Poor Customer Service on Buses

The Buses I've just got on what feels like the last bus home. I put my pound coin in the tray and look at the driver.

Me: Student please.
Him: Have you got your student card?
Me: Oh.

He's vigilant. I reach into my wallet and pull out my card I hold it up to him. He eyes it. Then eyes me.

Him: You're not in Manchester now.

He's a bit sarcastic.

Me: What? Oh -- I'm a student in Manchester but I live in Liverpool.
Him: But you're not a student in Liverpool are you?

Now he's just being patronising.

Me: Yes, but every other driver I've shown this to has accepted it.
Him: It's an agreement between us and Liverpool universities.

He's glaring at me. I feel about two inches tall.

Me: Oh ok. I wasn't trying to pick a fight. So how much is the fare between here and Ullet Road?

By now he's not even looking at me.

Him: It's an agreement between us and Liverpool universities.
Me: Yes, right. So how much is the fare between here and Ullet Road?
Him: £1.40.

I pay him the money. If I am in the wrong, fine. But really there's no need to treat someone like they're dirt just because they aren't sure of the rules. It's not really the cornerstone of good customer service is it?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

ok... how about the guy that was giving me crap about returning to the states (from canada) with just my drivers license. what's notable is the booger hanging from his right nostil with his head kinda cocked towards the sky (for better viewing pleasure) whilst giving me the 15 min lecture about how foreigners can get a license too (he was from detroit, this might explain a lot if you have ever been to detroit, truly the cesspool of america) all this while i have 20 vehicles behind me and i'm a few hours from home after driving for 3 days straight from nova scotia. yeah. boogers aren't cool.

Anonymous said...

id check on that a student's fare a students fare

Stuart Ian Burns said...

I'm not sure what you mean by that. I'm not disputing that he shouldn't have checked the card. It's the process he went through. If I'd remembered to present the card in the first place I don't know that he would have been any nicer to me...

Anonymous said...

It's not just bus drivers though is it? Customer service in Liverpool is non-existent as most of the natives are pig-ignorant and the rudest people I have met anywhere in the world. They are ruder than the Japanese and I never thought I would say that.

Stuart Ian Burns said...

Really Anon it would be good to know who you are...

Anonymous said...

Why would it ? How would that make any difference what so ever ? If they signed themselves as Gervais or Leonard would that make any more sense ?

Stuart Ian Burns said...

Just want to know who's reading. It's a social thing.

Anonymous said...

Social thing ? Do elaborate . .