An other success story

When we get to our destinations at Newton Abbot and Brixham one of the things we have to do is reset the destination blinds. The destination blinds on the number 12 buses are electronic and can be reset fairly easily. In Newton they show in smaller letters TORQUAY and PAIGNTON and in larger letters BRIXHAM. This indicates that the bus goes first to Torquay, then to Paignton and on to Brixham. This helps if you are a stranger to the area and are not sure where the bus goes.

In Brixham they showed TORQUAY in smaller letters and NEWTON ABBOT in larger letters. This did not let holiday makers know we were going to Paignton. Last summer we spent a lot of time reasuring passengers that we did go via Paignton. One time a couple of weeks ago, when I went into Brixham I arrived when the bus in front of me was just pulling away. I notice a little old lady sitting at the bus stop looking a little worried. I got off the bus and asked her which bus she was waiting for. "The Paignton bus," came the reply. When I told her that the bus that had just gone went to Paignton she said that it didn't say so on the front and she had let two other number 12's go. I asked her why she had not asked the driver and she said,"Where I come from you don't ask the bus drivers questions." I took her to Paignton.

When I go back to control I wrote a memo asking that Paignton be included in the list of places we stop at and a few days later there was a man from head office changing all the blinds. I am thinking of putting in a memo to have the blind include,

"Please Tip Driver Generously"