Station Staff of the Year

Name: Barry Franklin
Job title: Operational Integration Manager
Company: London Underground Limited
Location: Central London

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"Barry was the glue that held the business case together for the Wanstead station modernisation project. His tenacity and can-do approach allowed all stakeholders to evaluate the pros and cons of completing the works faster and cheaper by shutting the station during the quite summer period – a hitherto untenable approach. The result was the modernisation completed in record time and vastly under budget, ensuring minimal disruption to the customer and allowing the money saved to be re-invested on other needy parts of the network. His ability to break down silos at all levels of the business (Customers, local residents, schools, councils, trade unions, station staff, programmes and the construction team) really made the closure strategy possible. The positioning of the new Station Control Point was critical, as was the need to ensure that stations staff were content with the detail of the programme including the temporary facilities. It was Barry’s drive and commitment that brought this part of the jigsaw together – without his friendly and knowledgeable approach the works could not have gone ahead. Barry has the absolute respect of peers, subordinates and superiors alike in operations, maintenance and within the various unions, where he is seen as a person to trust and integrity. He is equally at home briefing directors in a manner which is direct and comprehensive; leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind as to what is the correct course of action. At all times Barry has demonstrated a sense of humour and this, combined with his experience of how the process works, has made him an invaluable asset to the business.

At Mile End station Barry has been a god-send. His ability to meld the needs and desires of the station’s operational team with the desire of the construction staff to complete their works as quickly and cheaply as possible and with the minimum of impact to the travelling customer, has meant this project has truly taken off in the last year, despite the previous years of delays and broken promises. Barry has foresight few of his peers can match. He tackles potential problems long before they become an issue, allowing an amicable solution to be sought. He always has an eye on value for money, but is equally attuned to the needs of his operational colleagues, understanding how changes will affect their ability to deliver a quality product for the travelling customer. He is an approachable, larger than life character who is driven by success and who measures that success by how well the constructor ultimately delivers a product that meets the needs of every disparate party – quite a juggling act, especially in fiscally constrained times! Barry is a perfect example of the bridge between operations and capital investment, and his stations have all benefited hugely from his style and approach. He is an ideal candidate for this award".

Date of event: 25-8-10

Name: Shahinur Ali
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground
Location: Edgware Station Northern Line

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
Sahinur is truly a world class service provider; he is enthusiastic, friendlily and always willing to go the extra mile for his customers and colleagues. He is wonderful employee with 100% attendance record; he is consistently scoring 100% on mystery shopper surveys for customer service, as well as being supportive member to his team, his friendly character and enthusiasm is addictive and you can’t help enjoying the atmosphere that is created. I have often stood on the gate line and have been enthused by the way him and his team have worked together.
This what one his team member has said about Shahinur.

“Shahinur has only been with the company for a few years but his dedication is tremendous. He has never had a day-off work, is charitable to staff and customers, very approachable and cheerful and knows most staff using the station and many customers by name.

He is good company, with a can-do positive attitude and always willing to learn. He stands by his colleagues in difficult times, is willing to stay-on to help after his shift if needed, will swap shifts to help his colleagues, will offer to give a lift to staff who lives on his way to his home, he has taken distressed customers home with permission after the last trains have left and is always finding different ways and solutions to help customers with travel information.

He also has impressive technical knowledge which he will gladly impart to any member of staff having difficulty with I.T or mobile phone and other communication equipment. He will always offer to run errands when he has his break and is very knowledgeable of the shops and other businesses on the high street.

Shahinur has and will go above and beyond his role as last year he volunteered in the 'CSA buddy program' to give work experience to people with disabilities and his role was that of a coach.

He is currently a facilitator in the 'Valuing Time' seminars which is a company wide initiative and which required special training. He will sometime do this in his own time. Shahinur is an excellent communicator and very passionate about his work and loyal to the organisation and he has impressed Service Managers and Trains Performance Managers with whom he worked with during efforts in the heavy snowfall last winter to keep the train service running.

I am grateful to work with and have this opportunity to nominate 'the lovely Shah' as he is known and i wish that he gets the recognition he deserves”.

Date of event: 24-8-10

Name: Russell Miller
Job title: Customer Host
Company: LOROL
Location: Rotherhithe

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Russell is a great person to work with, he is very hard working and is always very friendly to staff and customers. He goes that extra mile and will not hesitate to put in 100% effort into helping customers. There are many examples were Russell goes out of his way. He helps many mothers carry there buggies or shopping and always asks to help”.

Date of event: 29-7-10

Name: Michael Osei Bonsu
Job title: Customer Host
Company: London Overground
Location: Homerton

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Michael is very professional at his job, very polite to customers, friendly, very helpful, very reliable, always on time and never been off ill. He always accommodates people in the work place and makes people feel comfortable. He is very nice person to work with”.

Date of event: 21-8-10

Name: Jackie Singleton
Job title: Station Assistant
Company: Merseyrail
Location: James Street

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“I am nominating Jackie because she has worked tirelessly not only nominating our current charity of the year (Woodlands Hospice), she has then gone on and worked on acquiring donations to push the charity forwards. She has raised £490 so far this year through the charity auction of unclaimed lost property and will no doubt continue this hard work throughout. Jackie has also created an electronic period end format for stations to work from, making the transition from period to period a lot easier. Helping us keep track of the day to day sales and monthly totals”.

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“I am nominating Jackie because she tenaciously campaigned for Merseyrail to choose a local independent hospice for it's charity of the year 2010. As a result of her commitment to Woodlands Hospice, a huge year long charitable campaign has been launched by Merseyrail which is raising a huge sum of money. This will make an enormous contribution to ensuring that the hospice can carry on delivering a high quality service to people living in Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley who are struggling to live with advanced life threatening disease. It means that people and their families at the end of their life can be supported by a specialist team and be cared for in a special, calm and beautiful environment. In the current financial climate, you'd think people would find it hard to be charitable, but Jackie has motivated her Merseyrail colleagues to spectacular levels of generosity.
Thanks Jackie! You are amazing”.

Date of event: 20-8-10

Name: Kim Buckley
Job title: Customer Services Assistant
Company: London Underground Limited
Location: Regents Park

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"She is the most friendly and approachable member of staff I have worked with. Examples are too numerous to mention, every day every shift very proactive"

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“Conscientious, friendly, helpful, tolerant, patient and pro-active.

Nothing is too much trouble for Kim. She carries out her duties without being told. She will help Customers beyond her emit. Carrying luggage, helping with prams. She has infinite patience. It's every day too, not just when she's in the mood to”.

Date of event: 18-8-10

Name: Craig Munnerley
Job title: Sales & Retail MtoGo
Company: Merseyrail
Location: Liverpool

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“I am one of the organisers of the first Liverpool Pride festival and Craig has been instrumental in the success of the festival in its first year. Acting as the face of the Merseyrail network Craig has shown his support for the festival from the very early stages. He has been forthcoming with both advice and creative ideas. Craig managed to secure a fantastic deal for us with the Merseyrail network to promote the festival across stations, trains and internally with Merseyrail staff. He also helped us to secure much needed funding from the Merseytravel group. On the day of the festival, Craig decked out a colourful and vibrant festival pod for the day and put a lot of effort into programming a day's worth of entertainment. He even managed to gather the crowds to do an 'Oops Upside Your Head' dance on the streets! Craig has been an absolute pleasure to work with and the support he has shown on behalf of Merseyrail towards Liverpool's first LGBT Pride festival is commendable”.

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“Craig has played an important part in the LGBT area of Liverpool and helped secure a fantastic stand to which he promoted Merseyrail and himself, Craig gave up a lot of time and came to meetings and helped the Pride team with ideas and as well as giving us some great links within Merseytravel. Without Craig we would not have received major funding and also been able to showcase our selves to a wider area. Craig went above and beyond the call of duty and did the city and Merseyrail proud on the day. Craig is a very customer focused person and will do absolutely anything for anyone. Well Done Craig and Team Merseyrail”

Date of event: 7-8-10

Name: Mark Van Marle and Barry Cooper-Finch
Job title: Customer Service Assistant and Shift Station Manager
Company: Network Rail
Location: Liverpool Lime Street

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"I am nominating Mark and Barry for the selfless work they did in saving a man’s life on Liverpool Lime Street station. Their swift and decisive action in using the CPR procedure and the defibrillator meant that tragedy was avoided.

Mark is a Customer Service assistant on the station whilst Barry works as a Shift Station manager. On a day to day basis they are both very customer focused and proactive in the way that they operate the station. This was best demonstrated on 30 April 2010 when an elderly gentleman collapsed on platform 7. At first, the passenger stated that he felt tired but his condition quickly deteriorated – Barry and Mark needed to act quickly to stop a heart attack. They calmly and professionally followed the CPR procedure correctly and deployed the defibrillator. The ambulance arrived and took the passenger to hospital, still very poorly but thankfully alive. Their proactive actions on this day went above and beyond those required and we're all very proud of them!"

Date of event: 30-4-10

Name: Mark Johnson
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: East Coast
Location: Peterborough

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Mark is a friendly, helpful team player. He is always cheerful, with a big smile and sunny outlook, ready to greet our customers. Nothing is too much trouble for Mark and he often goes beyond the call of duty and is usually one of the first to volunteer to stay in times of disruption.

Recently on his night shift, Mark decided to cheer up all of the staff by single handily painting all our offices and mess room. He did this off his own back, without any prompting”.

Date of event: 5-8-10

Name: Lesley South
Job title: Information Controller
Company: East Coast
Location: Peterborough

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Lesley is a hard working, dedicated member of the team. She is knowledgeable, charitable and kind. Lesley is one of our DDA champions, and can speak sign language. She is a very giving person, and is involved in charity work outside of the station. Every year, Lesley makes sure the station has a lovely big Christmas tree, which she decorates herself in her own time, and organises a scheme where people can pay for dedications to lost loved ones, with all proceeds going to charity. She also organises the local choir to come and sing carols for the customers every year, which is always received warmly.

One example of generosity and kindness Lesley is known for, was organising a card and collection for a long standing member of staff's leaving. She is also heavily involved in organising a leaving do for him”.

Date of event: 15-8-10

Name: Jason Townsend
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Blackburn

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"Jason is a Customer Service Assistant at Blackburn Station where he is an established and excellent member of the team. He has a positive attitude to life and his job and can always be seen with a smile on his face – you will never hear Jason complaining – he doesn’t know the meaning of the word!

He deals with many awkward and challenging situations on a day-to-day basis. He has a consistent can-do approach to issues and complaints from customers and will always talk openly and honestly with customers to calm them down and prevent any potential issues.

Customers love him. At a recent ‘Meet the Manager’ session at the station, a blind lady whom Jason was assisting came over to praise Jason for being her friend and guide when she needed assistance. She said that she always looks forward to him meeting her and assisting her – and she’s not the only one. This comment is one of many from disabled customers who travel through Blackburn Station.

He’s also first to volunteer at station events as well – he helped out at Christmas at the Christmas Carol Service and is always on had to assist whenever any dignitaries arrive at the station.

Some more comments about Jason:

‘He is greatly valued by his colleagues and we continue to hold Jason in high regard.’

‘As Jason’s manager I am so proud of the way he conducts himself every day. He is always smiling and his commitment to his job and his customers is second to none. When Jason has a problem and he rings me he always has an idea or a thought of how things can be resolved. Nothing is too much trouble for anyone if they need help or assistance - Jason will be there with a smile to help you.’

‘Jason is a hardworking man who loves his job and makes the most of everyday so that his customers have a wonderful travelling experience when coming to or from Blackburn Station. He supports others and his cheerfulness outshines any issues to make the outcome very positive.’

‘Despite his impaired vision, Jason has never let anything, let alone a disability, stand in his way of achieving success in his job.’

‘Jason deserves this award for not only overcoming a disability with dignity and hard work but for delivering on a day to day basis excellent customer service to all he comes into contact with and I am so proud to have him working with me at Blackburn Station.’

Date of event: 13-8-10

Name: John Protano
Job title: Contract Support Assistant
Company: Network Rail
Location: Manchester Piccadilly Station

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"John has repeatedly helped his team out by stepping in to cover absence and other station departments, at the same time maintaining a 100 per cent Mystery Customer record and notably high standards of customer service. Meanwhile, he has implemented initiatives which save time and resources, making the whole team work more effectively.

The CSA (Customer Service Advisor) Mobility team was short staffed for several months, and John did not hesitate to volunteer to work extra shifts to make sure that passengers would still receive good customer service. Despite working long hours, John continued to provide a service so good that passengers regularly wrote letters of appreciation about their experience. Meanwhile, he scored 100 per cent on a number of Mystery Customer encounters (a record that cannot be matched by any of his colleagues).

Just as the gaps in the team were filled, we lost a member of our CSA Security department. John immediately volunteered to cover the shifts (including night shifts and weekends) and learned the role in a matter of days and is continuing in this role to date. John's biggest challenge with this was learning the paperwork side of the role, but he now takes this on with vigor and has surpassed even his own expectations.

John is well respected by colleagues, managers, TOCs, passengers and station retailers alike. He builds a great rapport with everyone he meets and is regularly described as an asset to the station. He has shown respect for mobility impaired passengers, making sure that no matter what our staffing levels they receive 100 per cent quality customer service and are able to catch their desired train.

John has demonstrated teamwork in abundance; preventing others from working long or extra shifts by always making himself available. He has not only assisted his own team but taken on an entirely new role without notice to ensure no job goes uncovered.

John's attitude to his work clearly demonstrates the pride he takes in his role in the station. In everything he does he is an ambassador of Network Rail and an example of the excellent customer service we aspire to offer all passengers".

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“John is simply very good at what he does - all passengers that he comes into contact with are immediately put at ease as John assists them to or from trains. Passengers regularly write in to commend John’s performance and he regularly scores top marks when mystery shopped. To do this once is to be expected however John demonstrates this on each and every shift which shows his dedication to ensuring passengers and colleagues receive his best service at all times!”

Date of event: 10-8-10

Name: Deborah Lloyd & Alison Sweeney
Job title: Customer Service Assistant & Team Leader
Company: Virgin Trains
Location: Stoke On Trent

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"Just a little note to thank you very much for all of your time. The school children benefit very much from the real experiences they get from visiting Stoke Station.

They especially remember the ghost stories and how they feel being in the old tunnels. It is especially lovely to be welcomed by such a friendly tour guide. The children talk about the trip for many weeks after. Keep up the fantastic work and thank you again".

Date of event: 24-6-10

Name: Carlos Da Silva Lisboa
Job title: Revenue Protection Inspector
Company: First Capital Connect
Location: Cambridge

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"A harrowing fatality took place at Royston station recently, in full view of colleagues and customers. In the animated discussions that followed, Carlos didn’t mention that he had been there, quietly evacuating the children from the platform so they were distracted.

This alone would be worthy of an award, but it’s a typically thoughtful action from Carlos. He comes to work every day immaculately dressed, with a positive attitude that rubs off on everyone. Nothing is too much trouble for him when it comes to customers, workmates or the company. Carlos does his job to the very best of his ability, without complaint".

Date of event: 10-8-10

Name: Moses Mossa
Job title: Revenue Control Officer
Company: First Great Western
Location: Ealing Broadway

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Moses has worked at FGW for four years and takes pride in treating everyone he meets with the same respect and the right attitude. A key member of the Ealing Broadway Gateline team, Moses is bursting with confidence when it comes to working in such busy conditions. Working at a station that serves both FGW and London Underground customers, Moses has to be very knowledgeable in order to help passengers coming through the Gateline. His hard work has been recognised before, and Moses has received customer service awards in the past from both FGW and London Underground. He always goes out of his way to help people with pushchairs or elderly people, anyone who needs extra support. Having built a great relationship with customers from all walks of life, Moses has some advice for colleagues wanting to do the same: “Be patient. People can be rude to you sometimes, but they could be on their way to a funeral, or they may have just had an argument with their wife or something, you just don’t know. Think of them as someone who needs help.”

Date of event: 22-7-10

Name: Doug Fennell
Job title: Sales Advisor
Company: Southern Railway
Location: Sanderstead

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
1. Summary;
Doug joined Southern in August 2003 as a Relief Clerk, and transferred to Sanderstead in 2007. In August 2008, Doug took the initiative to set up a ‘book swap’ scheme whereby passengers donate books to the station, for ‘re use’ by others in return for donations towards his chosen charity, Diabetes UK.

2. Dedication and sacrifice;
Doug has taken the initiative to start the scheme, and to run it to a consistently high standard.

3. His commitment involves:
- Promoting the scheme through signs and notices
- Managing the stock of books
- Pricing the books
-Displaying them tidily and creatively to help customers locate their kind of book e.g. children’s zone
-Responsibility for banking the takings

Having raised £9K to date for Diabetes UK, Doug has set himself the challenge of raising £10K by the time he retires in September 2010.

The Impact;
The display of books creates a positive impact and first impression in the station booking hall. The book scheme is well managed and organised by Doug (supported by his colleague, Pauline Giles).

The books significantly enhance service, and enjoyment of the journey commuter’s travelling through Sanderstead.

The scheme has been very warmly received from passengers. Furthermore the scheme is also welcomed by members of the local community who benefit from the scheme, even if not necessarily travelling by train.

Date of event: 13-7-10

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

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"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".

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“Hard work friendly approachable, nothing is too much trouble for Gary he always goes the extra mile. Ask Gary to do something for you and he always try’s his best; he is great with the public and very customer aware. He has worked very well over the years with the rangers promoting and looking after the wild life in the woods at Bromborough Rake station”.

Date of event: 1-5-10

Name: Ernest Smith
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Littleborough

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“1. Approachable, efficient, cheerful, helpful, knowledgeable, Friendly to the public.

2. Ernie Smith is the permanent member of Ticket Office staff at Littleborough and has been for the last 8 months. Since the closure of the Oldham Loop late last year where Ernie was based at Shaw and Crompton he has settled in really well and managed to keep the Ticket Office open during recent severe weather, with Littleborough being high up in the Pennines it does tend to get the extremes of weather.

Ernie has certainly gained a rapport with the local users of the station with now having the ability to supply tickets to customers without asking what they require. Ernie has an extremely approachable demine and takes pride in delivering great customer service to our customers.

Littleborough station is a lovely little station and Ernie has worked on providing the best service he can with new facilities arriving in the very near future which Ernie will be able to see the fruits of his work”

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“Friendly to co-workers and the public, going above and beyond their role, hard working, helpful, intuitive, knowledgeable, proactive. I cannot put a date as Ernest is like this at all times”.

Date of event: 11-6-10

Name: Steven Williams
Job title: Station Announcer
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Manchester Victoria

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“1. Dedicated, cheerful, helpful, knowledgeable, efficient.

2. Steve Williams is a station announcer at Manchester Victoria and has been for over 40 years. He is absolutely dedicated to the station and to the day to day delivery of a very complex train service at one of Manchester’s busiest railway stations. Steve is due to retire later this year and is a true professional in the way he delivers his announcements and in his ability to deal with many things happening at once.

Steve’s voice is unique to the point where you can recognise him on the TV; in an episode of Cracker starring Robbie Coltrane during the 1990’s you can hear Steve in the background doing the job he has enjoyed and loved.

Steve liaises with many parts of the organisation dealing with Control, Signalling Centres and many others to ensure a smooth delivery of information to our many customers who travel through Manchester Victoria every day”.

Date of event: 11-6-10

Name: Kevin Hall
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Manchester Victoria

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“1. Friendly, helpful, team player, hard working.

2. Kevin Hall is a member of the Train Dispatch / Customer Service team at Manchester Victoria. Since joining the team some 15 months ago he has settled in really well and become one of the key players in delivering customer service at the station. He is very keen and always has a smile on his face and really wants to help Northern customers in every way possible. Over the past 15 months he has acknowledged that he has learnt a lot about the rail industry and also dealing with customers on a face to face basis.

When you consider that Kevin was previously employed in a factory in Stockport and really had very little experience dealing with customers face to face it is a credit to him as an individual that he has managed with the transition so well”.

Date of event: 11-6-10

Name: Richelle Walsh
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: Northern Rail
Location: Greenfield

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“1. Friendly, approachable, cheerful, hard working.

2. Go to Greenfield, and you will notice immediately that Richelle is part of the community in a way that few railway staff manages, even after a lifetime of service. People treat her as if she is an old friend, telling her all the latest news about new children, swapping banter and asking her advice, not just about their journey but on matters that are nothing to do with the railway.

Despite this easy going relationship with her customers, there is no more professional member of our station staff than Richelle. She effectively blends informality and familiarity with efficient service and a manner which gives customers confidence in, and respect for, her ability to offer assistance. This rare combination of attributes reflects Richelle’s instinctive understanding of customers’ requirements, and also her dedication to duty. She makes a point of being visible and on hand to help people with their travel plans, which vary from small local trips to large regional journeys. Nothing is too much trouble for her”.

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“Always bright, cheerful and helpful even on the darkest coldest winter mornings”.

Date of event: 11-6-10

Name: Keith Hemmings
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground Limited
Location: Earls Court

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Keith is a very highly competent and inspirational member of our team, invariably polite and cheerful his colleagues would describe him as an affable gentle giant. He goes about his work in a straightforward way, always observant and active, usually approaching customers before they look for help. He is always sympathetic to the customer’s needs, offering practical advice and information to customers as promptly as possible. He has a talent for dealing with difficult customers, being patient, conscientious and persevering until any problems are dealt with to a positive outcome. During any incident, he is always one of the first members of staff I would look to assist me as I have complete confidence in his ability to take on any role required of him. He consistently shows exemplary ability during incidents, cooperating with all his colleagues while taking the sensible choice when faced with decisions. When receiving praise and acclaim from customers or staff, he is humble and magnanimous, persistent in deflecting any recognition onto his colleagues and peers. Keith is constantly looking to improve and does not shirk new challenges, be they work or personally orientated. Ever punctual, Keith is aware of the importance of timekeeping to both customers and colleagues alike, and to finish this appraisal I’d like to mention he has recently signed up to a 45 mile charity cycle ride organised by his colleagues, not only to raise money for charity, but also as a personal goal of his own to improve his fitness. Keith is the embodiment of a thoroughly decent member of staff”.

Date of event: 20-5-10

Name: Taimoor Afzal
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground
Location: Mile End Station

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"Taimoor (affectionally known as Tim) has worked in the ticket office at Mile End for several years. During this period he has developed – largely through his own efforts – an impressive array of customer service skills for both internal and external customers.

He is always approachable, keen and upbeat, taking a pride in providing the service that each individual needs at that time. Always scoring highly in ‘mystery shopper’ surveys, Tim embraces the company values and delivers them superbly to the inevitably happy recipient.

He utilises his flexibility, undertaking any task given to him. However, I find that he has generally already started what he was about to be asked on his own initiative, his proactiveness and ability to see the bigger picture guiding his actions.

Tim is highly competent in all aspects of his role, so much so that he is one of a select number of unofficial ‘gurus’. Both staff and management feel confident enough to utilise Tim’s knowledge and skills. What makes Tim different is his evident determination to improve team performance through guiding and coaching other staff. This is a task he has undertaken with no prompting, and he has demonstrated a talent in interacting with others in a supportive manner, avoiding any potential conflict.

This role takes on a wider scope, with him often raising issues on behalf of colleagues (when asked by them) who are unable or unwilling to do so personally. This is done in a positive way, and remains confidential at all times.

Ultimately, this consistent dedication to professional performance makes Tim an ideal work colleague, and one who should be recognised as being a top level performer in all aspects of his job for both the work team and customers alike".

Date of event: 8-5-10

Name: Tina Mehmet
Job title: CSA
Company: LUL
Location: North Greenwich

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Tina is a dedicated, friendly and reliable member of staff, much loved by customers and staff alike. She is often the recipient of gifts from customers who stop and make time to talk to her. She is often sought out by staff as a friend and a confidant”.

Date of event: 6-5-10

Name: Rob Eaton
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground
Location: Whitechapel Station

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“No matter what the time of day or what point in his shift, or the situation and events of the day this CSA was always friendly, helpful and polite to all who approached him. Any member of the public who came through the station who needed help he would approach and identify. This was especially seen during December 09 when snow severely affected the station and customers needed extra assistance to continue their journeys”.

Date of event: 1-4-10

Name: Camden Town Staff
Job title: CSA SAMF SS
Company: TFL
Location: Camden Town

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
`I am nominating all the station staff at camden town as they are doing an amazing job dealing with heavy market and London zoo traffic at weekends and on a daily basis in a station that was not designed with today’s passenger numbers in mind. Camden Town is the third major tourist attraction in London and it is the staff that keeps this very busy station going”.

Date of event: 1-5-10

Name: John Hirdle
Job title: Station Control Room Assistant
Company: TFL
Location: Gloucester Road Station

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“John is always happy to help both staff and customers. He always keeps customers informed via announcements and dot matrix displays. If there are any disruptions he offers alternative routes. John is always calm and in control and always ready to assist. He offers outstanding customer service at all times so I feel he is a very worthy candidate”.

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"John works to a very high standard and calibre of performance. I have been on the job for 28 years and I have worked with him for 5 years. He consistently provides a very high standard to his work. He also provides a high level of support for the customers and his colleagues. John often goes above and beyond the call of duty to help people. He is extremely conscientious, happy and reliable. This man deserves the award for his continuing high standard of work. A pleasure to work with".

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I fully support SCRA Hirdles nomination - I personally will be nominating him for LUL's Platinum Award later this year as well.

John's performance on a day to day basis is second to none. He is a quiet and intelligent man and he performs his daily duties in this manner as well.

He anticipates any problems with the service and when there are any disruptions and passes on all relevant information to both his work colleagues and the customers. His PA skills are excellent. Clear, concise and professional. Even when their is a Good Service, John will inform the staff of the next 2 or 3 Circle Line trains and approximate time of arrival giving the gateline staff valuable information for our Circle Line customers.

John also assists on the gateline and his professionalism shines there as well. Always willing to help customers, monitoring the whole gateline and assisting quickly when needed. He has a welcoming and friendly attitude that adheres him to customers.

He is currently involved in our Local BTP meetings and is an invaluable help to me in my two new projects for Gloucester Road station - An Information Folder for gateline staff and a History project we hope to have displayed on the station.

John models ALL LUL's Core Behaviours and more. He is an invaluable and unreplaceable asset to LUL and Gloucester Road Group.

John is the best Station Control Room Assistant on our Group which his fellow colleagues would not argue with. He is also an extremely well liked member of staff.

I cannot think of a worthier winner of this award than John.

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"Because he is one of the best control room assistants I've worked with. always being proactive, helpful, efficient, and generally goes above and beyond the call of duty. actively goes out of his way to keep all staff and passengers informed of service disruptions. True Professional!"

Date of event: 29-4-10

Name: Robert Cheke
Job title: Station Supervisor
Company: London Underground
Location: Baker Street Station

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
“Robert Cheke is always very friendly, helpful and patient. These are good qualities to have in a busy station like Baker Street which is an interchange station with 5 lines running through it and 10 platforms. As an example of Robert Chekes attitude I would cite the following occasion: At the start of the evening peak the service controller advised that a train was stopped in the tunnel leaving platform 6 with just 2 carriages on the platform and the train well packed with passengers. They were unable to state the reason for this and the train operator was too far away to communicate with. After several attempts to ascertain the problem clearance was given to operate the butterfly cock and meet the driver. By this time a lady with a baby was having a panic attack and was removed from the train. The train was really full and it took several minutes to get to the third car from the front where the problem originally was and he was informed that a child had accidently pulled the passenger emergency alarm which had since been reset by the train operator. Robert Cheke could hear that the train operator was requesting assisted dispatch and so Robert decided to stay on the train to expedite the service recovery and asked the staff on platform 6 to give the assisted dispatch. As the train pulled into the next station a customer fainted in the fourth car and again the PEA was activated. In this case the train was fully berthed in the platform and the passenger could be given assistance quickly by the Edgware Road station staff. Because of Robert Chekes sure thinking I'm sure this saved more problems that could have had serious knock on effects”.

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“Robert is a larger than life person who always has a smile on his face. Working at a busy and large interchange Underground Station, brings its own pressures and challenges as the staff try and keep the millions of customers safe and happy. Robert has had a positive input into making this happen. Robert is a very “hands on” and pro-active Station Supervisor, who is always on the front line offering his advice, knowledge and wisdom.

Robert has a fantastic knowledge of alternative journey options to give our customers during disruptions. Staff will often call Robert via the station radio asking “how do you get to” or “how can the customer get to” while Robert would be on the front line passing on his knowledge. He has even taken the time to familiarise himself with local coach services that allow customers to reach destinations at times of disruption.

Robert is a compassionate and caring person. I can recall him helping the elderly with their bags and or with parents with pushchairs. A male customer who was complaining of pain, Robert quickly and expertly indentified that the customer was suffering from a Sickle Cell attack and made sure the customer received the appropriate first aid and medical attention. Noting is too much trouble for Robert.

Robert also shows consideration to his colleagues. During New Years Eve London Underground operate a 24 hour service. The staff working overnight on New Years Eve face different challenges in sometimes not pleasant circumstances. Robert identified this and provided, out of his own money, a small snack buffet for his colleagues of soft drinks and snacks. He valued the staff’s contribution during the night and demonstrated this by his kind action.

It is a pleasure working with Robert and I personally feel he richly deserves to win the Station Staff of the year award”.

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“Kind, considerate, helpful, caring, efficient, friendly, proactive, cool headed, reliable, motivating, patient, helpful, dependable, authorative, knowledgeable, firm, fair, intelligent, determined, hardworking, going above and beyond his duty to staff and customers.

He was a very popular member of staff on the Ricky Group. Robert's knowledge regarding LUL is astounding and his standards are very high. You knew that you would be kept on your toes the whole shift when he was on duty. He was very good with staff and customers. You also felt confident that he could competently deal with any situation that would arise on the station”.

Date of event: 27-4-10

Name: Tony Priolo, Deirdre Doherty, Prashansa Ghimire, Janet Makinjuola, Michael Da Costa & Khaled Kazmi
Job title: Station Supervisor & Station Assistants
Company: London Underground
Location: Preston Road

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"The station staff at Preston Road are consistently friendly and pro-active both with customers and with their colleagues in the running of the station.

Mystery shopper surveys consistently return 100% scorecards across the entire team over periods of several months at a time. Whenever I visit, I am amazed at the large number of customers having friendly conversations, while purchasing their tickets, on a regular basis with staff about a range of subjects, none of which have anything to do with train journeys!

The team work very hard in providing a welcoming environment to customers, not just at the ticket office but on the platforms where they have won prizes for their flower beds. These colourful displays which change each year always please customers and the flexibility that the team shows in working on them, even in their own time does great credit both to themselves and to London Underground.

They are relentlessly focused on their internal scorecard measures with large smiley faces being printed up whenever a high score is achieved. They have also received an award for being the number 1 ticket selling station on London Underground

I consider myself a very lucky manager to have such a dedicated team".

Date of event: 26-4-10

Name: Tim Pinn
Job title: Customer Service Assistant
Company: London Underground
Location: Warwick Avenue

Why they should be this years station staff of the year?
"Tim has again and again been warmly commended by customers of Warwick Avenue Station to the London Underground Customer Service Centre (CSC). I have only been Tim's employing manager for 4 months and have already received several commendations via the CSC from customers delighted as his friendly, approachable attitude and great attention to providing excellent customer service. He has already been recognised via the LU customer service awards, and indeed I received an email from Managing Director Richard Parry just 2 weeks ago commending Tim's excellent customer service.

Having seen Tim in action I can see what the fuss is about; he has an excellent rapport with the local customers who regularly pass through the station, and always takes time to ask after family members and share a joke with them. Customers take time to stop and talk to Tim, and it is clear how much affection many commuters at Warwick Avenue have for him. Below is a typical commendation for him, which I received on April 7th 2010:

"I would just like to send in a note about how wonderful Tim is. Seeing him at Warwick Ave absoloutely makes my day. He is the most
friendly tube employee I have ever met (though I have never met an unhelpful tube employee) and never fails to take a minute (or,
more often, longer than that) to talk to me about my day, London and more. He provides excellent advice and truly treats his job
like it is a pleasure. The first day I arrived in London and went to the tube station, looking bewildered with my empty Oyster
card, Tim came to my rescue and told me exactly what I needed to do to purchase my pass.

Tim Pinn is the most wonderful tube station worker anyone could ask for and I hope that his helpfulness and genial personality does
not go unnoticed by TFL.

Thank you!"

Tim is a truly exceptional employee, and thoroughly deserving of this award".

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"Tim is a very friendly and helpful member of staff he goes above and beyond his duties as a Customer Service Assistant.

I don't know of any particular example as I don't work with him on a daily basis, but he has been commended many times by his customers at Warwick Avenue".

Date of event: 7-4-10