Connolly Station Staff

bobbyss

Just wondering has anybody had any bad experiences with staff at Connolly Station.

Or is it just me?

LionelNashe

No, I haven't.

Victor

Bad, no. However, they seem to be slightly reluctant to staff the information desk and one tends to only find cleaning staff on the concourse, no Irish Rail staff (other than the ticket gates).

bobbyss

Victor wrote:

Bad, no. However, they seem to be slightly reluctant to staff the information desk and one tends to only find cleaning staff on the concourse, no Irish Rail staff (other than the ticket gates).

Yeah. Apparently they don't have those nifty timetables for distribution anymore although willing to print off a page for you. 'Cutbacks' the chap said.

Ticket gate staff I found clicqesh. They seemed affronted that I should interrupt them for information. Other times I hear them barking at customers who query them. They stand around a lot in groups looking grumpy and angry.

Jamie2k9

Some great staff and some bad staff (how they were recruited for front line is unbelievable). Know somebody who deals with them regularly and they have never had a bad experience in fact at times they go beyond their duty.

AngryLips

I've always found them helpful at the gate. But I admit they do come across as a little bit less approachable than the Heuston staff

prinzeugen

Never had a problem. Just treat them the same way as you would like to be treated yourself and you will be fine!

Losty Dublin

Used the station a lot over the last 18 months and always find the staff grand. I can understand if they may seem gruff as they do deal with a lot of passengers and time is of the essence. The concourse is always spotless, the place is well lit and it generally feels safe.

Likewise for Heuston and Connolly, both of which are tidy and clean and airy and although Tara Street is the ugly sister of the main city centre stations, it is kept clean and there are always staff on hand.

n97 mini

Have found staff vary between curt, self richeous and fairly sound. TBF I don't think any IE staff are trained in customer relations. Those that are nice to deal with are naturally nice people.

In comparison a garda in Dublin can usually suss out very quickly if you're a muppet or not and react accordingly.

bikeman1

I suppose part of it must be the none stop simple questions that they get asked. Some classics such as;

What time does the 7pm train leave at?

Does the Howth train go to Howth?

Where is platform 4? (Big arrow to platform 4)

Can I buy a ticket on the train?

Etc etc. That would make you fed up! However it is their line of work. I find them helpful when asked and are quite knowledgeable to the movements in the station.

gizmo81

Just found the ticket lady with the black hair really rude. The ticket fella at the enterprise gate is great.

bobbyss wrote: »

Just wondering has anybody had any bad experiences with staff at Connolly Station.

Or is it just me?

Jamie2k9

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Used the station a lot over the last 18 months and always find the staff grand. I can understand if they may seem gruff as they do deal with a lot of passengers and time is of the essence. The concourse is always spotless, the place is well lit and it generally feels safe.

Likewise for Heuston and Connolly, both of which are tidy and clean and airy and although Tara Street is the ugly sister of the main city centre stations, it is kept clean and there are always staff on hand.

"Grand" been the key problem, not how it should be and many would argue it's the type of attitude that is wrong wtih CIE.

The contracted cleaners do a great job....

I've always found them helpful at the gate. But I admit they do come across as a little bit less approachable than the Heuston staff

Tend to agree a little.

It's groups of them together IMO that makes them difficult to approach at times.

bobbyss

prinzeugen wrote:

Never had a problem. Just treat them the same way as you would like to be treated yourself and you will be fine!

That's not necessarily true. I would always approach staff respectfully and it is so disappointing to be met with gruffness and a couldn't care less attitude.
It is probably, as pointed out above, a mixture of boredom, being asked questions repeatedly, lack of training and a basic lack of manners.

Del.Monte

The barrier, and other staff, at Connolly have always been an unhelpful lot in my decades of experience and while they may have to deal with plenty of troublemakers this does not excuse their manner. If they are grumpy and disinterested, they should be rotated and rostered to different duties - a change is as good as a rest.

whisky_galore

Was with one (incognito) IE staff member once and we approached a member of platform staff and even he was taken aback by the surliness.

Good and bad ones, I suppose.

Del.Monte

whisky_galore wrote: »

Was with one (incognito) IE staff member once and we approached a member of platform staff and even he was taken aback by the surliness.

Good and bad ones, I suppose.

Reminds of the Connolly buffet in the rare ould times....one of CIE's worker directors was buying me a cup of tea and the girl at the counter poured the two cups of tea from the pot without pausing between cups! The sort of attention to detail that we know and love when it comes to CIE.

beauf

Is say the staff lives would be made far easier if the Irish rail would put in some proper information systems.

If anything is late or delayed the best source of up to date information is people complaining on twitter. The official announcements can be an hour later.

Many times have I heard an automated tannoy announcements followed slightly afterwards with another non automated correcting the first announcements.

Personally even though I've used Connolly for years I think the signage and notice boards pretty dire.

So I'm not surprised if the staff constantly get asked the same questions all day .

Hilly Bill

bobbyss wrote: »

Just wondering has anybody had any bad experiences with staff at Connolly Station.

Or is it just me?

Seem a decent bunch.

Hilly Bill

Victor wrote: »

Bad, no. However, they seem to be slightly reluctant to staff the information desk and one tends to only find cleaning staff on the concourse, no Irish Rail staff (other than the ticket gates).

It could be the fact that they are out assisting passengers.

ED E

Conolly? No. Theres on right little d*ckhead in Pearse though.

Working class heroes

ED E wrote: »

Conolly? No. Theres on right little d*ckhead in Pearse though.

Elaborate?

Victor

Hilly Bill wrote: »

It could be the fact that they are out assisting passengers.

Nope, often talking in the back office.

Hilly Bill

Victor wrote: »

Nope, often talking in the back office.

Of course, i forgot you work there and can see through walls.

schemingbohemia

beauf wrote: »

Is say the staff lives would be made far easier if the Irish rail would put in some proper information systems.

If anything is late or delayed the best source of up to date information is people complaining on twitter. The official announcements can be an hour later.

Many times have I heard an automated tannoy announcements followed slightly afterwards with another non automated correcting the first announcements.

Personally even though I've used Connolly for years I think the signage and notice boards pretty dire.

So I'm not surprised if the staff constantly get asked the same questions all day .

The train to Belfast I was due to get a few weeks ago was delayed coming in, no announcement, train arrived 5 minutes late, no sign of us boarding. After 15 minutes asked on twitter what the story was and why there was no announcement - only then did one of the 5 staff who had been hanging around make an announcement - and he was a NIR employee as far as I could tell.

IE have always been poxy at informing customers of delays, this was the worst yet though. We were eventually told to scamper over to platform 3 or 4 to get on another train - also passing a 3rd Enterprise train, why this couldn't have been decided upon within a few minutes of the first train arriving I don't know. Train eventually left 55 minutes late.

Infuriating.

Hilly Bill

Nir staff wouldn't make any announcements.

schemingbohemia

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Nir staff wouldn't make any announcements.

Obviously I'm lying so. The fact that he had a NIR/Translink uniform on was obviously a cunning disguise. The fact that the same chap was checking tickets on the train and issuing claim forms whilst still wearing an NIR uniform is obviously more lies by me.

Not one of the 6 IE uniformed staff made an announcement.

Were you in Platform 1 waiting room on 14th March at 0945?

If not I'd respectfully suggest that you stop trying to defend the indefensible.

Hilly Bill

There isn't a waiting room on platform 1 and the Translink staff don't make announcements. You are mistaken on this occasion. At best, all the train manager would do is let you out the waiting room door to board and if it's a platform change they might point you in the right direction. I'll get

schemingbohemia

Hilly Bill wrote: »

There isn't a waiting room on platform 1 and the Translink staff don't make announcements. You are mistaken on this occasion. At best, all the train manager would do is let you out the waiting room door to board and if it's a platform change they might point you in the right direction. I'll get

Sigh. Do you deny there is a waiting room for the Enterprise services?
You really are an example of Irish Rail customer service at it's finest.

If I am mistaken about who exactly made the announcement (and I'm not) why should it take 15 minutes for an announcement to be made?

Same treatment of passengers happened a decade ago when I commuted from Portlaoise to Heuston, never a timely announcement of issues to passengers. Never learn, never explain, never evolve.

Jamie2k9

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Obviously I'm lying so. The fact that he had a NIR/Translink uniform on was obviously a cunning disguise. The fact that the same chap was checking tickets on the train and issuing claim forms whilst still wearing an NIR uniform is obviously more lies by me.

Not one of the 6 IE uniformed staff made an announcement.

Were you in Platform 1 waiting room on 14th March at 0945?

If not I'd respectfully suggest that you stop trying to defend the indefensible.

Unless there is something to make an announcement in the waiting room HB is right, they wouldn't have the authority or access to area of the station where the announcement is made.

LXFlyer

FFS this is the sort of pedantic nonsense that makes people give up on posting here, when someone tells a person that what they saw and heard with their own eyes and ears is wrong.

Schemingbohemia was clearly waiting in the Enterprise Waiting Room (ok he stated platform 1 in error but we know what he meant) for his train. He has already said that a member of staff who was standing on the platform made the announcement - it does not take Einstein to figure out from reading all of the posts above that this must have been the NIR/Translink Train Manager who presumably came into the waiting room and made an oral announcement to the passengers waiting there.

He doesn't mean over the station PA system.

People need to stop jumping on every syllable that others post - it's frankly demeaning, insulting and puts everyone else off.

I'm saying this as someone who has deliberately stayed away from here for 5 months, and if this is the level of debate that is going to continue, I may well do so again.

schemingbohemia

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Unless there is something to make an announcement in the waiting room HB is right, they wouldn't have the authority or access to area of the station where the announcement is made.

FFS - do I have to spell out that he came in in person to make the announcement - how could I have seen his uniform otherwise?

He shouted in the room telling us what his IE colleagues wouldn't.:mad:

Jamie2k9

schemingbohemia wrote: »

FFS - do I have to spell out that he came in in person to make the announcement - how could I have seen his uniform otherwise?

He shouted in the room telling us what his IE colleagues wouldn't.:mad:

You should of been more clear about how the announcement was made in the first place.

NIR run the service and chances are the "train manager" is in charge and prehaps you should air you complains with NIR.

Hilly Bill

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Sigh. Do you deny there is a waiting room for the Enterprise services?
You really are an example of Irish Rail customer service at it's finest.

If I am mistaken about who exactly made the announcement (and I'm not) why should it take 15 minutes for an announcement to be made?

Same treatment of passengers happened a decade ago when I commuted from Portlaoise to Heuston, never a timely announcement of issues to passengers. Never learn, never explain, never evolve.

I know where the waiting room is, it's just not on plat 1..

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

You should of been more clear about how the announcement was made in the first place.

NIR run the service and chances are the "train manager" is in charge and prehaps you should air you complains with NIR.

If the complaint is about the lack of announcement then it's IR but bear in mind the chap doing announcement had to take a wheelchair off the failed train and onto the replacement on platform 3. If he got told to make an announcement regarding the late boarding or plat change then he would have at made it at the first opportunity possible. He has to answer phones and deal with people at the info at the same time. You can make all the announcements you want, you will always get some that will claim not to hear any.

Jamie2k9

Hilly Bill wrote: »

If the complaint is about the lack of announcement then it's IR but bear in mind the chap doing announcement had to take a wheelchair off the failed train and onto the replacement on platform 3. If he got told to make an announcement regarding the late boarding or plat change then he would have at made it at the first opportunity possible. He has to answer phones and deal with people at the info at the same time. You can make all the announcements you want, you will always get some that will claim not to hear any.

Fair enough, surly the station controller could put an automated one out as well?

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Fair enough, surly the station controller could put an automated one out as well?

He would be dealing with the problem on the Belfast train. They would try and rectify the fault before failing the train. He would have made the call over a radio that the Belfast was in trouble and to make an apology for the late boarding . An announcement would have been made by the chap at the info desk unless he was waiting for the OK to put the wheelchair on the train.

joeysoap

I have caught the Enterprise a few times. If you are early (or perhaps if the train is late?) and they are not boarding the train you are 'directed' into a waiting area on platform 1. There are seats (not unlike airport seats) in this area which is after you have produced your ticket for inspection at the entrance to platform 1. So I would say it's a waiting area exclusively for enterprise passengers. From memory it's a glassed off area with closed doors at one end and when these doors are opened you board the train. Much like a boarding gate at an airport.

Hilly Bill

You are correct but it's platform 2. Plat 1 is further up.

joeysoap

Ok, wrong platform but it's the one the enterprise normally departs from.

tabbey

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

NIR run the service and chances are the "train manager" is in charge and prehaps you should air you complains with NIR.

The Enterprise service is jointly operated by IR & NIR.

Jamie2k9

tabbey wrote: »

The Enterprise service is jointly operated by IR & NIR.

I well aware it's jointly operated but NIR crew operate 2 or the 3 sets so technically they are in charge of the individal service so if he was told by IE to update passengers then they should of and we have established what's happened people just need to chill out about the service.