end up been stuck indoors all day, somebody with a disability may never get out and that pass may keep them included in society, I have one for various and when I got it, I didnt think I deserved one, Durham Council thought different, I close to being agoraphobic, hadn't been anywhere for months, barely left the house for months, and getting that pass saved me at the time, I take advantage of it and probably saved hundreds, if not thousands, of £'s using it, to say I dont deserve it is a bit harsh, given the circumstances I was in and still am to this day and will suffer from till I leave this mortal coil.

I am never intentionally rude to drivers, unless there rude to me, I always speak to a driver, even if they say nothing back, I will say hi, bye, thank you, it is courteous and it is how I expect to be treated by people...

If I am a c**t to people then people will be a c**t back which is why I try to be a decent person with decent enough morals and values

As for not hearing the good drivers do, I have on more than one occasion spoke to GNE about the good things drivers do, I will make a point of doing so if I think it is warranted...

A couple of examples, about 5 years ago, I was asking a driver what time another bus came when I got off, this guy on thr bus drunk and drugged started verbally abusing me and frightened 2 old ladies and a 14 yo old girl, driver kicks the drunk off who I thought was going to attack me, stops the bus, gets out the cab and talks to the ladies and girl for a minute to reassure them, now I knew they probably wouldn't have told the company about it, I took it upon myself to commend the driver to his bosses on behalf of the passengers.

Another time I witnessed a mixed race driver being racially abused by some muppet, said driver tried talking to the man, but he was getting all kinds of abuse w*g, p**i and n****r, driver just took it by laughing at him, again I thought that was worthy of his bosses of knowing about it, because he showed amazing restraint, I would not of have blamed the man for kicking the shit out of this other guy

(09 Feb 2014, 8:55 am)fozzovmurton wrote I agree with most of what you say, but about Conc pass holders, I agree in part with that, some people just have them for the sake of it, but to say we dont deserve it is a bit harsh, that pass could be old Bettys only link to the outside world, without that pass she may not be able to nip down the shops and end up been stuck indoors all day, somebody with a disability may never get out and that pass may keep them included in society, I have one for various and when I got it, I didnt think I deserved one, Durham Council thought different, I close to being agoraphobic, hadn't been anywhere for months, barely left the house for months, and getting that pass saved me at the time, I take advantage of it and probably saved hundreds, if not thousands, of £'s using it, to say I dont deserve it is a bit harsh, given the circumstances I was in and still am to this day and will suffer from till I leave this mortal coil.

I am never intentionally rude to drivers, unless there rude to me, I always speak to a driver, even if they say nothing back, I will say hi, bye, thank you, it is courteous and it is how I expect to be treated by people...

If I am a c**t to people then people will be a c**t back which is why I try to be a decent person with decent enough morals and values

I think people stereotyping pass holders, is like people labeling bus drivers...
Fortunately, we are all individuals.

The last point you make, works both ways too.
Look at the example you gave of the driver coming from Durham?
If he gave an ounce of respect to passengers, then ge would get some back