Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 7 (December 15, 1926)

The Personal Touch

page 10

The Personal Touch

It is a strange fact that there has always existed on the part of the general public an attitude of antagonism towards railways which appears to have commenced with the first advent of the steam horse. Before the wonderful benefits of the railways were understood the people did not like them, and some of this dislike appears to have attached to railways wherever they have gone.

The town in which I was born in the West of England, an important stopping place for the stage coaches, strongly resisted the building of a railway through the town with the result that the main line was run about seven miles distant. The feeling was that the railway would kill the coach business. It did kill the coach business. This town ultimately had to connect with the railway system and is now on an insignificant branch line.

We are told that in the year 1818 the School Board of Lancaster, Ohio, being asked for the use of the schoolhouse in which to debate railroads and telegraphs, replied as follows: “You are welcome to the use of the schoolhouse to debate all proper questions in, but such things as railroads and telegraphs are impossible and rank infidelity. There is nothing in the Word of God about them. If God had designed that His intelligent creatures should travel at the frightful speed of fifteen miles an hour by steam, He would have clearly foretold it through His holy prophets. It is a device of Satan to lead immortal souls down to hell.”

Whether through fear of the railway ruining business or ruining souls, the fact remains that the general public did not love the railways, and counted it no sin to beat them either in the law courts or otherwise. But in spite of such lack of sympathy the railways developed rapidly, ultimately proving a necessity, and it is possible that, holding a monopoly, and reacting to the public feeling, railway officers involuntarily acquired an autocratic attitude.

Railway operating demands the utmost exactitude and rigid adherence to regulations, and a similar rigidity could scareely fail to creep into the officers' dealings with the public. Whether such was the case or not the public everywhere have attributed to railway officials a want of consideration and “come and go” in their business dealings. While the railways held a monopoly they could afford to ignore the attitude of the public, but with the coming of motor transport the position changed and the railways throughout the world have awakened to the necessity for obtaining the goodwill of the public. This is as it should be. Every business concern really exists for service to the community and such service can never be of the best unless goodwill exists between the parties concerned. In most railways special departments now exist solely for the purpose of securing this attitude of goodwill, and our railway department, led by an enthusiastie Minister, has followed suit in the inauguration of the Commercial Branch which, already, has done much to bring together the railways and the general public of this Dominion.

The Commercial Branch, however, cannot, and does not, do all the work in this direction. Every member of the service is a possible business agent and it is most gratifying to observe how the members have realised this and risen to the occasion so successfully. The “Personal Touch” is immeasurably the most effective means of securing the goodwill of our customers and combating the opposition that faces us.

A gentleman who had a grievance against the Department was telephoned by me with a view to making an appointment to discuss the complaint. He replied, “I do not wish to see you; you have my letter; the Government is fond of red tape and letters; I demand a letter in reply.” This was certainly an unusual attitude, and at an interview which was subsequently secured, the gentleman also was found to be unusual, one in ten thousand. He was the exception that makes the rule—everybody else prefers a personal talk to a cold official document.

Instances are repeatedly coming under notice of business obtained and the sense of grievance removed as a result of personal interviews. Business men have on several occasions made a point of expressing appreciation of the changed attitude of the staff generally towards the public. The words of one business man were, “A few years ago one did business with the railways only because it was necessary, now it is a distinct pleasure to do business with the railway staff.” Similar incidents to this are occurring frequently and it cannot be stressed too strongly that a courteous interview will do more to allay complaints and grievances than dozens of letters.

A farmers' union made certain requests and was waited on by the Traffic Manager. A couple of hours chat, agreeing to such requests as could be granted and explaining why others could not be agreed to, created a feeling of page 11 goodwill that cleared the way for securing the business in that locality. The Chairman in his vote of thanks stated, “We have had our eyes opened. We really did not think the ‘Railway heads’ would take the trouble to see us and talk things over.” Not a complaint has since been made by this body.

There is no sphere where this personal touch cannot be resorted to with advantage. In the case of accidents or delays to trains the pessengers become prey to anxiety which could be relieved by a courteous explanation by the guard. To quote from a recent issue of the “Railway Age:”

The trainman ambitious to perfect himself must practise the art of pleasing persons; not that vague entity “the public,” but the individual passenger. Pick out one man (or woman) and tell him (or her) all about the delay to your train. Having clearly satisfied one passenger, then shout it out for the benefit of the rest! A public speaker is not a success unless he gets his words well into the ears of that part of the audience that sits in the back seats. The announcer in a passenger car is a public speaker. He should satisfy the timid woman or the inexperienced foreigner.

Twenty-Five Years Ago: The Chief Engineer And Staff, Wellington. Front Row: E. G. H. Mainwaring (Railway Land Officer), J. Burnett (Inspecting Engineer), J. Coom (Chief Engineer), G. A. Troup (Office Engineer), J. Beasant (Chief Draughtsman). Second Row: A. Alabaster, G. G. Wilson, C. T. Jeffreys, T. H. Wilson, E. Casey, W. B. O'Brien. Third Row: J. A. F. Cundy, F. T. A. Williams, W. Wright Fry, E. S. Kelly, J. T. Ford, A. Howitt, E. D. Richards, V. W. W. Venimore, G. Parrell, W. B. Clark. Fourth Row: E. Meek, A. S. Henderson, J. M. Robb, W. R. B. Bagge. Fifth Row: H. W. Rowden, W. A. Mirams, F. W. Rowden, H. Jessup, W. R. Davidson,

Twenty-Five Years Ago: The Chief Engineer And Staff, Wellington.
Front Row: E. G. H. Mainwaring (Railway Land Officer), J. Burnett (Inspecting Engineer), J. Coom (Chief Engineer), G. A. Troup (Office Engineer), J. Beasant (Chief Draughtsman).
Second Row: A. Alabaster, G. G. Wilson, C. T. Jeffreys, T. H. Wilson, E. Casey, W. B. O'Brien.
Third Row: J. A. F. Cundy, F. T. A. Williams, W. Wright Fry, E. S. Kelly, J. T. Ford, A. Howitt, E. D. Richards, V. W. W. Venimore, G. Parrell, W. B. Clark.
Fourth Row: E. Meek, A. S. Henderson, J. M. Robb, W. R. B. Bagge.
Fifth Row: H. W. Rowden, W. A. Mirams, F. W. Rowden, H. Jessup, W. R. Davidson,

In all our dealings with the public it is the human personal touch that will bring the desired result of better relations and more business.

I cannot close with a better illustration of the enthusiasm that is permeating all ranks than that of an enginedriver who threatened to remove his custom from the local groeer if the latter did not transfer his transport business from the motor lorry to the railway. He, evidently, believes with the Scots that “giff-gaff mak's guid friens!”

This would be a most unhappy world if it were not a working world.—Lord Balfour.