Outstanding Customer Service Award

Name: Tara O'Toole
Job title: Conductor
Company: First TransPennine Express
Location: Manchester Piccadilly

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“In 2009, Tara was voted as FTPE’s Conductor of the Year and it is no surprise given her passion for excellent customer service coupled with her positive attitude.

• Representing her depot, area and business she had been an ambassador of our vision and goals.
• Tara is the perfect role-model for her colleagues because of her excellent customer service skills.
• She is always keen to embrace the needs of customers and positively challenges internal process to ensure that we are delivering the best service possible.
• Using the internal ‘Injury Prevention’ program, Tara noted that on occasion the doors on the class 170 units had the potential to cause harm to customers. Through her feedback all FTPE conductors working this particular type of train have been re-briefed and precautions are now in place to avoid injuries to customers as they alight or board.

“She is an ambassador for the company who always goes about her job in a very energetic, enthusiastic, enjoyable and consistent way.
“She is an unsung hero, who starts her shifts with the aim of achieving FTPE’s goals. She does everything in her power to ensure “delivering great service every day” happens.”
Jason Ashmore, Tara’s Area On-Board Services Manager
“Tara loves dealing with the public and her approach to volatile situations is a best practice model for all others to follow.
“She is very passionate about her job and knows how to adapt her behaviour for various situations. She’s a top professional who is always looking to improve her personal performance and the processes for FTPE.”
Mike Crowther from the Institute of Customer Services”.

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"It is pleasure to work with Tara and hope that she is succesful in this award as i believe the commitment she shows everyday really does help the company in delivering its goal's she is also in the process of completing a A1 Assessor course so that she can pass her knowledge and professoinalism to others in the business".

Date of event: 1-9-10

Name: Arthur Rowling
Job title: Earth Structures Team Leader
Company: Atkins, seconded to London Underground
Location: Parnell House, Victoria

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Arthur is really helpful to everybody. He will make you feel welcome in the team and will always offer to give you advice and support in a positive manner making you feel comfortable and appreciated as a team member. Arthur will take care of newcomers and introduce them to the rest of the team. Arthur is always a nice fella, all year round”.

Date of event: 19-8-10

Name: Gair Urwin
Job title: Station Supervisor
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Alnmouth Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Gair Urwin, station supervisor from Alnmouth for Alnwick Station, has won Northern’s first customer service award, ‘Northern Star of the Year’. He won the award for his many feats of customer service excellence, including driving stranded tourists ten miles through fog to their hotel on his day off.

Northern Stars are awarded to Northern employees who really champion the customer. Nominated by customers or colleagues, each Northern Star demonstrates a real commitment to delivering excellent customer service. In all, 37 Northern Stars were awarded throughout the year, and then a panel of judges, including representatives from independent rail passenger watchdog Passenger Focus and Northern’s trade unions, had the hugely difficult job of choosing one overall winner. Gair faced some very stiff competition so to win was a massive achievement for him and proves he is an outstanding example of customer service at its best.

The judges praised Gair for: '...embodying everything that a Northern Star should be. He consistently goes out of his way to help Northern’s customers. His customer service skills are amazing and he has a natural ability to put people at ease and make them feel special.'

Ian Bevan, Managing Director, Northern said: ‘Gair is a very worthy winner of our first ‘Northern Star of the Year’; he really is a shining example of customer service excellence.’

Date of event: 18-8-10

Name: Gloria Ormeno
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Earlestown Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Gloria started her railway career in a call centre at Reading, moved on to Liverpool Lime Street booking office and now works at Earlestown.

Wherever she’s worked, her cheery smile and helpful nature always made her highly popular with both customers and colleagues alike. Anyone who meets Gloria cannot help but be impressed by her professional attitude and enthusiasm for her job. Her helpfulness is legendary with our customers at Earlestown. Gloria’s popularity with customers is probably best seen at Christmas where the steady flow of chocolates makes the station look like a branch of Thornton’s.

Gloria has also featured in the local newspaper following an amazingly accurate description of an incident involving stolen property. She received a call to say that approximately £500 worth of computer games had been left in the waiting room at Earlestown but when she went to retrieve them and keep them safe for the owner, the games had disappeared.

After scanning the CCTV coverage, she pinpointed the family who had taken them, identified the train they had boarded and guessed from the luggage they were carrying that they would probably be holidaying in Prestatyn. She immediately informed the BTP and using her experience and keen eye for detail, Gloria provided the police with an estimated time for the family’s return. The police then arranged for officers to be waiting at the station - sure enough the family arrived straight into the arms of the police who issued a caution and retrieved the games, which were in turn reunited with their rightful owner. If it hadn’t been for Gloria’s persistence, the crime would have gone undetected.

Her efforts are also recognised and appreciated by her colleagues and management team. She recently won a ‘Northern Star’ award for her consistent ‘going the extra mile’ approach in delivering excellent customer service".

Date of event: 13-8-10

Name: Carol Iddon
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Adlington Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Carol Iddon has worked at Adlington station for 12 years, and is now firmly established within the town as an invaluable part of the community.

The station was originally only open part time but, after a full financial review of the station and its potential by Carol and her station manager, and much to the delight of the local community, the station now opens for a full seven hours each day Monday to Saturday which has led to a massive surge in takings from £50 per day to over £400 per day - a staggering 800% increase!

Business is thriving in her ticket office but Carol manages her station as though it is her home and keeps it looking immaculate inside and out. Adlington Station buildings are very small and compact and the waiting room for her customers has seating which Carol has made more comfortable by adding cushions to make it more homely and so that some of her more elderly customers can sit and wait for their trains in comfort and warmth. This is just one of the many extras that Carol has included to make the visit to Adlington Station more enjoyable for customers.

She has so much pride in her station and service that during the winter you would find Carol out just after 6am each morning (that’s 30 mins before her starting time) trying to clear heavy overnight snow to ensure safe passage for her customers before she began to open her station ticket office and start her shift.

Even in warmer conditions, Carol will come in early before her shift starts and remove any litter or graffiti - she will never allow her customers to enter the station before it’s looking its best!
She is kind and caring and a great help to all her customers, old and new, and always has time to go that extra mile in making sure they receive the correct tickets or information, and making visits something to look forward to. She is full of enthusiasm and always willing to try new ideas without complaint or hesitation. The increase in revenue since she’s been there shows what her hard work has achieved – more customers than ever before now use Adlington when they’re travelling.

Carol thoroughly deserves recognition for all she does and all she has achieved. She complains little but shines within her duties every day of every week of every year. She stands at only 5ft tall but her excellent customer service (going that extra mile), dedication and reliability make her a giant within Northern and within the community of Adlington".

Date of event: 13-8-10

Name: Veronica Williams
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Chorley

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“One Sunday, Veronica was on shift at Chorley Station when someone came to the booking office window and told her that there was a man lying on the track on the Preston bound platform side. The man had fallen onto the track whilst possibly under the influence of alcohol and had been hit by a TPE train and the driver at this time was unaware because the man was in the cess and could not be clearly seen.

The man suffered extremely serious injuries and Veronica was the person on site to assist and put all emergency procedures into place. As well as trying to attend to the injured customer she also had to inform control as to what had happened and also to ensure that no more trains came into the station. Veronica did everything she could during this situation as well as also looking after other passengers who were on the station at the time.

This was a very distressing incident for Veronica to deal with as the customer had sustained severe injuries. She dealt with it in a very calm and professional manner and all her quick efforts in raising the alarm to both our control and to the emergency services possibly saved this male’s life. The injured man had to have limbs amputated as a result of this accident but he is still alive. Veronica was affected by this incident but was very quickly back to work after extending her rest days and taking time out to come to terms with what had happened.

After this incident, on Friday 23 April 2010 Veronica was on shift at Chorley Station when a customer told her that a man was on the tracks staggering in a confused manner.

Veronica ran out as she knew that a Manchester train was due in and shouted at the man to get off the track and explained that a train was due to come into the station. He replied and said he did not care about the train coming in and continued to stand on the tracks telling her to ‘leave me alone’. Veronica realised that she was going to have to act quickly or this man was going to be hit by the train.

She telephoned control so that the trains could be halted and then called 999 for emergency services to attend immediately. In the meantime she and some other passengers managed to coax the man off the tracks to come and talk to them and it was then that Veronica realised he was in a very depressed state of mind and that she would have to be very careful how she spoke to him. She managed to keep him talking until the emergency services arrived and they then took him away to hospital.

If it had not been for Veronica's actions in this situation the man could have easily snapped and jumped back onto the tracks - she diverted his attention by her conversation until help arrived and her quick actions and thinking could have saved this man from a serious incident”.

Date of event: 23-4-10

Name: Steve Smith
Job title: Customer Relations Officer
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Leeds

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Steve is an inspiration to his colleagues in customer relations, the ‘Mister Motivator’ of the team, and we believe his commitment and passion for customer service set the gold standard for the rail industry. Steve has the ability to lift the mood during pressurised times of service disruption with his dry wit and catchphrase-based humour.

But he has a serious and thoughtful side too – he works hard to deliver excellent customer service, whether in his own role or when he leads the team when his line managers are unavailable.

One example of his dedication and initiative occurred when the BBC reporter Frank Gardner left his specialised wheelchair wheels in the car park at Leeds station whilst en route to the Ilkley Literature Festival. Steve went out of the customer relations office in Leeds and scoured the car park until he located the wheels. He then brought them back to the office for safe-keeping. The chairman of the festival wrote to Steve, thanking him for his actions and enclosing a signed copy of Mr Gardner’s new book, which now has pride of place on Steve’s desk!

Steve handles a wide variety of letters and calls during an average day, all with his customary good humour and compassion. He recently received a commendation from the former managing director of Northern, Heidi Mottram, after he handled a customer complaint in a particularly effective manner. The customer wrote to Heidi, commenting that ‘it was refreshing to get a helpful and courteous reply from Mr Smith, which set out how you would respond and that has happened...please pass on my appreciation to Mr Smith for his excellent customer service work – he is a real asset to your organisation.’ Heidi added her own thanks to Steve for doing such a great job.

Steve is truly a shining star, a jewel in the customer relations crown. He deserves to be commended for his humour and his belief in customer service".

Date of event: 12-8-10

Name: Debby Corbett
Job title: Customer Relations Officer
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Leeds

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Debby is a valued member of the customer relations team, and her hard work and dedication are second to none. Debby has been with the team for eight years, and remains passionate about delivering the best in customer service to Northern’s customers. During times of extreme telephone call volumes, Debby always puts her hand up to help out and give her all. During the flooding of June 2007 Debby was regularly taking over 100 calls – sometimes over 200 – in a single day, a truly colossal effort.

Debby has also received numerous letters of praise from passengers she has assisted. Finding lost toys, helping to assist disabled passengers and sorting out complicated tickets and journeys are all part of an average day for Debby. She also takes a lead role in writing to passengers about the very complex issues within the rail industry. Her hard work and determination to achieve the right result for the customer are evidenced by the numerous letters of praise she has received over the years.

A recent example of Debby’s commitment and initiative involved a ticket problem for a journey to Heysham Port and on to the Isle of Man. Debby investigated the problem, rang the passenger and arranged taxi transport to Liverpool so the passenger could board another ferry. She then rang back later in the day to confirm that everything had gone to plan. The passenger wrote to customer relations, saying, ‘I would like to thank Debby for her help, and especially for contacting me later in the day to check everything had run smoothly.’

Debby is truly a leading light and all her colleagues recognise and are inspired by her commitment".

Date of event: 12-8-10

Name: Graham Large
Job title: RSA
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Atherton Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Graham joined the railway in July 1996 and has made many friends over the years. After moving from Reddish North, he now works in Atherton ticket office where he is a much-valued member of the Northern Area West team. Anyone who visits Atherton station can’t fail to be impressed by its cleanliness and the immaculate presentation and display of timetables and useful information for customers. This can all be traced back to Graham’s attention to detail and his passion for customer service. His knowledge of the area and his customers mean that people visit not only to get train tickets but also to find out about other journeys they can make, events in the area, connections to buses and a host of other local information.

Positive feedback from customers and colleagues alike floods in about Graham, supported by the rise in revenue figures that quickly followed his efforts at both Reddish and Atherton stations. Always happy, willing to go out of his way to help any customer no matter what the query, his enthusiasm, vast railway knowledge and engaging gift of the gab actively encourages people who were merely making enquires to actually travel by train and then return again and again. His attentiveness and intuitive gift for giving the customer exactly what they want plus a little bit more, makes everyone he serves feel extra special.

Always on the look out for new opportunities, Graham recently came up with an idea to increase revenue in the area. As well as monitoring and highlighting possible areas for extra revenue protection activity, he also recognised that there was the potential for additional ticket office opening hours. He readily volunteered to assist with a trial for a late turn shift at Bromley Cross, which is already proving successful, with revenue generated to date over three times the original forecast.

And it’s not just customers he helps. When one of the station managers was unable to find the keys for another booking office, Graham took time out of his Saturday off to come to the rescue.

Graham truly is a kind hearted, generous person who deserves to be recognised for all his hard work".

Date of event: 12-8-10

Name: Marion Bainbridge
Job title: RSA
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Walkden Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Good news travels fast, and Marion’s dedication to customers at Walkden has meant that lots of new faces are now taking the train; in fact since Marion started working her magic at the station, revenue has increased by over 45 per cent. At the same time there has been a significant decrease in vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Marion takes a real pride in her role and Walkden Station. She was instrumental in encouraging some commuters from Walkden to form the ‘Friends of Walkden Station’ group which has proved a great success as they are very active in promoting both Northern and train travel in general.

Brimming with energy and enthusiasm, Marion loves dealing with the public and absolutely adores her job which is evident in her well-kept station, approachable manner and warm, engaging smile. She is always polite and helpful even when there are problems on the line and is always ready to go the extra mile to ensure that Northern’s customers have a good journey experience starting from the time they walk through the station door. Marion is very proactive in assisting customers, providing information and ensuring they understand any connections they need to make or other important facts.

A people person, Marion Bainbridge began working at Eccles ticket office in 1999 and took up her current role at Walkden station in 2005. Her colleagues love having her around and she’s now into her third year of extended post- retirement service!"

Date of event: 12-8-10

Name: Andy Dixon
Job title: Retail Supervisor
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Bingley Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"I would like to nominate Andy Dixon following the way he dealt with an incident that took place at Bingley station on Saturday 22 May 2010. A young girl walked past the ticket window covered in blood. She had a large kitchen knife with her and was cutting her own wrists. Andy saw the young girl, rang for help and then went out and talked to the girl to try and calm her down.

He managed to get the knife off her before she ran off towards Myrtle Park. Andy directed the emergency services and the Northern security team to where he knew she would be; however the girl was in a very confused state and escaped from the ambulance, running towards the railway line. The train approaching had to apply its emergency brakes and managed to stop before hitting her. Andy displayed great presence of mind and his handling of the situation earned him praise from the British Transport Police constable who attended the incident. As you can see from PC Stokes’ email below, BTP believe that Andy saved the girl’s life. Afterwards, Andy played down his role, saying, "It was someone's daughter and she needed help."

Email from PC Stokes of the British Transport Police:

“I wonder if I could draw your attention to a member of staff at BINGLEY railway station, (Andy Dixon). On Saturday the 22/05/2010 I was called to BINGLEY to the report of a female with a knife self-harming on a train. The female was asked to leave the train by the conductor as she would not hand the knife over (5 inch fixed blade kitchen knife). Upon arrival at BINGLEY, the female walked past the small ticket office, covered in blood and was seen by Andy (WORKING ALONE), who went outside, tried verbal communication and then took the knife off her. He was just in a shirt and tie; this has been confirmed by rail response team and West Yorkshire police by having to come back to the station to seize the knife off Andy.

The female was in a very mixed mood and was capable of anything, escaping from the ambulance upon arriving at the hospital and running, across the fields onto the railway causing a train to apply emergency brakes. Because the female would not calm down, leg restraints and handcuffs had to be used. I have known Andy a number of years; he always goes the extra mile but I think this time he saved the female from a potential fatal injury. Even though he plays the incident down stating it “ IT WAS SOMEONE’S DAUGHTER AND SHE NEEDED HELP.”

Date of event: 22-5-10

Name: Jo Fappiano
Job title: Planning & Resource Manager
Company: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd
Location: Nottingham

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"In her relatively short time in the rail industry Jo has made a massive impression on the Bridgeway community. Jo has an always happy to help attitude, and works with a level of commitment that is rarely found.

Jo has been with Bridgeway for 4 years and in that time has brought extensive customer service experience from outside the industry in to Rail. She worked her way from a Planning Assistant role to become the Planning & Resource Manager. Her ‘can do attitude’ is refreshing and nothing is ever too much trouble.

Although her excellent planning skills, approachable personality and professional attitude, are not rare attributes in their own right, it is rare to have all these attributes in one person, especially in one so diligent.

She is always willing to roll up her sleeves and get involved in the work and stand shoulder to shoulder on the front line, working most weekends on track to keep in touch with both clients and staff.

Jo is responsible for the delivery of a large area both geographically and numerically. This leads to many logistical and operational challenges, which Jo and her team work extremely hard to deliver on a weekly basis. Her hard work and commitment has ensured that Bridgeway have provided a quality, reliable service to all our clients.

The constant stream of compliments and commendations from clients is a testament to excellent service she provides. If ever there was a perfect candidate for the Customer Service Award then Jo is it".

Date of event: 11-8-10

Name: Sharon Jones
Job title: On Board Manager
Company: Virgin Trains
Location: Preston

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"I'd like to nominate Sharon Jones, On Board Manager at Preston for a Feel Good Award. On 02.01.10 Sharon was the on call manager and there was major service disruption at Preston Station due to signal failure.

Sharon had been at the station since 06:45. A family came to her and were very distressed because someone had picked their luggage up by mistake. She got the announcers to announce for customers to check their bags as the families couldn't be located.

The father was very irate as he and his family had been on and off different trains until they had arrived at Preston from Glasgow. In the bag were new clothes and Christmas presents the children had received and there were also other presents to take back home for other members of the family on the Isle of Man.

The family were staying in Birkenhead on the 02.01.10 and were sailing home on the 03.01.10 and during that evening Sharon rang every station on the West Coast route to see if anyone had handed in the bag.

At 22:00 she located it at Lancaster where someone had handed it in. Sharon made arrangements for the Team Leader to take the bag to Preston where she would collect it in the morning and as you can imagine the family were delighted it had been found.

On 03.01.10, Sharon drove the 42 miles to Preston in the icy conditions to collect the bag and then she drove to Liverpool, (a further 58 miles) to deliver the bag so the family could take their present’s home to the Isle of Man.

Sharon eventually returned home in terrible weather conditions but had made the family very happy".

Date of event: 24-6-10

Name: Philip Treversh
Job title: Revenue Protection Inspector
Company: First Capital Connect
Location: Cambridge

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Philip was working at Royston station gateline when he and a colleague approached a man who seemed anxious. The man, Andrew Johnson, explained that he was waiting to meet his daughter Alice, who had autism, off the 16:37 train from Stevenage. But two trains from Stevenage came and went, with no sign of Alice.

Mr Johnson went into town in case he’d missed her, and Philip rang the British Transport Police. Meanwhile, his colleague spoke to the First Capital Connect CCTV operator to see if Alice could be seen boarding a train and rang Letchworth station to ask colleagues to check the platforms.

After Hertfordshire police arrived Stevenage staff rang to say they’d spotted Alice on the platform at around 18:30, which meant she could have caught the next train to Royston. As this service divides at Royston, Philip arranged that everyone available – the police and First Capital Connect colleagues – would check each car.

Thanks to Phil’s quick-thinking, resourcefulness and teamwork, Alice was found safe and well on the train, oblivious to all the fuss! Philip and his colleague rang all concerned to tell them she had been found. Mr Johnson returned the following day with a gift and a thank-you card”.

Date of event: 22-5-10

Name: Sandra Kember
Job title: Revenue Control Officer
Company: First Capital Connect
Location: Royston

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Sandra was working at Royston station gateline when she and a colleague approached a man who seemed anxious. The man, Andrew Johnson, explained that he was waiting to meet his daughter Alice, who had autism, off the 16:37 train from Stevenage. But two trains from Stevenage came and went, with no sign of Alice.

Mr Johnson went into town in case he’d missed her, and Sandra’s colleague rang the British Transport Police. Meanwhile Sandra spoke to the First Capital Connect operator at the Enfield Central Control Centre (CCC), who checked the CCTV at Stevenage to see if Alice could be seen boarding a train. She also rang Letchworth station to ask colleagues to check the platforms.

After Hertfordshire police arrived Stevenage staff rang to say they’d spotted Alice on the platform at around 18:30, which meant she could have caught the next train to Royston. As this service divides at Royston, her colleague arranged that everyone available – the police and First Capital Connect colleagues – would check each car.

Thanks to Sandra’s quick-thinking, resourcefulness and teamwork, Alice was found safe and well on the train, oblivious to all the fuss! Sandra and her colleague rang all concerned to tell them she had been found. Mr Johnson returned the following day with a gift and a thank-you card".

Date of event: 22-5-10

Name: Sue Burley
Job title: Sales Assistant
Company: First Capital Connect
Location: Cuffley Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Sue is nominated for her bravery and resourcefulness in dealing with a suicidal man at Cuffley station. The man, who had been lying down on the track, was lifted to safety by two people. Sue then tended to the man, who was very distressed, crying and shivering.

Showing great character and composure, Sue ensured that the police were called promptly and got in touch with the man’s friend. Sue’s proactive approach and quick thinking also helped prevent train delays and cancellations. She was commended for her actions by local MP Charles Walker”.

Date of event: 11-4-10

Name: Debs Stockdale
Job title: Training Coordinator
Company: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd
Location: Nottingham

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Debs is a very customer focussed individual with a can do, will do attitude to ensure that our clients get what they want and when they want it - she is integral to the success of the Bridgeway commercial training team.

Debs has a very enthusiastic and positive outlook in both life and work and has a certain personal magnetism that commands the respect of our clients and also of her colleagues at Bridgeway. She is always polite and cheerful and she always goes that extra mile to make sure that our clients are looked after. Never one to shout her successes from the rooftops, Debs is a quietly competent, very professional and efficient member of staff.

She really is an inspiration to us all and has consistently shown a high degree of pride in her work and she demonstrates world class customer services qualities in all that she does. She is a dedicated person with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills who always embraces challenges full on.

Debs is very much a people person, a great ambassador for our Company and a real asset to the business. She really is a proper railway person, always willing to help at any time of the day - and after a distinguished railway career stretching over 29 years she would be a very worthy winner of The Customer Service Person of the Year 2010".

Date of event: 9-8-10

Name: Alan Lloyd
Job title: Customer Service Operator
Company: First Great Western
Location: Nailsea and Backwell

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Every day, Alan looks after the small station of Nailsea & Backwell, assisting customers and selling tickets, and then travels to help customers at Weston-Super-Mare, where he soon hopes to be part of the train dispatch team there. He often helps out in the Weston-Super-Mare Sales Office and also neighboring stations when needed. He gets on really well with his customers, who nominated him two years running in the “Do You Know a Star” awards. Alan is on first name terms with pretty much everyone at Nailsea and Backwell and he says it makes his day to give great service. He knows what customers are going to ask for before they come to the window”.

Date of event: 22-7-10

Name: Nobuko Homma
Job title: Customer service Advisor
Company: Transport for London (Oyster)
Location: Albany House, 55 Broadway, London SW1H 0BD

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“I am nominating Nobuko for the excellent customer service she is been providing to our customers. She always makes sure that there is no need for customers to call us back as she deals with all the queries in one call. She has received so many commendations from our customers for the service they receive from her. She is very dedicated to her job. She has never gone sick a single day in her time at Oyster. She is approachable, cheerful, dedicated, determined, efficient, enthusiastic, flexible, friendly to co-workers and the public, going above and beyond her role she is also hard working, helpful, has Initiative, knowledgeable, proactive, professional, responsible, safety conscious and a team player”.

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"She is friendly, always ensures that she is giving full customer service and calls back customer if it is taking too long on the phone".

“This is a typical service that Nobuka offers customers: A customer had the below comments for Nobuko Homma;

Staff name: Nobuko Homma
I would like to thank Nobuko for giving possibly the best customer service experience I've received anywhere. She quickly understood the issue, didn't ask pointless questions, treated me like an adult and made me feel that she actually cared about resolving my problem. She communicated clearly what could and couldn't be done, and what my options were. She worked quickly, but without rushing me or making me feel like she didn't have time for me. Having spoken to her one day, she said she'd ring the next day to follow up, which she did, at the time she said she would, and again provided the same level of service.
Very much appreciated”.

Date of event: 22-7-10

Name: Gary Briscoe
Job title: Acting Duty Manager (Station Retailer)
Company: Merseyrail
Location: Wirral Line

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Gary takes great pride in and ownership of his station. Through his determination, the station regularly achieves 100% Curser scores. These scores are the benchmarks we have to work towards to keep our stations to an acceptable level of appearance and accessibility to our passengers.

Gary has through his own personal efforts fostered strong links with the local community. He has good contacts with the local police and the warden from the nature reserve behind the station. This friendly partnership approach has led to some bird boxes being erected on the trees outside the station. Gary is proud to say that some birds have moved in and have successfully bred this year.

Gary has made links with several residents in the vicinity of the station. He has helped a local ex-serviceman, Mr Beatty who was unfortunately dying with cancer. Gary went in every day to administer morphine medication to Mr Beatty, as he was the only person the old guy would trust.

Gary also recently attended to a very ill, drunk and disorientated young woman who he found lying on the station road early one morning. He managed to find her address and drove her home himself.

Operationally, Gary was quick to notice a track defect, where a number of insulation pots were missing. Network Rail attended and made emergency repairs that night to replace the pots. This swift action avoided what could have been serious service disruption.

Gary truly is setting the standard high across the Merseyrail network. He understands the idea of the station being a central and significant part of the local community. He goes beyond the call of duty and is a role model to other members of our staff. His caring and professional attitude is an inspiration to us all".

Date of event: 1-7-10

Name: Paul Donovan
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground Limited
Location: Earls Court Station

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Paul joined us at London Underground from British Airways bringing a wealth of experience with him, combined with the excellent training he has received from London underground, he is the embodiment of World Class service that both company’s market themselves with. When Paul is on duty he has an air of approachability that even when standing amongst several staff, the customer will always home in on him with their query. He has a welcoming body language and smile that makes customers feel at ease. While answering queries he is always calm and confident in his approach, understanding the customers’ needs and promoting a professional approach. He will always go that extra mile to help customers to the point that on several occasions he has paid the customers fare home.
He has a positive approach to life that is impossible to ignore, however bad the day he will look on the bright side, his enthusiasm an inspiration to others to lift their spirits.
He is a valuable member of the team who is happy to assist customers and staff alike, on a station that is a focal point for delays due to its complexity and customer base that is both commuter and tourist. During service interuptions he can always be found in a crowd of frustrated customers offering alternate travel advice and service information with a smile".

Date of event: 27-5-10

Name: Desmond Nicholas
Job title: Station Assistant Multifunction
Company: London Underground
Location: Hammersmith (Met)

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Having worked with Desmond for such a long time, I have noticed he has been an exceptionally outstanding member of staff. His customer service is excellent. He attends to customers individually and provides the information to the point, short and sweet. I have also noticed whenever there are no customers at his window he comes out of the booking office and attends the gateline to assist the rest of my staff, hence being visible to customers and at the same time being very flexible. I have no hesitation in recognising this member of staff for the top award.
This sort of service was appreciated by a member of the public in our local magazine, Newsline, issue number 1 page no. 8 (Desmond Delivers Top Service)”.

Date of event: 6-4-10

Name: Chris Blackburn
Job title: Graduate Trainee Electrical Engineer
Company: LU
Location: Acton

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"After a weeks training course held at various sites across London we had finished work and as a group were walking from Russell Square towards Holborn for end of week drinks. Along the way the group split up and as we finally got to Holborn we were stopped by a major car accident in which a car had crashed into the barrier outside Holborn station killing two people. As we eventually made it along High Holborn there was Chris Blackburn, in a high visibility vest assisting the station staff at Holborn by directing people away from the station. In the time the group had split up, Chris, without hesitation made his way straight to Holborn Station to assist the staff there of which he did for several hours until the situation was under control. This all being afterwork and in his own time, going above and beyond his role showing true dedication, team work and professionalism”.

Date of event: 29-3-10

Name: Tony Thomas
Job title: Station Supervisor
Company: London Underground
Location: Embankment LUL

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“1) This person has consistently been such a role model to me and many other members of staff. He constantly strives to provide high levels of customer service through us as his team and himself. He is always fair and consistent and makes sure all staff on the station are well treated. He always assists on the gateline and with platform duties and enjoys both staff and customer interaction. Tony is very friendly and always goes the extra mile with every customer. He is always smiling. Quite simply Tony always goes just that bit beyond his role everyday and is a pleasure to work with.

2) Its hard to choose just one. An item of Lost Property was handed in by a member of the public. Tony as the Station Supervisor processed the item but tried to re-unite the bag with its owner as it had all their belongings including passport. Tony contacted the owners husband who it turned out was at Kings Cross about to travel to Paris in 40 minutes. Tony rushed to Kings Cross himself to get the bag to the couple so that they could continue on their holiday making it with 10 minutes to spare. The couple were obviously very grateful”.

Date of event: 3-5-10

Name: Denson Edwards
Job title: Revenue Control Inspector
Company: London Underground
Location: South Kensington (District Line)

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Den is always leading by example and approaching customers before they approach him. Even in conflictual situations typical of his role he maintains an exceptional and professional behavior. Customers always leave smiling and better informed and often praising his knowledge and helpful approach. Recently an elderly man was separated from his daughter and Den reassured him while an announcement was put out within the station, he later found out the man's daughter telephone number and contacted her. Meanwhile he had made tea and entertained the man with some classic railway's anecdotes. When the man was reunited with his daughter, he decided to finish his tea because he enjoyed Den's company. His daughter wanted to write to Den's managers to commend him but Den swiftly dismissed his honorable actions as "standard behavior of London Underground staff"

He should receive an award not only for this episode which is the most recent one, but mostly for his consistent focus on customers”.

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“Friendly, helpful, proactive and efficient. Mr Edwards carries out all the qualities listed above and more, working with Denson has been a truly eye opening experience, his enthusiasm and dedication to Revenue Control is a marker for all. Everyday is a different challenge for Denson in his vision to be the most helpful Inspector on the network even though his job is one which upsets a few people through the decisions he has to make on prosecutions etc, given this, he still sends people away with a smile and a different look on their future travelling commitment to buying a ticket, people will still come back to Denson and ask questions about how to get to places even if he's reported them for fare evasion or other byelaw offences, I think this award is overdue for an Inspector that has served this company for half a lifetime”.

Date of event: 1-4-10

Name: George Wu
Job title: Customer Service Advisor
Company: London Underground Limited
Location: Broadway Complex, St James park

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“1) Going above and beyond their role.

2) With incredible consistency George exceeds his targets every working day. He has also become a Subject Matter Expert in a recent change to the key softwares used in the office and has taken it upon himself, unprompted, to help and coach other members of staff and new starters. Without George the management of this key, large-scale change to the way we work here would have been considerably more laborious. George's feedback when the new tools were experiencing teething problems was tremendously important and drove improvement from the front. George always offers to help; for example he is tri-lingual and will always endeavor to assist with Mandarin or Cantonese speaking customers - frequently for other Customer Service Centres in other parts of the building, or indeed company. George is proactive and continuously uses his contacts across TfL/LU to give World Class customer services when customer contact with complex queries or complaints. Not a minute of a shift goes past without George adding value to the team, exceeding his duties and generally being worth a head-count of at least 2.5”.

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“Hardworking, cheerful, approachable, helpful and friendly to co-workers and customers. He has often assisted me to advise customers on Oyster card questions especially complicated pay as you go issues”.

Date of event: 27-4-10

Name: Tony Gumble
Job title: CSA
Company: LUL
Location: Gloucester Road

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Always happy and helpful. The best team player and always with a smile on his face".

Date of event: 28-4-10

Name: Graham Spencer
Job title: Station Supervisor
Company: London Underground
Location: Stratford

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
“Graham goes out of his way on a daily basis to provide the best possible experience for the customers who use Stratford station. He is an excellent motivator, leader, source of information and co-ordinator of the station. He has brought together the different TOC's who operate at Stratford and made them try to work as an integrated team rather than different companies. He has a wealth of experience which he is happy and willing to share with all his staff and colleagues, and always goes the extra mile even when it is sometimes not his area of responsibility. He is an example of everything that is good in a station supervisor and a credit to himself and his station. Although I have filled in the nomination this reflects the high regard Graham is held in by all of his colleagues and co-workers”.

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"I would add that Graham has been very collaborative both as a Supervisor and Trade Union representative. He always seeks sensible solutions to issues raised when undertaking either role. Where difficulties have arisen Graham and I have always been able to come to an agreement satisfactory to all parties concerned. Graham has a very pragmatic and common sense approach to work which is a credit to him and ensures he has the respect of his peers, his staff and his managers including me".

Date of event: 26-4-10

Name: Alan Timson
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground
Location: special requirements team

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Alan is a reliable. enthusiastic , friendly and very proffesional person.He goes above and beyond the call of duty in delivering a world class customer service to all the cusomers he comes in contact with.He is a great team player and is always there to help his coleagues should they require any assistance.He is a credit to London Underground".

Date of event: 24-4-10

Name: Jeremy Law
Job title: Customer Service Advisor
Company: Transport for London
Location: Albany House SW1H 0BD

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Jeremy has exceptional customer service skills, he has always gone the further mile for customers, and even during the heavy snowfall Jeremy was the first to make it back to the Oyster call centre servicing customer enquiries.

Jeremy has been appraised by many colleagues and his manager for the exceptional hard work he has produced he’s always there to support other colleagues and answers questions that colleagues are struggling on.

Last year alone Jeremy has received five customer commendations appraising his customer service skills and hard work. This was added to the Oyster Customer Commendations Booklet which was distributed through Transport for London Group Customer Service.

Jeremy will endeavour to help colleagues and customers as much as he could and if he was unable to resolve the issue/incident would always make sure the customer or colleague is directed to the correct individual giving them that extra support and security factor.

Customers have always felt comfortable speaking to Jeremy over the phone or face to face, he has always been polite and courteous making sure the customer is comfortable, giving them that sense of security and acknowledgement that their problems will be dealt with efficiently and quickly”.

Date of event: 15-4-10

Name: Gerard Donohoe
Job title: Customer Service Advisor
Company: Transport for London
Location: Albany House, London SW1H 0BD

Why they should be this years outstanding customer service award?
"Gerard has always endeavoured to provide customers with the very best customer service experience, he has always dealt with customers issues promptly and efficiently, his exceptional customer service skills has shone through the Oyster department, his knowledge and experience of the public transport system is astonishing colleagues have always approached Gerard for answers in relation to any of the public transport queries, he’s always punctual to work and hasn’t been off ever since he has joined Transport for London, he is a role model to follow and other colleagues have always appraised him for his hard work and contribution to work".

Date of event: 8-4-10