\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0
\nI don\u2019t want this to sound like a textbook, \u2018interview response\u2019 style, but one of the best aspects of being involved in public transport is the chance to be really embedded in the community and form relationships with stakeholders. It\u2019s something I appreciate more the older I get. In the early years of my career, it was all about leading people, getting trains and buses running on time, keeping customers happy. If anything, a night out in the parish hall with the local users group or shaking hands with some brown-suited local authority bigwig was a chore, even if representing the Jubilee line at the Stanmore Village Fete on a Saturday day off in 1995 wasn\u2019t too bad. But I get it now. <\/p>\n
The last week has been instructive and energising in many respects. I\u2019ve been preparing a 60-slide \u2018death by PowerPoint\u2019 presentation, charting the state of the UK transport industry to a client, including snapshots of successes and failures of the privatised railway since its inception. In my various Google searches, page turning of previous issues of this great mag, and watching dust fly from the pages of various history books on my shelf, I came to appreciate more than ever how some of the success stories have been grounded in deep connectivity with communities.
\nGalvanised and inspired by the late Adrian Shooter, Chiltern set the benchmark for entrenchment in the local community, of almost relentless engaging with the most diverse spectrum of stakeholders, as did GNER under Chris Garnett. Midland Mainline, Anglia Railways and the Great Western Railway, under Mark Hopwood\u2019s stewardship are three other great examples, as well as the open access operators.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a similar story in bus. The local, small independent operators have achieved this with aplomb whilst bigger businesses, such as Blazefield, Trentbarton and several of the jewels in the First, Stagecoach and Arriva subsidiaries, have set the benchmark in terms of customer service and popularity, somewhat because of the efforts they have made to spend time listening and chatting. <\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t just my PowerPoint preparation that made me all reflective but also the few days I spent in my Great Scenic Journeys business covering a series of coastal and inland towns and villages, drumming up awareness of the local bus route, which forms part of a subsidiary of one of the most renowned owning groups when it comes to entrepreneurialism and a desire to engage with local people. I won\u2019t spill the beans just yet, but my experiences have been very informative. <\/p>\n
A couple of colleagues and I took to the streets and visited independent shops, hotels, trendy bars, restaurants and tourism attractions with a quest to raise awareness of the local bus route and see if they wanted their business featured in a Great Scenic Journeys QR code that we are displaying on buses and stops to showcase the scenery and interesting features on the route. It will provide special offers for customers in the community as well as a message from the bus company MD, a customer satisfaction survey, the opportunity to post a selfie for a prize and dynamic timetabling showing attractions on a route map as the journey makes its way. An attractive proposition, even if I say so myself. But, I\u2019ll be honest, I was a bit nervous when we set foot inside the first \u2018proof of concept\u2019 establishment \u2013 a second-hand book shop, which was an emporium for literary lovers. I\u2019d lazily assumed that the kind of people that liked reading old books probably were the same as those who enjoyed travelling on a bus for scenic fun. <\/p>\n
I need not have worried, the response was incredible \u2013 an overwhelming desire to be associated with the bus company that stops right outside the front door<\/p>\n
I need not have worried, the response was incredible \u2013 an overwhelming desire to be associated with the bus company that stops right outside the front door, a desire for us to do blogs promoting his shop and links by the bus route and the owner\u2019s face lighting up when I asked if he would pose for a photo. Then, it was on to the trendy sports bar in the High Street. If antiquarian book afficionados were the same folk who were scenic thrill-seekers on buses, then my stereotyping suggested that fashionable hipsters drinking cocktails, whilst watching the match live on a big screen would not be at all interested \u2013 but it was worth a try anyway! \u201cWhere can we send you our media bank of images?\u201d. \u201cMeet Jake, he does our socials and he\u2019ll get this kicked off ASAP\u201d. \u2018\u201cHow can we sign up for a year?\u201d, was the excitable welcome we received.<\/p>\n
And it went on and on and even when we had a little disagreement among our team as to whether the iconic, almost world-renowned tourist attraction by the sea, next to the most expensive and trendiest of designer shops, would deign to meet us lot and advertise on a bus. Well, they rolled the red carpet out, took us to a table and we had the most positive of meetings. <\/p>\n
This was all a bit too good to be true, but there was a lot at stake personally. My 19-year-old son Noah works full time for us at Great Scenic Journeys. Throughout my career, I\u2019ve had a series of bosses who have referred to me as \u2018Del Boy\u2019, but I jest not, this kid is in a different league. He\u2019s the real Del Boy and to be honest, I\u2019m Rodney. Noah\u2019s not a nerdy spotter like me, he\u2019s a cool dude and in managing our social media, among other aspects of our marketing, he relentlessly tells me not to show pictures of buses and trains, but to focus on \u2018experiences\u2019 and \u2018attractions\u2019 \u2013 they garner greater advocacy and are the key to getting bums on seats. This was one of his first forays into \u2018field marketing\u2019 and I didn\u2019t want his huge confidence dented by rejection, especially as all spiv-like, he was wearing his pastel blue brand new suit for the first time, diamond earring glinting in the late February sun rising over the sea and had a bit of swagger about him. <\/p>\n
\u00a0
<\/a><\/p>\n
\u00a0
This story appears inside the latest issue of\u00a0Passenger Transport<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
DON\u2019T MISS OUT \u2013 GET YOUR COPY! \u2013\u00a0click here to subscribe!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
The post The world is open to connecting with us<\/a> first appeared on Passenger Transport<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u200b\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"