We know of the potential drawbacks of passengers leaving scurrilous and or derogatory comments on operators’ Facebook pages. Managers need to ensure that they’re constantly vigilant and respond appropriately and responsibly. But last week, there was a new twist. Company staff leaving inappropriate comments on Facebook that damage the reputation of their employer. 
It’s bad enough mouthing off your employer while down the pub (hopefully not in uniform, either). Here, the audience is limited and might not understand or misconstrue the point you are making. They may forget what you’ve said. And a driver wouldn’t think of writing negatively to the local newspaper (unless, perhaps, they’re absolutely sure of anonymity). Why, then, would they comment on Facebook? It’s a highly visible forum where what’s said is a matter of record.
But then again, Facebook has always been an odd and dangerous place. You can easily lose your head. Think you’re in control of your own Facebook page? Thank again. *You* are the commodity, not the page itself. Facebook’s recently altered it TOS and they now own you. Forever. Even if you leave. It may be an urban myth but it’s said that people have to change their names to escape their Facebook past…
Anyway, back on message, the operator concerned took appropriate action by withdrawing the comments and by distancing themselves from any offence the original remarks undoubtedly caused. They suspended the staff concerned. It seems to me that the reason might well be alleged gross misconduct, if proven.
This was over a 40p increase in the fare Cornish older people pay before the 0930 free travel scheme starts. Understandably, passengers are less than happy with this. It’s true to say that “ordinary” passengers complain bitterly of even a 10p rise. 40p to a pensioner can be a considerable sum.
To blame the operator is unfair, of course, but it’s the only visible place to complain, even if the£1.70 concession is cheaper than an adult single. The operator need not offer this at all. The staff in question, presumably, felt that they might be defending their company’s position, by saying:
“F*** them, they get away lightly as it is”and
“B******s they are, make them pay full fare!!!!”
Now it may be that such words were said in jest. But they are still offensive. The words tend to reinforce the stereotype that drivers are miserable, uncaring and moan. In actual fact, drivers have little time to spend with the customer and this isn’t always conducive to a good image. Time was when conductors could easily do this PR role—though there were criticisms about them, too, from time to time. “Surly” is often the word used by passengers for drivers and normally passengers complain about attitudes on bus rather than online. Most of this is unfair and unjustified but it’s unfortunately a common perception
Not only do alleged comments like these therefore hinder the drivers’ cause, they reflect badly on the entire operation—other drivers and mangers.
i This post came to my attention from a similar one on Plymothian Transit
38 comments:
Nice work, I am really glad to be 1 of several visitants on this awful site : D
Many people seem to treat social networking sites in ways in which they wouldn't treat people face to face and at times think there is no need for respect and dignity. Even some of the comments on these pages at times have shown a similar mentality.
From my own background in various positions of management and complaint investigation within the public sector, facebook is still very much a beast that some employers are still figuring out how to handle.
Many I have seen, don't have staff policies that cover the appropriate use of it, whereas others would clasify the actions of these employees as gross misconduct and immediate dismissal would be the likely conclusion to a disciplinary investigation.
Some will say what about freedom of speech? The bottom line is, if you identify yourself with your employment in such a way, you can be held responsible for your actions, Furthermore, your employer is potentially vicariously liable and has a responsibility to act.
We should all beware!
Facebook, Twitter etc are all too often "new toys" that are trumpeted and rushed out with maybe less care, thought and attention than they really deserve. An un-moderated online account of any sort needs company staff (for that read "the right company staff") to be on the ball.
With the growth in mobile comms with bus companies a customer could quite easily post to a Facebook wall from their mobile asking a question about a late running service and a prompt answer from a staff member will help reassure them when waiting at the bus stop in the rain.
At the other end of the spectrum there are bus companies who have a prescence but just leave things to run themselves leading to unaswered questions, a seemingly uncaring attitude and negative comments attracting nothing but further bad comments from people who come out in sympathy - one post to complain about a grumpy bus driver and you'll find 100 other people who want to complain about their experience with miserable staff too
Honesty is also important when providing bite-size updates on the current state of service e.g. via Twitter. One of the best users has to be The Big Lemon with their classic example "The xx:xx bus will not run, it doesn't have a driver and we don't think it's right to send the bus out without one"
At the end of the day bus drivers put up with an awful lot and if they feel they can attack either the company or passengers in a way that they feel they can't do at work then taking out fustration on a Facebook wall might, like so many things done in anger, seem a good idea at the time
As I was just posting about them on the other thread, let's bring them in here as well.
London Midland were recently slated in a certain element of the middle-class "NIMBY" press for posting on Twitter that a student might as well go to the pub because the service from his local station was in a mess and was likely to remain so for at least another hour. Yet that was actually a very well-targeted response to his query which asked if that was a sensible course of action.
The one problem with it is that to do it well it really needs a dedicated member of staff - and it needs to be in use throughout the period of service.
It costs, but it brings massive benefits. And as with your Big Lemon example, the infrastructure is there and it's free - so even the smallest operator can do it to some extent.
But if the response to every tweet is "please call customer services" (that means you, easyJet), you're getting it *wrong*.
Yet get your passengers on side and they'll help you and others as well. I regularly report minor things on London Midland via Twitter, and when I do they are generally fixed very quickly. It all adds up to a more professional service, and one where the passengers can feel they're part of it, rather than them vs. the big, nasty bus company.
Neil
And one person getting service updates via Twitter to their mobile could, while waiting for a bus that they know is delayed, inform the other passengers at the stop
Indeed.
Stop RTPI might well end up in the dark ages along with payphones and the likes. It's not a bad idea, but if everyone's got a smartphone and coverage is good (it's getting ever better), there's little need for it.
Latest one I've seen is Geneva Airport, who have released an app that replicates the departure board information and notifies you when your flight changes status. Superb idea; no need to stand staring at the board any more.
I once concluded that online journey planners were the best thing that every happened to public transport. I'm now starting to think that the smartphone in general, and in particular the power of social media and to deliver true real-time information absolutely anywhere, might well have surpassed it.
Neil
@ Neil - you say "at stop" RTPI might well be superseded. I think a number of GLA members would disagree with you. They are continuing to demand more Countdown signs be installed because there are significant numbers of passengers who cannot afford or use Smartphones. Mobile comms are great if you afford them - if you can't the operator should provide an alternative.
While I write blog comments and post to Usenet I refuse to sign up for Twitter and Facebook. I got very close to a "bollocking" by my former employer for Usenet remarks. Never again - a lesson learnt so I am much more careful in what I say. I realise though that I have left a trail of comments and thoughts that might be thrown back at me by a future prospective employer. I am not going to increase the trail by entering the realms of Facebook and Twitter!
"Mobile comms are great if you afford them - if you can't the operator should provide an alternative."
To a point. There may come a point where providing a free, low-end phone (basic RTPI will work on anything that has a Web browser, which is all but the ten quid phones these days) and training in its use will be cheaper than massively expensive stop displays. Or automated "read-back" services for those who are sight-impaired. Or whatever.
With accessibility, we need to deal in "can't", but not "won't". Technology progresses, and we have to move with it.
And as an example - what generation of passengers are the biggest users of smart-card ticketing in the UK at present? Clue: it isn't the twenty-somethings...
Neil
It's a shame about the unprofessionalism and the choice use of industrial language, because they have a point.
If the poor old dears don't like the concessionary fare then lets get rid of the free scheme entirely and charge them full whack.
Lets face it, those of us who are working have to pay through the nose for their freebie. My bus pass has gone up 10% this month, despite my income from tax credits dropping sixty quid a month (coincidentally now the new cost of my monthly bus pass). Still, at least the bus is full of OAPs, taking up all the seats, simply because they can go out on a jolly at my expense.
Neil, OAPs only use smart ticketing because they have no choice. It's not as though they have to interact with the system, other than figuring out how to put the card on the reader on the machine. Which, given my experience on my route, is still a major problem twelve months on...
This article made me go and take a look at FixMyTransport.com where members of the public can make complaints and you can see the Operator responses. I picked one at random - about tram works diversions and observance of revised bus stops. Individual writes to the council (people still think councils run buses), Council passes it to the Operator (First), they reply explaining situation, individual not happy and says that First are blaming Lothian for bus stop allocation (they didn't)!
http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/get-the-x24-to-stop-at-north-st-davi
"Neil, OAPs only use smart ticketing because they have no choice."
Yes, but they use it. Many also have mobile phones. Even if "RTPI" for that target market needs to be something like "phone 01234 567890 and when answered enter the stop number using the phone keypad". Or even talk to a person.
Neil
@ Pete B:
Fix My Transport is essentially full of idiots. I think Stagecoach have the right idea about that website- they just completely ignore it.
@ Neil:
My point was, it depends how you define "use". They touch their card on the machine, yes, but they don't use it in any other sense- they don't have to do online account payments, for instance.
Although I do agree with your wider point, that older people are increasingly technologically savvy. This is only going to increase as the baby boomers reach retirement age. Most have mobile phones and know how to use one.
My issue with using text services for RTPI is the cost. WY Metro's service is 25p a text, regardless of whether you get free texts on your contract bundle or not. That's utterly ridiculous, but a sign of where things are going, with Traveline switching to 0871 too (which costs a fortune from a mobile).
The real issue is that "social networking" sites (read Twitter and Facebook) give the whole world the opportunity to be an absolute idiot in front of the whole world, and many, many people grasp this opportunity with both hands.
Anyone who frequents any internet forums/blogs/commentable sites (local newspapers for example) soon realises that the vast majority of people commenting on there are more interested in swearing and having extreme views than any sane two way "conversation".
At my place of work, you'd be surprised how many people back down or don't even reply if you question their "rant" of a tweet with a request for some facts.
"The real issue is that "social networking" sites (read Twitter and Facebook) give the whole world the opportunity to be an absolute idiot in front of the whole world, and many, many people grasp this opportunity with both hands."
Indeed they do. But any operator that ignores FB or Twitter purely due to that is making themselves even more of an idiot, IMO.
They are very, very powerful tools used properly. Operators that ignore this need to get out of the dark ages.
Neil
David said...
"@ Pete B:
Fix My Transport is essentially full of idiots."
Hmmm. The example quoted about stops in Edinburgh does seem to be a comedy of errors, with misdirected and misunderstood communication. It looks as if the Fix My Transport volunteer redirected the complaint to First - which appears to have been the right thing to do.... except that perhaps it is City of Edinburgh Council who allocated the stops? First seem to have failed to read the complaint in sufficient detail to identify the direction of travel that the complaint referred to - OK, it wasn't spelled out in so many words, but she did describe the roads used in sequence, which should have been sufficient. Then the complainant read between the lines and imagined a reference to 'Lothian buses' that wasn't there! On the whole, the FMT volunteer seems to have acted reasonably and logically - so I'm not sure it's fair to say that FMT is 'essentially full of idiots'. Unfortunately, from my experience, many people don't know how to complain effectively, and do not always provide the necessary information to enable an effective investigation to be carried out. I'm not sure, however, that it is fair to brand such complainants as 'idiots'.
This example does illustrate just one reason why such correspondence is probably best confined to the directly involved parties. Using a website such as FMT, or a social networking site, may look like a good idea to gain publicity or support, but it can rebound back on you - whether you are the complainant or the operator (or both, as in this case!) I remain sceptical about the benefits of using social networking sites in this way, although I understand and recognise the value in being able to provide immediate information about delays, and diversions, etc.
Unfortunately, where there is scope for a 'free for all' discussion, there is a clear risk that many of the comments will be negative, and, while an operator may be able to present their explanations in a positive manner, there will almost inevitably be a degree of negative publicity. Such sites do therefore need to be very carefully managed, as others have already said; but if the operator is not confident of being able to do that, then the rule "when in doubt, don't" could be applied to the establishment of a Facebook page - as well as to the content of a comment. After all, there are other methods of communicating information about traffic conditions, and the operator has full control over what is said on their own website.
Neil said...
"Many also have mobile phones. Even if "RTPI" for that target market needs to be something like "phone 01234 567890 and when answered enter the stop number using the phone keypad". Or even talk to a person."
Sorry, but I get intensely annoyed at these sorts of comments about how great mobile communications are from people who are happy (and presumably prosperous) enough to pay £20, £30 or more a month on a phone contract. You don't have to be a pensioner to find these sorts of sums completely out of reach. Many people are just paying-as-they-go, minimising their use and face paying a large sum for a bit of web browsing or Tweeting.
Twitter, Facebook and websites should be a supplement to at-stop, at-station or in-vehicle communication, not a substitute for them.
There is a similar thing going on at the new High Peak Bus Company in Derbyshire. Their drivers have been complaining about the lack of new buses. Not surprised though, they were promised new buses as soon as the new operation started, instead being left to drive Transpeak with N reg Scania Alexander Striders.
Speaking of High Peak - and a little off topic - it does seem that the new company has had a bad start. They had almost a year to plan the merger. For the first few days, some ex-trent barton buses were still running with Trent Barton legals; most ex-Bowers still have Bowers livery applied. Poor, poor start.
@ 22:09
Actually, the comments are on the Transpeak Facebook page!
If you want a good example of a company that does well with social network sites, looks at Velvet. They have very few complaints, and the complaints that do come, are handled by their receptionist / secretary. You see no involvement of drivers, or any other of their staff. The make sure they reply to every post (unlike the other Blue operator in the area) and try their best to help. If someone complains about a late bus they always explain why it was late, rather than doing what the other operators do, by saying "we will look into it for you".
Shame some of the other operators haven't learnt to do this.
"Speaking of High Peak - and a little off topic - it does seem that the new company has had a bad start."
It looks scruffy round the edges (as a lot of Centrebus-related stuff does). That said, Trent are so refined in that regard that *anything* would look scruffy round the edges.
Neil
"Twitter, Facebook and websites should be a supplement to at-stop, at-station or in-vehicle communication, not a substitute for them."
Then when it gets to the point that it's cheaper to subsidise access for those who can't afford it than put up bus stop displays?
The Internet and mobile devices are becoming ever more important. I think that will be the way things end up going. Not just for buses, for access to public services in general.
We already offer, for example, free TV licences over a certain age. The idea of subsidised Internet tablets[1] or similar doesn't seem all that far fetched to me.
[1] I say tablets because they are rather easier to use for the uninitiated than PCs.
Neil
"and the operator has full control over what is said on their own website."
True. But then good quality staff can turn stuff around.
That said, I'd be quite happy with a bus company having a site http://m.buscompany.com on which there was always fully up-to-date running information, as a substitute for Twitter (a bit like perhaps the train company JourneyCheck sites). But then it isn't two-way, and the two-way aspect of Twitter, if done properly, is excellent.
"If you want a good example of a company that does well with social network sites, looks at Velvet. They have very few complaints, and the complaints that do come, are handled by their receptionist / secretary. You see no involvement of drivers, or any other of their staff."
I think you'll find they don't have a secretary or receptionist - most of the replies come from the boss himself who is so "hands on" its painful to watch sometimes - no criticism intended Phil, only admiration!!! ;o)
Interestingly, London Midland's very successful Twitter service was set up almost single-handedly by their Marketing Manager, who still monitors it "out of hours" on his phone, though these days they have office staff looking after it during the day.
Neil
The wonderful irony is that many managers I deal with are more frustrated over the free bus passes than the drivers they employ. Ideally they'd love to see the scheme scrapped and the 50% concession resumed, though publicly do not say so. They just leave this to their foul-mouthed staff...
@RC169:
On the whole, the FMT volunteer seems to have acted reasonably and logically - so I'm not sure it's fair to say that FMT is 'essentially full of idiots'.
I don't think the volunteers are idiots, I think the idea behind FMT is a good one.
The problem is that the people using it are mostly idiots. The most recent complaint, http://www.fixmytransport.com/problems/3337, is an excellent example of the incoherent rambling typical of that site.
Check out the Metrobus facebook page...that's how to run and manage one.
Official rapid responses are aided by motivated fans helping with queries and info requests virtually 24/7.
Just shows that a big company can match 'little' company customer contact too.
@David
Couldn't agree more.
Hard to look at that one reasonably and not conclude it was the driver's own fault.
Victim of "Must get in front of the bus at all costs" syndrome.
We even get people telling us that the bus didn't stop, and describing how they were at the stop and put their hand out clearly in plenty of time etc, and the CCTV shows the exact opposite. And they're not isolated cases.
Yes, it's good to engage with customers on most, if not all, kinds of media.
But don't think for a minute that they always tell it like it really was.
In my experience, for every positive exchange on social media, there are many more negative ones.
I think the compensation culture is partly to blame for the way people behave on sites like FixMyTransport. People also rush to the local press when they have an axe to grind with a bus company. Anyone remember the one about the lady who alledged she was thrown off a bus in Bristol for breast feeding her baby? The on board CCTV disproved that one fortunately.
First Bristol are in the local press as they have picked up on the the passenger satisfaction survey results. The comments on this paper's web version are predictably hostile. I am a regular reader and always try and post an informed comment to counter the naysayers. A common and recurring theme in the comments is that it would be so much better if Bristol had an ITA. This does make me chuckle.
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-bus-passengers-8216-generally-pretty/story-15848783-detail/story.html
Bluestar have lost the plot on social media going from one of the best (when a certain Mr H was there) to one of the worst.
They just ignore any complaints but continuously plug their key card. Ask about the key card and you're guaranteed a response, complain about their increasingly poor service delivery and there is a deathly silence from the company - does nothing for their image. At one point they had some drivers masquerading as dead celebrities posting sarcastic comments, even worse for their image as it went on for months before anything got done.
Velvet do a great job on Facebook, they do get complaints but give honest responses. First Hampshire do a fairly good job too including answering out of hours and have gained a few 'unofficial' helpers answering queries before the official response comes. Xelabus had a Facebook page but disappeared months ago. Nothing from Stagecoach South who seem the least likely of the big groups to use social media.
David said...
"The most recent complaint, http://www.fixmytransport.com/problems/3337, is an excellent example of the incoherent rambling typical of that site."
This looks like another example of ineffective communication. I suspect that there may not be sufficient information to identify the specific vehicle involved, as neither time nor location is precise - I don't know how many 57s there might be in the New Elvet area at 08:00. One might add that, if the complainant thinks the bus driver has committed an offence, then surely it should be reported to the Police? However, anon @ 13:11 may well be right, and the complainant himself might have been at fault.
Such instances do also raise another point about the use of social media for handling exchanges of this nature. These complaints often involve issues about the manner in which an individual has been doing his or her job (generally bus drivers). If the complainant is savvy enough to give sufficient details to enable a precise identification of the vehicle involved (a few are!) then it may also be possible for the driver to be identified. Let's face it, we're all human and occasionally make mistakes - and I certainly wouldn't appreciate my mistakes being the subject of discussion by all and sundry on the internet. I imagine plenty of people would share my opinion in that respect. It would also not be surprising if somebody involved in such an issue decided to make a legal complaint along the lines that their human rights had been compromised by being the subject of such discussion.
Social media may be OK for informing passengers about delays, etc - but it is not the panacea for all interaction with customers!
Reminds me of what is happening to Premiere Buses of Nottingham on facebook at the moment. A lot of their posts are getting belittled by drivers from another, allegedly "really good," bus company...
Is this action sanctioned? Who knows. But it really isn't very professional!
https://www.facebook.com/Premierebus#!/photo.php?fbid=10150360037570564&set=a.10150337790455564.578175.434156600563&type=3&theater
Does this speak volumes about Premiere? I'm sure we all know where that logo comes from...
Not a fan of the company myself, not after the abuse I got from not one but two of their drivers.
"@David
Couldn't agree more.
Hard to look at that one reasonably and not conclude it was the driver's own fault.
Victim of "Must get in front of the bus at all costs" syndrome."
I really don't think that's fair. That could have been the case, but there's absolutely nothing to say that - you've just incorrectly inferred that yourself.
He says he was passing the bus, and that the bus pulled away without indicating. Now, there's nothing there that says it was the car driver's fault. It could have been if he was lying, but equally, it could easily have been the bus driver's fault.
I'm sure it's not just in Guildford where buses just pull away from bus stops with no warning whatsoever.
No point making assumptions when you don't have the facts. Not fair.
To RC169 and the anonymouses:
I chose the example fairly deliberately, from a selection of similarly inane comments. I work in Durham and know the roads. There's no way of seeing past the bus safely at that point, because the road is too narrow, and the driver will have simply assumed a bus was stopped. They often aren't, it's a narrow but busy road and the traffic snarls up there. Arriva Durham County have many issues, but driver competence is not one of them. Arriva's drivers have to drive clapped-out sheds for a living, but they drive them safely.
And that's before we discuss the point that the 57 bus doesn't actually operate up that road...
David,
Well that's all very well now, but in the interest of clarity, why didn't you say that before, rather than just calling them idiots without explanation?
How do we know anonymous doesn't live in Southend-on-Sea and didn't just jump on the "it must be the car's fault" bandwagon?
You say that Arriva don't have incompetent drivers. This is illogical. Even if the car was stupid and tried to go out around the bus when it should not have, a competent bus driver should not just pull away anyway and trap the car with traffic lights. Either he didn't look in his mirrors when he pulled away, assuming that no one was trying to pass, or did see in his mirrors that someone was trying to pass and tried to "make a point" by pulling out on them.
Neither show any form of good driving.
I'm glad your Arriva is better than mine. Down here, the fact a service/journey doesn't serve a certain road does not mean to say you won't see it heading down there going the wrong way.
I know this is late and not entirely bus related but Virgin Trains provide an excellent example of use via Twitter. Sent a tweet asking for an update and they got back to me within 15 minutes
Post a Comment