I
On Monday March 2nd, 2015 there was a shortage of
announcements at Bellville station. After engaging with commuters, I wrote the
email below to senior management and the station management.
Evening
With Metrorail's inability to
communicate proactively, I'm forwarding this email.
Apparently there are little to no
announcements on when the next train to Muldersvlei would arrive and depart.
There was one scheduled for 17:35 but no announcements on why it is delayed or
when it would arrive.
Could you answer the following:
What is the interval time between
announcements, in general?
What is the interval time between
announcements, per line (e.g. Muldersvlei trains are made every 60 minutes)?
Then and there's possibly no policy on this:
- what is the prescribed time
interval for announcements?
- what is the prescribed time
interval for announcements when trains are delayed by ±15 minutes?
Look forward to a response
This morning I received the following email and then replied on it…
Sincere
apologies for the delay in response. Unfortunately I was unable to respond as
there were more serious matters requiring my attention. The delay in response
was not intentional.
According
to records on hand, announcements were made as early as from 13H15 from
CMOCC, in informing customers of delays on the Northern line due to defective
points at Bellville and defective track circuits at Eerste River and
Kraaifontein.
We also
have the automated railcom system which is set to announce every 15 minutes. However,
yesterday the railcom as well as the PA system was down at Bellville,
which rendered it impossible to make announcements in the morning and a big
portion of the afternoon. However, approximately 16h30, the technicians
had managed to repair it. Regular announcements were then made.
I would
really urge you to please approach us if you experience any problem at
Bellville station. If I’m not in my office, you will find me at Platforms
4&9. Those are the platforms where we experience most of our challenges.
Furthermore, I would like you to report any staff member who does not treat you
with respect or is rude to you. This is the only way in which I will be able to
appropriately deal with the staff member.
As a
standard however, I always emphasize to staff to always focus on customer
centricity.
Please
feel free to contact me, if you are at the station and the staff member fails
to assist you.
My response:
I doubt 7 other commuters who were
standing on Bellville station (since 17:00) could be wrong and not have heard
any announcements.
Also note you have not answered my
specific questions, but given a response to my introduction.
Trains were delayed by 60+ minutes,
but this was not announced and only @CapeTownTrains tweeted 40minutes - and
even after sending them tweets to tell CMOCC to check their facts, I was just
ignored.
I have said this before, and I'm glad
the RM agreed with me - do not underestimate the commuter. I might not have
studied rail, but with basic education I can read the delay and make the math. Why
is it not possible for Metrorail's Operational Centre to have better
communication with (1)drivers) and (2)stations.
I know you dealing with bad
management and bad (no) planning of the past, but currently you contributing to
bad management and bad planning (and PLEASE DO NOT MISQUOTE me! I'm not saying
any manager is bad, I'm talking about the organisation - meaning Metrorail as a
collective, because everyone is not playing the game along)
I then received this email:
If
a staff member did not in any way assist you, please lay a formal complaint and
the matter will be dealt with according to the company’s internal processes.
You
must however bear in mind, that in any corrective action process, I must adhere
to the audi alteram partem rule, affording the employee an opportunity to state
his or her case. Your evidence will thus be crucial in such process, therefore
my request to reduce your complaint into writing and availability to attend the
internal process.
This
will greatly assist us to correct any unacceptable behavior towards our
customers.
The following was my response, before I received a call saying the
manager will pursue legal action as I am attacking the manager’s character and
in the email I’m saying the manager is incompentent (I’m still trying to find
that part in the email)…
The issue is not staff member/s. The
issue is announcements that were not made. Now have you not added the 16:30, I
would have said thank you - but you creating loopholes for me to criticize.
You also failed to answer two very
specific questions.
- What is the
interval time between announcements, in general?
- What is the
interval time between announcements, per line (e.g. Muldersvlei trains are made
every 60 minutes)?
As said in my previous email, SEVEN
commuters I was engaging with did not hear an announcement between 17:00 and
18:15 regarding Muldersvlei trains.
I am well aware of affording a staff
member the opportunity to respond to a complaint against the staff member and
in this case xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx a complaint would
be against you for poor management on Monday March 2nd, 2015 by failing to
ensure adequate communication to commuters.
Besides no action ever taken against
a manager of Metrorail, the above is a complaint I do not wish to log, as I
believe an honest and straight-forward answer - yes there was a lack of
communication and there are no guidelines on the interval time between
announcements and we will apologize to commuters this afternoon every 30minutes
from 16:30 to 19:00 - can solve this issue.