Re: Melbourne validators eat tickets
Michael Walker (walker@hotkey.net.au)
Wed, 04 Feb 1998 23:45:51 +1100
ChrystaL wrote:
>
> Mike Alexander wrote:
> >
> > The situation is a real problem at Flinders St. where the "helpful" Met
> > guys keep bouncing around the gates, blocking and unblocking the lightbeams
> > as they lean over to help people. Sometimes the gates get confused, and I
> > have seen people with valid tickets get locked in, because the Met guy has
> > caused the gate to close before the person has got through.
>
> As a metcard Host all i can say is we do try to be helpful. Spare a
> thought for us, we're all casuals, we lose our jobs when the system
> goes 100% live. We also have to endure being pushed into walls, spat
> upon and verbally abused by people angry at the TVM's.
>
> Its hard enough trying to explain a system to someone who doesnt really
> want to use it, let alone trying to be helpful and positive when the TVM
> goes into exact change mode, the eftpos service is unavailable because
> the banks have shut it down for evening processing and some of the
> selection buttons arent responding cause some bright spark has decided
> to wedge a key into them.
>
> We're all just trying to do our jobs (some admitedly better than
> others), usually you can see the lighter side of a confrontation (even
> if you have been pushed backwards into a wall by someone jabbing their
> finger into your chest).. I even managed to laugh when one gentleman
> told me that I must vote liberal since I was working for Metcard.. then
> upon noticing I had a greek last name told me that Jeff Kennett and
> Felicity split up because Jeff had an affair with a greek lady during
> their Athens trip. (was he making a comment on my morals? was he
> saying that *I* was the greek lady and wangled a job at metcard from
> Jeff by sleeping with him???) The only thought that kept me smiling
> through it all was the idea that I must have got a really BAD deal if my
> "reward" for sleeping with Jeff was a Metcard Hosts job!
>
> Chrys
In all fairness to the Metcard hosts, the few days they were at
Canterbury they came across as very helpful and customer oriented. The
lady there even ran from the ATM to the validator to validate the
Metcard for the customer (who was picking up their belongings after
having put them down to use the ATM) so they wouldnt miss the train that
had just pulled in. I can hardly imagine many other PTC staff doing that
for a customer. It is sad they are only casual, a few more of the types
of people who are Metcard hosts and a few less of the 'only here because
I get paid, I used to be enthusiastic but 10 years of PTC management has
made me what I am today - a disillusioned employee who doesn't care that
much any more' types and people might actually be more interested in
using the system, if only for the good service and the slowly building
relationship. Before you discredit it as a typical new-wave management
idea discussed as a typical distraction from things that REALLY need
doing and excuse to blame the employees for bad management, one of the
things the NBC did when they did the big restructure at the start of
1995 was introduce fixed shifts. They still do it as the same buses I
have been on have had the same driver (or the same replacement on his
weekday off) and I notice he gets on quite well with the passengers who
get on at Greensborough chatting with them and having a smoke. Also, for
the many years I lived in Apollo Parkways, the same two drivers ran the
bus (or when they were on holidays, the same replacement) and I used to
go out of my way to take the bus home instead of have a short walk
because I enjoyed the company and the conversation.