Staff Complaints

[ilovetea4370]

I just wondered what do people think of NXWMs complaints procedure, I had a horrible incident with a driver today and am in two minds whether or not to bother complaining incase nothing gets done about it?

[B.C Driver]

Can you elaberate any more about this incident?

[ilovetea4370]

Can you elaberate any more about this incident?

The long and short of it is, he drove over onto the pavement and almost knocked me and ultimately someone else over, then when I had a go at him for it he started balling at me about standing in the road, then after a slanging/shouting match, i tried to show him how far over he was and he shut the doors whilst i was stood on the ramp (shutting me in them) and just showed a general lack of care for his passengers.

I'm just worried if I complain they will say well you shouldn't have had a go at his driving or they will just ignore it completely.

[B.C Driver]

They wont have a go at you. And they certainly wont ignore it. They will investigate it and look at the cctv.

When you say he drove over onto the pavement, do you mean his wheels actually mounted the pavement or the front overhang of the bus?

[The Real 4778]

National Express is a listed company, and the shareholders won't be happy if the Complaints Policy isn't worth the paper it's written on (or the bandwidth it's transmitted on).

If you have a justified complaint, then you should complain.  Especially if the behaviour could reasonably have led to someone being put at risk, which it sounds as though you were.  Negligent or wilfully reckless behaviour is likely to be repeated, so to prevent a repitition and for the sake of others, you should follow this up.

[ilovetea4370]

The wheels were scraping up the kerb like they were about to mount and the front overhang was over onto the pavement tarmac by a fair few inches (he came across from halfway out into the road so the bus wasn't straight with the road, it was at an angle towards the pavement and the front overhang just came right past the kerb). He wouldn't look at how far over he was when I tried to show him either he just shut me in the doors and went to drive off.

[ilovetea4370]

National Express is a listed company, and the shareholders won't be happy if the Complaints Policy isn't worth the paper it's written on (or the bandwidth it's transmitted on).

If you have a justified complaint, then you should complain.  Especially if the behaviour could reasonably have led to someone being put at risk, which it sounds as though you were.  Negligent or wilfully reckless behaviour is likely to be repeated, so to prevent a repitition and for the sake of others, you should follow this up.

You are right, If it had been a little kid stood there... I dread to think. I will do it now while its still fresh in my mind.

[B.C Driver]

Im not biased because I am a driver myself, but there are occasions where the front platform will overhang across the pavement especially if pulling in to a bus stop at an angle due to a parked car etc. But you do have to give extra care due to this. As long as his wheel didnt mount the pavement then thats ok. But that doesnt excuse his bad attitude. However it is a very stressful job. Its totally up to you if you wish to complain.

[ilovetea4370]

Im not biased because I am a driver myself, but there are occasions where the front platform will overhang across the pavement especially if pulling in to a bus stop at an angle due to a parked car etc. But you do have to give extra care due to this. As long as his wheel didnt mount the pavement then thats ok. But that doesnt excuse his bad attitude. However it is a very stressful job. Its totally up to you if you wish to complain.

I hear what you're saying, I've seen a fair few incidents on the Stratford Road routes in the past that just make you wonder... I thought maybe hes having a bad day and tried to make amends when I got off but I just got a dirty look back and a kind of death stare in the mirror like he was egging me on for a fight, wish I hadn't bothered to be honest.  It is more his attitude that has got to me than anything else, a kind of "I'm a bus driver, I am right" attitude and there was certainly no need to start a slanging match on the bus with everybody watching or shut me in the doors, whatever his problem was he certainly lacks people skills!


Thank you both for your replies, they have re-assured me a little bit :)

[JB93]

I'm not saying anything against bus drivers at all, but do they get customer relations training at NXWM? I've had some pretty nasty and rude drivers in my time. Remember one time I showed a driver my daysaver, as I walked on he called me back saying it was out of date, then after looking properly and realising it was in date, instead of apologising he sucked his teeth at me! That said, I've had a few very friendly drivers too. One that springs to mind is when I got on the 94 from Smiths Wood to the Big Johns in Fordbridge once, and the driver   asked if I was coming back this way, do I need a daysaver as someone had left one, but I had a pass. Then he said "have a nice day" as I got off the bus. I wasn't there long before I had to go back, so I was walking back up the road half an hour later and the same bus with the same driver was coming up the road that had just turned round in Chelmsley. I started legging it to get to the stop in time, and he must have seen me running and pulled up up the road and waited for me, then I got greeted with a big smile and a friendly conversation. Made my day tbh. :)

[ilovetea4370]

I'm not saying anything against bus drivers at all, but do they get customer relations training at NXWM? I've had some pretty nasty and rude drivers in my time. Remember one time I showed a driver my daysaver, as I walked on he called me back saying it was out of date, then after looking properly and realising it was in date, instead of apologising he sucked his teeth at me! That said, I've had a few very friendly drivers too. One that springs to mind is when I got on the 94 from Smiths Wood to the Big Johns in Fordbridge once, and the driver   asked if I was coming back this way, do I need a daysaver as someone had left one, but I had a pass. Then he said "have a nice day" as I got off the bus. I wasn't there long before I had to go back, so I was walking back up the road half an hour later and the same bus with the same driver was coming up the road that had just turned round in Chelmsley. I started legging it to get to the stop in time, and he must have seen me running and pulled up up the road and waited for me, then I got greeted with a big smile and a friendly conversation. Made my day tbh. :)

To be honest, about 99% of the drivers I've experienced over the years have been either really friendly or just don't say anything to anyone, in other words aren't friendly but aren't vile either, just keep themselves to themselves! Todays guy was a new level of behaviour for me to experience though, I've only ever been shouted at aggressively by a driver once before and that was because I photoed his bus(4089 on the 35), and I understand not everyone wants to have their photo taken, and the inspector who was there also stuck up for me on that occasion so generally I can't say anything bad about NXWM staff. I guess I was just unlucky today! A few of the YW drivers though always have a little chat with me whenever I see them about buses, and I get some great poses on my pics! ;)

[Lukeee]

Most NXWM drivers are fairly decent, can only really recall one bad incident a few years ago whilst waiting for the 907 outside the Boars Head. Bus come round the corner on the inside lane so couldnt stop at bus stop, when he noticed me waiting for his bus he jus frowned at me and stuck his fingers up and carried on, looking back on this i should of reported it.

[ilovetea4370]

Most NXWM drivers are fairly decent, can only really recall one bad incident a few years ago whilst waiting for the 907 outside the Boars Head. Bus come round the corner on the inside lane so couldnt stop at bus stop, when he noticed me waiting for his bus he jus frowned at me and stuck his fingers up and carried on, looking back on this i should of reported it.

Absolutely no need for that, I'd have reported him without question, sounds like he just did it to get a kick. It's just a shame the minority of jobsworths spoil it for the drivers who do work hard and actually put effort and care into the job. I've seen drivers helping old ladies with shopping trolleys before now, I even witnessed one driver stopping his bus to help a really elderly lady pick up her shopping that had spilled out onto the floor as he turned a corner!

[Westy]

The ones that don't like their photos taken, I've always thought have something to hide.

Why else have a go at a random photographer?

[lynx1103]

Probably thought you was a spy and reporting him.