Science is Funny

From thelunarsociety.

3 of One, 11 of the Other*; Why Your Bus Driver Just Doesn't Care

The Wife gave me a heads up yesterday -- I received a compliment!

People are silly. Almost as silly as the 556 driver who likes making goofy announcements on the way to the U-District. Take this morning, for example: at one point, he announced with a very grand sense of mock seriousness, "welcome to Bellevue, the center of the world!"

I’ll miss his enthusiasm. (Emphasis from The Driver, me)

Yup, that was me. I remember that one well, because at least three people laughed.

Thanks, Departing Rider, for the kind words. Should you ever read this post, though, might I make a suggestion? If I or any other driver gives you a smooth ride, avoids an accident, reminds you to grab your wallet, makes a joke, stops you from sliding a twenty into the bill gobbler, or does anything that gives your day a positive kick, could you let the driver know?

I realize that I must rant a bit.

Here's the story. It pays well, sure, but driving can really suck. Any time we do something wrong, you see, someone whips out a pen, jots down the time and bus number, and complains. It's amazing how often this happens. Sometimes, as gomezticator noted, the complaints go seriously public.

Ah, but what happens when a driver does something right? Often, nothing.

I realize this is a common human trait. Nordstrom did a customer study once. They asked folks what they did when they received good/bad service. When someone received service that exceeded the person's expectations, on average he/she told three others about it. When the service failed to meet expectations, however, the person told on average 11 others*. Quite simply, bad news travels much faster than good.

I have seen this happen throughout my working life. While driving, though, I have seen its effects far more than at other employers, simply because Large Public Transit Agencies take customer feedback very, very seriously.

Let's say you like the way a driver combed his hair. You could go online, call a voicemail system, drop a snail mail letter, even go to headquarters downtown, give the bus number, route, time, and say "I really like the way the driver combs his hair." That driver would be tracked down by base and given a note through the system mail with the time the message was received and that quote on it. The driver would then be required -- required! -- to see his chief who would sit there and say, "Great job! Keep up the good combing!" After the meeting, the note would be added to the driver's permanent file. Yes, it sounds bizarre, but that's the way it works.

By the same token, let's say the message you composed said, "I really hate the way the driver combs his hair." The message would follow the same tortured path, only this time the chief would be obliged to advise the driver to comb his hair. Ah, but given the 3 to 11 ratio cited above, even the comb-happy driver faces almost four times more grooming slams than kudos.

Even though drivers are for the most part aware of this discrepancy, we become jaded in an awful hurry. After all, why go out of your way at work if you will literally never hear about it? By the same token, you might as well not give an aerial intercourse at a rolling dough wheel because someone, sometime, somewhere is bound to complain about something, even if you didn't deserve the complaint. If you're going to do the time, ya might as well do the crime.

Example. Every now and again, I preface my ADA stop announcements with one-liners or Shakespeare, depending upon my mood. No one has ever mentioned this to the Customer Feedback System. Sometimes, they don't even bother laughing. I even catch some trying hard not to laugh, as if showing any face other than bored stupification somehow blotted one's bus-riding cred.

Example. I have worked behind the wheel now for six years, and have received as many commendations. I am told this is well above average. Much of the wise-cracking and general friendliness took place over my 2.5 year stint on a Particular Route. None of those attaboys, however, came from any rider on that Particular Route. By contrast, all my three complaints came from riders and others on the road I may or may not have pissed off while driving that piece-of-literal-shit Particular Route. Lesson learned: folks on that Particular Route are complete asshats, and shall be forever more served by drivers far less senior or far more asshattish than I. We don't get paid any extra to put up with the bullshit some routes offer, so why drive them?

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So, folks, when you just reach the boiling point over some transit operator's behavior, please complain. I not only admit there are bad drivers in the ranks, I could probably give you their names. Management has few eyes on the road and would love factual feedback.

However, do yourself a favor. Go out of your way to find other drivers who make your life better with a smooth ride, a little friendliness, a joke. Call the number or send an email to the agency that hires the good driver. Glow with praise, however brief or lengthy.

Do this four times for every complaint you make.

Were more riders to do this, everyone's trip would become more pleasant. Drivers would feel folks appreciated the little gestures, perhaps for the first time. That encourages more little gestures in the future. Done enough, the average bus trip might just improve for everyone involved.



I feel much better.


*Addendum 10/31/2007: These numbers, while applicable in the Nordstrom survey, do not apply at my Agency. The actual ratio of complaints to commendations stands at 100 to 1.

I wish I were kidding.