There have been problems with some drivers on UTA routes being so intent on 'making it on time', that they have neglected good customer service in how they handle things on their routes regarding people and their needs to catch buses.
An incident about 2pm Monday on 45th South and 9th East in Salt Lake Valley is illustrative.
I had purchased a bottle of water because of the heat and had drank it and was disposing of the bottle when it missed the can (had an apron around the opening), and fell behind the can. I went to pick it up, it was right in front of the stop marker. That is when the driver flew right by, and didn't even slow down to see if I wanted his bus.
There was nothing to indicate there were traffic problems, in fact when I got on a later bus, I found no problems save for some construction-related traffic for the condos next to the TRAX station at Murray North Station on Fireclay Avenue.
This points to a practice known as 'clockwatching' by employees. Some do it to work no more than is required, some do it to as noted try to 'stay on schedule' to the extreme, others do it out of spite for their employers. That last one is almost never an issue with UTA employees, by and large they are usually very good about their employer, being UTA, they keep the issues they have largely to themselves.
An example of clockwatching: I heard about some orchestra members for a recording session leaving because the session lasted too long, it affected how the record came out soundwise when it came out.
It's that example of the orchestra members that is the most similar to the 45th South matter, the driver was worried enough about meeting his schedule that he was possibly just simply inattentive to what his real duty was, and that was to help the rider, his customer, get to where he/she was going in a timely fashion. Sure this route had buses running every 15 minutes, but in some cases 15 minutes does count for something, that is why the upset here about the possibility of clockwatching.
Those that engage in clockwatching do it to the detriment of their employee, and also in this case with UTA, make the company look bad and also affect the image of being certified by ISO. While none of this is in the standard, the standard implies that the best of customer service will be maintained as far as it is possible.
Sure things will go wrong, and complaints have to sometimes be made, but that is why they have to be made, to help everyone, myself included as a rider, do a better job, and make all public statements made about quality seem more honest and believable, including the ISO accreditation that UTA has.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Are you sure it was clock watching and a case were the driver was not paying attention? This seems like more of a problem that clock watching. In fact compared to most transit systems around the country I don't see clock watching here in Salt Lake to the same level as other cities.
It is problem on the busy Routes, UTA not extra time for Driver for putting out the Lift or the Ramp,
also time to do tie down a Wheelchair, it added pressure on the Bus drivers. There are alot of very rude Passengers that get mad at the Bus Driver. I do not ride the Bus as much as much has I use to because I cannot ride has much now, since UTA Destroy the Bus System.
I Challenge UTA PLANNERS, get out of there office ride the Buses before any more Bus Routes Changes for Several weeks and Listen to the Bus Drivers.
Both jmd and Tammi Diaz are right on this matter.
Yes, it was possibly inattentiveness on the part of the driver of the route 45 bus although I'm still not sure as I was throwing away a water bottle just as he went by, but yet I've seen some that are so intent on 'meeting the schedule' at times, one cannot be sure if it is inattentiveness or 'clockwatching'.
Tammi: You're dead on this time as well. UTA's planners and management often never ride a bus in or out of work. The last planner to ride a bus was John Fanning, he moved up the ladder from being a driver to being a planner, and genuinely listened to issues that riders had and where he could he dealt with them.
If John Inglish is reading, does he have a three-car garage, but no bus stop by or near his house, or does the bus run early enough to get in or late enough to get him home?
Post a Comment