Friday, April 29, 2011

The Station Manager Point of View


Photo via http://www.schuminweb.com

From someone claiming to be a station manager:
A station manager knows things about their stations that could potentially save thousands of lives in an emergency situation. We are trained in many areas.

You customers should try looking at station managers as people, not your servants.

We are not police, mechanics, revenue (we can't give you money back), we also don't set policy.

Our job sometimes SUCKS because of the attitudes of our customers.

If you are having a bad day, remember, it's not our faults. We are just supporting our families just like YOU. All managers are not jerks, so please don't generalize.

I love my job. I love helping people.

For the most part, they are very happy when I explain solutions to whatever issues they might have at the time. That fills my day with little moments of joy.

See, not all Metro employees are bad people. I concede that many are nasty, but not all.
Other items:
Track work this weekend (WMATA)
Two Metro workers "fired" (Examiner)
Metro slightly less screwed/chance to sound off about budget (WMATA)
Major work for Memorial Day (WMATA)

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Corresponding Toads's avatar

Corresponding Toads · 725 weeks ago

I claim to be a Metro rider. Not all metro riders are bad people. I concede that many are nasty, but not all.
"You customers..." Tells me everything I need to know. It's the employees kingdom, and we're just the vermin in the kitchen.
Actually, you are a servant and considering the list of things you can't do, an overpaid one.
13 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
straighttalknoshit's avatar

straighttalknoshit · 725 weeks ago

U hv no idea wat it takes or the patience a station manager has 2 hv 2 deal with the public n those that think they no it all, Over paid Hell no, not 4 wat we hv 2 put up with, riders think they can talk 2 u any kind of way, never say thankQ, I'd riders or visitors took the time to READ THE MACHINE there wouldn't be any major problems but u people don't read cuz u want some1 to do it 4u (Lazy Asses)
WTF? LOL! OMG!
You don't KNOW me!'s avatar

You don't KNOW me! · 725 weeks ago

Maybe you have a point, I don't know, I'm not familiar with that language.
In what job can you go on the internet and call the customers Lazy Asses and still have a job. Metro is one messed up organization.
where can you go into a business curse out employees, throw temper tantrums even assault them and continue to get service. I guess you can call it even.....
Most smart businesses don't let things get to this point. It is the behavior of metro and rude employees that cause these things to happen. I never see the nice employees I know getting cursed at or assaulted. If you give out rude, then don't expect to get anything less back. I have no idea why certain low class elements of metro "society" think they can treat customers like @#$%^ and then get a nice response back. You get back what you put into this world. Not to mention as an employee it is your job to serve.
I can only assume that the only person to take this type of stance regarding station managers probably is one. This guy is probably representative of 99% of them. The guy who wrote the post has probably been on the job for a week....
straighttalknoshit's avatar

straighttalknoshit · 725 weeks ago

well here's another person looking from the outside in u really dont no wat a metro employee makes so u r speaking out the side of ur neck, please take the time out of ur busy day a spend some time wit a station manager n C 4 urself it shudnt B a problem 4 u,stop wasting time talking about something u dont no
So, station manager... I'm glad to hear from you and to hear that you care.

In your eyes, what is the number one problem that occurs in your station? What are your thoughts about how to fix it?
5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
straighttalknoshit's avatar

straighttalknoshit · 725 weeks ago

Metro need to revise the info on the machines its 2much n people just aren't taking the time 2 read . The machines r not customer friendly. Station Managers r there 2 help but some things r common sence. Metro has spoiled the riders n2 thinkn everything has to go there way, the system has its problem
*needs* *it's* *too much* *and* *to* *are* *are* *to* *are* *sense* *into* *thinking* *their* *problems?*

Try that next time and people might take you seriously.
Ever and Anon's avatar

Ever and Anon · 725 weeks ago

You're cracking me up, James! LMAO!
straighttalknoshit's avatar

straighttalknoshit · 725 weeks ago

u dont hv 2 take me serious ur smart ass understood wat I said
I'm surprised that 22 people thumbed-down this post because it is absolutely right. The machines and signage is not user friendly at all and is constantly malfunctioning or in need of repair.

Customers are the paying users of the system and so yes, things should go their way, but I don't doubt that station managers regularly encounter a lot of spoiled, entitled, angry, impatient customers.
Oh, so the Station Manager at Silver Spring who told me to "piss off" when I woke him up from his nap to help fix my broken SmarTrip card was just a hard working public servant then?

My mistake.
7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Or the station manager at Franconia-Springfield who told me that she "didn't give a damn" if my SmarTrip card wasn't scanning.
Ever and Anon's avatar

Ever and Anon · 725 weeks ago

Or the one when asked for assistance said, "I'm busy! Go away!" (as they were texting on their phone and laughing). God forfend we should interrupt someone's paid play-time.

The fact your job sometimes sucks has no relevance. WHO in the ENTIRE world has a job that does not suck at times? Remaining civil during those times shows your self control, intelligence and ability to maintain perspective in your life.

Providing for your family has no relevance either. Why do you think the rest of us work?

I agree you are an employee, not a servant. You are also not royalty. Saying, "You customers" immediately separates yourself from all others. Thus, you deflate your own argument with your own words. (Pete and Toads are correct.)
straighttalknoshit's avatar

straighttalknoshit · 725 weeks ago

u make a valid statement but people,customers,passenger,watever title u want to give them the truth is the truth, Station Manager shud not B on the cell phone or Being Disrespectful,station Managers are there to assist in any way possible but some thinge just require a little common since.
That is because you are not African American Sam!
straighttalknoshit's avatar

straighttalknoshit · 725 weeks ago

If that's wat happened then he should B delt with accordingly with a written apology to u
StraightSpeller's avatar

StraightSpeller · 725 weeks ago

And how does one obtain said apology, in writing or verbally? Metro responds with an automated canned e-mail reply. But I agree! Seen that apology yet to McGruff for the beating or to the family of the victim of the Metro bus? nah.. didn't think so.
Actually, in my case, I reported the station manager and received an email saying "This matter is a personnel issue and will be handled accordingly."

No apology. Nothing. Whenever Metro is ready to send that apology over to me, please let me know. Until then, I'll continue thinking that station managers are the scum of the earth (except the one at Archives who is a hell of a guy, keep up the good work whoever you are!)
You are not police, but you could call them when something is going wrong.
You say managers are very happy to explain things, yet when my card doesn't scan they act like I ruined their entire life.
I'm sorry if this guy is in the minority. Sure, I've encountered station managers who are alright, but a lot of them can be flat out dicks.
Props to him if he does his job with a positive attitude, we need more like him.
Good thing he remained anonymous, Jackie Jeter would have had him fired if she known he was helping people while on duty
A few station managers really want to do that job. A lot are simply problem cases shifted from one area to another. If you run into a bad station manager, ask them what they did to end up as a station manager.
horseydeucey's avatar

horseydeucey · 725 weeks ago

Well, I'm convinced.
Frustr8dCommuter's avatar

Frustr8dCommuter · 725 weeks ago

SURLY . . . . Hahaha, I love it! that's my new word of the day.
Anonymoosh's avatar

Anonymoosh · 725 weeks ago

Personally, I like "vindictive bitchery." ;D
Maybe it's you and not the station manager.
Have to agree with you on the College Park station manager...albeit probably different guy but given the (small) amount of decent people working there, could be the same. I had a SmarTrip card that absolutely refused to scan and the guy was flat out awesome about it. Very helpful and got me through the gates with no problem
I don't think it's right for anyone to treat you poorly, Mr. Station Manager, but consider for a moment that you are just reaping the harvest from the poor seed that some of your co-workers have sown. If I'm a little short with you, maybe it's because of the battle I had to wage the day before to get my smartcard fixed, or the surly attitude on the phone trying ot get my reserved parking pass fixed, or the fact that my train was late, again, and the escalators didn't work, and yet another metro employee is behaving as though I'm his/her enemy instead of a customer.
You say you are not a servant, but that's not true -- you are, just as I am, and just as most of us are (unless we own our own businesses). But, there is no shame in being a public servant. No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. Metro employees could start learning how to take some pride in their work, respond to situations with a little bit of grace, and a little bit of ownership. It's the bare minimum the rest of us -- the ones without a union to protect us when we fail -- MUST do every day.
6 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
LoxyBrown's avatar

LoxyBrown · 725 weeks ago

You had me up until the end. There are plenty of people in unions who take pride in their work. I, for one, am thankful that I have recourse if I am intimidated, sexually harassed, or feel unsafe at my job (which is more than I can say for the private company where I worked for 7 years). I agree with you that Metro employees could stand to take more pride in their work, although I wonder the level of frustration they have to cope with when on the front lines of customer service, public safety, and beind expected to fix all of the Metro ills they can't possibly be qualified to undertake. I've dealt with some horrid Metro employees in the past, but I don't blame the union for that, or assume that all Metro employees are morons. Morons abound in every industry.
I was with you up until you said "I don't blame the union for that"

The union that represents Metro is one of the most corrupt and ridiculous organizations I have ever witnessed.
They got a bus driver his job back (with back pay) after he punched an off duty police officer dressed as McGruff the Crime dog.
They got a bus driver his job back (with back pay) after he ran a red light , hitting a taxi driver and killing a man.
They got employees their job back (with back pay) for stealing money from ticket machines, they were caught on video.
When people complained to the union leader, Jackie Jeter, she played the race card, saying they believed in slavery.

Still think this union is practical?
I work for metro and I am a member of that union. Being white and attending union meetings has always been uncomfortable to say the least. Union presidents complaining to their cohorts about "those damn white mechanics" , and other not so friendly comments. I would see union members who had been wrongfully disciplined try to stand up and present their case to the union leaders only to be overruled so they could get to more serious cases like fired employees who have had disciplinary issues from their first day at metro. Seen all I needed to see in the first couple years here. haven't been to a union meeting in over 25 years. they take my money,(they like to call it dues), travel to exotic locations for "work seminars" and other things that could have been done right here in DC. but remember Jeter cannot be a racist because she is black and believes issues from 200 years ago are still affecting her today.
I don't disagree. Once upon a time, unions provided working people with much needed protection, and recourse when they were treated unfairly. Unions can claim some responsibility for safe working conditions, fair wages and hours, previously unheard of benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, and a host of other things that have been good for companies and for the country as a whole. But, they've gone way too far, placing the so-called "rights" of employees over even just plain common sense.
But, my point was not to start a discussion about unions, or Metro employee benefits, or anything else like it. It was simply this: I have to do my job, and be pleasant about it, in order to keep my job. If I fail at this, I have made my bed and I must lie in it. I don't expect my customers to give me what I refuse to give them. Not every day is fun, and I don't get a pat on the back from everyone I encounter, nor do I expect it. That's life. Let's stop making excuses and get on with it.
What makes you think the union will protect you and not the person sexually harassing you etc? That tends to be the history of unions-to protect bad employees. The union didn't protect MaGruff the crime dog.
Did you hear the story (real story)? I thought if you assaulted a Transit Officer it would be a crime.
The ultimate yin/yang of station managers can be found at Huntington Metro, south side. In the morning an older African-American guy is outside the kiosk greeting every customer with a smile and 'good morning' when he's not helping people out. In the evenings the kiosk is managed by some old fart who looks like a washed-up porno star, he's always locked in the kiosk talking on his phone unless he's trying to look down some customer's blouse.
4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
i've seen that evening manager, he harassed my wife right in front of me. scumbag.
That's my station, and I know exactly the two you are talking about. The morning gentleman is always polite, courteous, and helpful. The afternoon guy barely interacts with people, and when he does I've noticed he's a jerk about it.
AMetroRider's avatar

AMetroRider · 725 weeks ago

Please thank him for his job. I know that it shouldn't be necessary. But Metro surely won't. If anything he probably gets assigned more work from the other station manager who slacks on their duties. Morale is terrible at Metro and honestly from what I've heard it's near impossible to get fired for not doing your job. If your a good worker there really is no reinforcement to keep it up.
Aside from personally thanking the good station managers, submit a commendation to WMATA. I don’t know if they actually do pass it along or put it in the manager’s file, but when I’ve had good things to say about metro employees, the response I’ve gotten has been speedy and assured me they would pass it along. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t, but if there’s a possibility that an employee who does his or her job well is recognized for it, then I will keep sharing the good things with WMATA (along with all my complaints).
Corresponding Toads's avatar

Corresponding Toads · 725 weeks ago

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53556539@N07/5669567...

^ Just saw this in the Unsuck feed, via @IMGoph. love this guy! he must be feeling extra affectionate today, with the royal marriage and all
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Anony Mouse's avatar

Anony Mouse · 725 weeks ago

I've seen this guy a number of times and always wonder if there's a particular name for his kind of crazy.
Awww, TFB. Pay attention to the traffic at the station so the turnstiles are pointing in the direction where the most people are going. Get off your personal cell so you can help with questions. You're there for us and not to talk with the police or maintenance people.
aleonard's avatar

aleonard · 725 weeks ago

"A station manager knows things about their stations that could potentially save thousands of lives in an emergency situation. We are trained in many areas."

"We are not police, mechanics, revenue (we can't give you money back), we also don't set policy."

So, what exactly *do* you do?
5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
"Manages" the station... and by manages, I mean "people-watch like the old people on the bench at the mall" and make the occasional phone call.
@dc_chickie's avatar

@dc_chickie · 725 weeks ago

Open the door so I can go to the bathroom
You think they should have to do something to get paid. Apparently you believe in slavery.
On a more serious note this yin/yang exists all over metro. On every bus route, train route, at stations, etc. I've never experienced any part of metro or route that had all good or all bad bus drivers. There are a lot of factors to thank for this, the union, affirmative action and bad hiring policies where workers of pretty much one race are hired, bad management, corruption in the system, large amounts of money from the government, and being shielded from competition.
Quick someone dispatch the waaaaaaaaaaambulance. We've got a serious case of Itsallaboutme syndrome here.
Dear Mr or Mrs Manager-

I feel your pain, you work in customer service as do I. Dealing with *customers* does suck most of the time but that's the nature of the field. And without these people you wouldn't have a job. If the company you work for had any competition they would have been out of business a long time ago.
I've had my card not scan and then had the station manager INSIST that I boarded at Medical Center even though I repeatedly stated I had boarded at Pentagon City and have never even been to the Medical Center stop. Evidently we customers are all liars.
We all believe in slavery.
MadAsHeck's avatar

MadAsHeck · 725 weeks ago

I don't understand why they are called "Station Managers". They don't manage anything. They aren't accountable for anything going on in the station.

I would reclassify these jobs as "Fare Gate Attendents". Maybe that would reduce their holier-than-thou attitudes.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Actually, that's still a stretch. Anytime a fare gate has malfunctioned, the station managers have never helped other than to accuse me of fare jumping because my card wouldn't scan at the fare gate.

I'd reclassify them as "Orange Vests Make Me Look Important' employees. They, like the bag checks, are there to make it appear as though Metro is helping. Instead of "security theatre", it is "customer service theatre".
You don't KNOW me!'s avatar

You don't KNOW me! · 725 weeks ago

"All managers are not jerks"

Off topic a bit, but this grammatical error bothers the hell out of me. I moved to the DC area from a northern city where I do not recall ever hearing, "All (whatever) are not..." once. I now hear it at least two times a day it seems. It's not "all managers are not jerks," it's, "not all managers are jerks." If all managers were not jerks then that means no managers are jerks. Yes, I know the intent of their argument, but it's poorly said. Maybe it's a DC thing? Seems some people in DC revel and take pride in poorly spoken "English."
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Idon'tknownobody's avatar

Idon'tknownobody · 725 weeks ago

Nah.. that's Metro.
Hey "it's not our faultS" if we are having a bad grammar day. If it weren't for you the customers I might be able to have proper grammar. (sarcastic tone).
Is the point of this to make me feel more positive about station managers because it actually makes me feel much worse!

So basically what they are saying is they are trained in many areas, but do nothing.

Basically I can sum this up as saying "I will help you if I feel like it and I like you". The point of customer service jobs is to help people and to serve them.

If the point of it is for us to make you happy perhaps you should start paying us to ride the metro rail system.

PS Have had encounters with metro workers that make me say wow their are some good employees out there-you and your post-not so much.
PSS Since it is our job to make the station manager happy and they apparently aren't there to serve, the definition of the customer service, I'm starting a happy jar. Every time we make a station manager happy they have to pay us 25 cents. We will be rich fast my fellow unsuckers!
Really, now?'s avatar

Really, now? · 725 weeks ago

"For the most part, they are very happy"

...and then right below...

"I concede that many are nasty"

Which one is it? Or are you claiming they are all happy and nasty at the same time? Such a contradiction makes me doubt this Metro employee knows his/her ass from a hole in the ground. Pathetic.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Now that is an interesting observation which I missed on the first read.
My strategy is to only use gestures and facial expressions to interact with station 'managers'. It seems to work the best and I rarely get attitude. There are some awesome fare gate attendants out there and I applaud them. The sucky ones, well, learn to live with it. Almost everything in our society is worse than it used to be; customer service is no exception. Can we just hire noobs to main the fare gates and use the salary savings to remove "peak of the peak"? I'm fine with removing a lot of the customer service positions at metro and just posting a sign saying "enter at your own risk" and "if you can't figure it out, ask a local." That's pretty much how the real world opporates today...
I commend the station manager for having the guts to write in and make their two cents known.

I like that this blog offers the opportunity to engage, on some level, with WMATA in a way they don't seem ready or capable of doing.

I hope the writer of this post and their fellow "good ones" are exerting some kind of peer pressure on the jerks out there.

Hats off to this station manager.
4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
Ever and Anon's avatar

Ever and Anon · 725 weeks ago

With respect, I disagree. I do not appreciate being considered a "You customer" when I am "a paying customer" and a fellow human being deserving of basic civility which I do my best to show in public, myself. I also doubt the writer is one of the "good ones" considering the content and tone of the writing. The "good ones" do not separate themselves into an "us and them" mindset.
AnotherMetroRider's avatar

AnotherMetroRider · 725 weeks ago

No offense, but working at metro doesn't require a college degree. Heck it may not even require a high school degree (I'll have to check). From what I've heard (inside source) is that english proficiency isn't required to work at metro (at least in the branches that deal with mechanical things). Or if it is then whoever is doing the hiring doesn't know what english proficiency means.

So the whole "you customers" is likely just poor grammar, and not a "us versus you". But thank you for recognizing that there are good metro employees. Though it's sad that there has to be a divide between good and bad employees. Ideally everyone would do the job that they were hired to do (which hearing stories about employees at Metro I sometimes wonder..) and there would be regular and exceptional employees.
"They are nasty" I agree but does this mean they are nasty because they have to serve non-blacks? I think so.
I also disagree, it's an annonymous internet rant-no different than what the rest of us do. If they actually said my name is XYZ and I'm the manager at XYZ station I'd feel different. This is just another piss on the customers who pay for my job rant from yet another lazy metro employee who doesn't get that their job is to serve the customers and not collect a free paycheck.
I just read the story about the rider who fell through the open escalator hatch. It seems to me that if station managers were really managers, they would at least do a 'walk through' the station upon opening, just for the purpose of seeing whether there are any problems or safety hazards. If they were real managers, like other managers at other kinds of facilities.
Typical. Typical.
When they are putting on their "show" of helpfulness and cooperation all is well with the world. When actually asked to do their jobs, which they cannot do, they get nasty.
What, no applause!
Metro employees are frustrated performers. Just listen to the announcements from some of them on the trains. Is it information that they are imparting or is it auditioning?
Pathetic. Typical.
A large fraction of many station managers' actual work time is devoted to helping tourists and newbies figure out what to do. Those are the people who don't understand the farecard machines.

Unfortunately, when "regulars" need help or direction, it's usually Metro's fault, whether it's SmarTrip problems or delays that call for station managers to control platform access.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Observation:
-Most Regulars assist tourists at some point during their metro experience (maybe once a month? Maybe more often? Maybe never?)
-"A large fraction of many station managers' actual work time is devoted to helping tourists and newbies figure out what to do"

Conclusion: derived from the Commutative Property (a=b, and b=c hence a=c)
Most Regulars are Station Managers.... I can haz paycheck?
masterblaster's avatar

masterblaster · 725 weeks ago

The station manager view is the biggest crock I've heard yet on this blog. I'm a pretty happy guy, who rode my mountain bike to the Navy Yard station. My card did not open the gate so I politely asked the station manager for assistant, calling him sir multiple times. In return, he yelled at me, told me I would need to buy a new card, so I did. I continued to call him sir, figuring his job sucked and I had everything I wanted in life (no joke) and was happy to be on my bike that weekend. I come back with a new card and of course, it does not work. The manager comes out to open the gate for me, angrier than before and barking at me like he was going to attack me. I'm thinking to myself: Is this really happening? Does he even see the SEAL Team hat that I'm wearing. Now I'm wondering if I'm going to have to lay this guy out in self-defense.
masterblaster's avatar

masterblaster · 725 weeks ago

WTF are you people working at metro thinking? Seriously, things have gotten too far out of hand. Why is it that all of us are note holding our elected officials accountable? Instead, we just whine on this blog (like my whining) but hopefully someone not encumbered by govt/military service rules will step forward and organize a movement to fire the ass clowns that are running metro.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
WTF do we all do? Rally on Metro's office? that won't do anything we will be told we are playing the race card... or that we believe in slavery... Further, it will only result in minor media coverage and a laugh message from Sarles.

Not everyone can just "not use metro"... Not using metro would cost me an additional $300(ish) a month...

I totally understand what you are saying masterblaster, but there is HARDLY anything we can do... If there was an organized "dont use metro" day or something that would work... but it would have to have above 50% daily ridership participation (if not more)

I just dont see anything happening until a high ranking official gets chewed out by a station manager or other WMATA employee.
masterblaster's avatar

masterblaster · 725 weeks ago

I have yet to meet a kind, professional, not rude metro worker! I would like to meet one please. I'm serious. I keep hoping that if I continue to be a gentleman, the favor will be returned.
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
I've met some, but most of them are bus drivers in Virginia.
Or Mr Johnson (I think that's what his name is) that I frequently ride with on the Northbound L1 during rush hour.

That guy's the man.

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