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PUBLISHED BY AND FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE HAMILTON STREET RAILWAY COMPANY VOL 10 © MARCH, 1994

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Survey Targets Customers on the King, Barton and Beeline Routes

In an on-going effort to improve the quality of the service we deliver to our customers, an extensive customer survey on the King, Barton, and Beeline routes has been undertaken. A follow-up survey is planned later in the Spring.

Continued page 5 - See Service Quality Cover: Operator Sareen Jagjit and Acting Inspector Andy Folkstra talk with customers on the King route. In February, Andy was hand-delivering customer survey forms to HSR passengers on the King, Barton and Beeline routes. "I've been talking to the drivers and the public," says Andy, “and they feel the company is listening to them. We're all looking forward to the results of the program."

BUS BEAT

is produced by the Customer Services Division of the Hamilton Street Railway Company 330 Wentworth St. North Hamilton, Ontario

L8L 5W2

(905) 528 4200

Editorial opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the department.

Please forward all submissions to one of the following Bus Beat representatives:

Christine Bishop, editor, ext: 420

Keith Andrews 267

Christine Fruck B22

Edy Graziani 251 Rabin Daljeet 276 Gord Heidman 251

Rosanna Melatti yp ip Carole Morris-McHugh

426 Rick Toni 984 Steve Walsh 284 Submission deadline for the next issue is \pril (1) 1994 OT

Recycled Paper

To Your Health

Mary Beth Beasley Kmployee Health Centre

WINTER ITCH

FROM A YEAR of HEALTHY HINTS Don R. Powell, Ph.D.

Oh that winter itch! Your skin feels as rough and dry as sandpaper. If your skin is chapped, cracked, and inflamed during the coldest month of the year, take heart. Relief is a simple matter of water conservation.

The basic problem is lack of moisture. Anything that steals moisture from the skin will result in dryness and chapping. The drier the air the more rapidly moisture evaporates; in winter, heated indoor air tends to be dry. Also, soap and excessive bathing or showering strips the skin of its natural oils, compounding the problems. The dehydrated cells begin to shrink and separate leaving a network of painful cracks on your skin. Dry skin affects everyone, but older people have it worse, as oil production gradually declines with age.

Since you can't change the weather or your age, try these suggestions if you want to prevent winter itch:

¢ avoid bathing or showering more than once a day ¢ alternate bath or shower days with sponge bath * use mild soap and lather as little as possible; select a moisturizing soap instead of a deodorant one ¢ don't apply soap directly to the skin - soap up a washcloth instead * add a bath oil to bathwater * pat your skin dry with a towel instead of rubbing it dry and apply moisturizer immediately * apply lubricating skin cream or lotion several times a day to affected areas - petroleum based creams work well ¢ avoid immersing your hands into hot water and strong dishwashing detergent - wear rubber gloves e lower the setting on your heating thermostat so you're comfortable but not toasty ¢ use a humidifier to add moisture to the air, or have one connected to the furnace

Use-It-Lose-It-Users Happy with EHC's Fitness Program

By the time this issue goes to print, EHC's "Use It or Lose It" participants will have reached the end of their six-week fitness program. Congratula- tions to all who ‘hung in’. If you have questions about the fitness and exercise program, call Mary Beth at ext. 264. Apparently several em- ployees, who missed out on the program, have asked about setting up another session - so stay tuned.

What are some of the Use-it-or-Lose-it partici- pants saying about the program?:

Cindy Day, Marketing/Customer Services "Information package well put together - outlines various aspects of exercise and nutrition."

Larry Griffiths, Ticket Office: "The exercise almost killed me but I enjoy it." ¢

Sue Irwin, Operations: "So far, so good. I think it's a good program and very informative."

Bob Sheldrick, Maintenance "Working good so far! It helps to keep your mind focused on a healthier life style."

Dale Turvey, Commissioner: "Very good. Provided incentive. I've changed my diet and I exercise more."

Carol Wildeman, Systems

"Nice to have a whole bunch of people involved; makes you feel better to see that other employees have the same interest ."

Mary Beth Beasley and Use-It-or-Lose-It participants Jan Jakubiak, Harvey Hughes and Harvey Greer, during their fitness appraisal.

—_<€£__7 2c

3 HOW YOUR SERVICE COULD BE AT FAULT

Jim Clemmer Globe & Mail, October '93

breakdowns come from organizational structures, and only 15% from people in the trenches)

5° the line of sight to external customers is blurred (many people in the company, not dealing directly with the customers, often don't understand - or care about - customer expecta- tions and how their work ultimately helps or hinders those expectations)

Says Harvard business school professor Rosabeth Moss Kantor: "Despite the recent media corona- tion of King Customer, many customers will re- main commoner. Most businesses today say that they serve customers. In reality, they serve them- selves.

Most organizations only talk about treating cli- ents better. Executives don't understand what outstanding service looks like, and are not ready to turn their organizations inside out to provide it. They try to paint happy faces on their front-line become "passengers," “taxpayers, etc.," they be- people or they bolt a service program on the side come less humane - service becomes less effec- of their organization, rather than making it a part tive)

of their core strategy."

6° focus is on customer acquisition rather then retention (recruiting new customers is a higher investment priority than retaining old customers)

7* customers aren't people (when customers

@ » article continues and lists

1e following major reasons why only a few organizations have managed to turn "rhetoric into reality":

and HSR's Service ?

Are we making improvements?

Yes. e The Service Quality Team spent a lot of time and energy investigating customer | concerns and are setting up a demonstration on the King, Barton and Beeline routes to show how we can improve customer service. ¢ Our customer contacts investigation and follow-up has been improved so that we have better information on service problems and

Bus Beat asked Bill O'Brien, Director of Transportation Services, to comment on Mr. Clemmer's article and

how it relates to the 2¢ little or no customer HSR: data (positive feedback is ac-

1° little or no segmenta- tion Of markets and cus- tomer groups (organization tries to be everything to every- body)

knowledged but negative data is denied - no systematic con- nection to customer expecta- tions)

3° organization is man- aged from the inside out (customers are not involved as partners in research and devel- opment; "If customers don't like our solutions, they have the wrong problems")

¢ employees are treated as source of service break- downs (programs are aimed al ‘fixing the front line,’ however, research shows 85% of service

This is a good article and the concerns are valid. However, |am not as cynical as Profes- sor Kantor. Progressive organizations are becoming more concerned with providing good customer service. They are not doing it to be trendy - they are doing it to survive in the very competitive environment we live in. If we don't satisfy our customers' needs they will go elsewhere. This applies to public transit just as it does to manufacturing in- dustries.

In 1993, the HSR received over 1400 com- plaints from our customers. Also, in 1998, our ridership dropped almost 6% from the previous year. Clearly, our customers want us Lo do better.

what our customers would like. ¢ There have been significant efforts in the last couple of years to provide the front- line employees with the best available training and equipment to do their jobs.

All of these initiatives are helping to provide better service to the customers. Obviously, there is more to do and 1am confident we will rise to the challenge.

As I continue to meet more and more of the employees of the HSR, I remain impressed with the professionalism and commitment that most employees bring to their jobs. As individuals and as a team, I see a dedication to serving our customers that is "reality, nol rhetoric".

S BE “AT ° M/ aie +H '94

HSR ENGINEERING DIVISION - Automotive Mechanics

HSR mechanics working around the clock at MRTC and WSTC are responsible for keeping our fleet safe and efficient. The fleet consists of about 211 buses, 11 cars, 10 trucks, 5 vans, and about 15 miscellaneous vehicles such as sweeper, trac-

tor and snowblower. As well as keeping up with the general repair of these vehicles, our behind-the-scenes mechanics conduct preventative maintenance inspections, ministry safety inspections, and also handle all road calls.

Wentworth Street Transportation Centre

eo Bill Brock Paul Chiarelli Kevin Clark Gary Fleming Dave Kirkham Paul Osborne Rick Toni Apprentice Afternoons Afternoons Days Foreman Afternoons Days Photos Unavailable: Wilf Agnus Dave Chalmers Derick Jermy Tariq Lone Nights Nights Nights Nights Ted Balicki Scott Dalgetty Norbert Kemmler Biswas Ramessur Afternoons Nights Days Days Ron Belliveau Ewald Gollan Alex Kupi John Rice Days Nights Nights Nights Kerry Wood Bill Brach Lyle Jackson Robin Lambertus Mario Spinosa WSTC-Afternoons Days Nights Nights Days

Mountain Regional Transportation Centre

Alex Czeto Overhaul, Days

Phil Cicci Days

Sid Day

Larry Erskine Days

Paul Latham Enzo Lavia Bill Lupkoski Days

Overhaul, Days Days Days

Bill Melia Days

Chuck Smith Days Apprentice

Kim Smith

Photos Unavailable:

Bhajan Birk Nights

Daniel Erskine Nights

Rob Fels Nights

Peter Garrick Days

Shawn. Harris Nights

a Haggar Days

Daljeet Juneja Nights

Howard Lewis Days

Mike Lipnicky Days

William Marsh Days

Doug Murray Foreman

pally Slack Nights

Andrew Smith Days

William Stevenson Nights

Cino Tedesco Nights

Steve Townsend Nights

ERVICE ALITY

Continued from cover

Schedule adherence on the King, Barton, and Beeline routes is being tabulated on a weekly basis. The results are posted in the operators lounge and near the cafeteria. Our goal is to provide a consistent 90% (or better) level of on- time performance to our customers.

The initial response to the On Street Service Improvement Program (OSSIP) which was im- plemented early in January 1994, is encouraging - keep your submissions coming.

If you are aware of a service related problem, or have a recommendation to improve the quality of our service, fill out an OSSIP sub- mission form (available at the dispatch office) and send it to the Superintendent's office. Your

ubmission will be acknowledged, investigated, @: forwarded to the OSSIP committee for consideration.

Your participation in this important program will help us improve our service.

John Caldwell/Jim Dorey, Service Quality Team

Customer Says... Re Loy 2

HSR customer, "Joe" is generally pleased with our service. "However," says Joe, "It could be better if compared to Ottawa - that's where |

sed to live. Also, I think your female operators @. doing a great job - | was surprised."

SS&A group take on more claims and new team members

On January 3, 1994, Safety Service and Adjust- ers combined their resources with the Region. SS&A is now responsible for adjusting all claims initiated through all departments of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth and imple- menting risk management programs for the Re- gion. This includes selection and purchase of insurance, accident investigation, loss prevei- tion, and loss control techniques.

Welcome Aboard

As a result of this amalgamation - and certainly a bonus for the HSR - Bob Zolaturiuk, Insurance Coordinator and Lynne Brown, Claims Secre- tary, from the Region's Finance Insurance sec- tion have joined the SS&A department. Welcome aboard Bob and Lynne!

Lynne Brown

Bob Zolaturiuk

What a wild winter!

And it ain't over yet...

A record breaking cold spell, along with several notable snow storms, hit the Hamilton area dead-

on in early January, and does not appear to be finished with us yet.

The snow doesn't bother me so much," said HSR operator Ron Wrigley, "It's the extreme cold that got to me more than anything." Ron, who has been driving for 10 years, says it's "the other guy you've got to look out for" in severe weather conditions.

During these recent winter tirades, HSK employ- ees were superb! From operators to mechanics, the information staff, ticket couriers... just every- one, met the situation straight on and kept the buses moving. Although we did receive com- plaints (late buses, etc.), we also received tre- mendous feedback from our customers, and the community, about our committed service.

A wild winter? Hey, with the team work of our service line, maintenance crew, and operations... we don't have anything to worry about.

Bus Check Hits Record Number

All that snow and the unrelenting, extremely cold weather kept Bus Check "on its toes" during the month of January. In fact, on Friday, January 7th, Bus Check processed 13,989 calls - an all-time record! Other January Bus Check calls:

Thursday 13 9,945 Friday 14 10,468 Saturday 15 8,950 Sunday 16 1,333 Monday 17 10,577

Tuesday 18 10,352 Wednesday 19 10,429 Thursday 20 11,690

KAT * MARGH '9

IS@ our people please

"85 years ago: Street Railway lMmployees Union planned to seek an increase in waees of two cents an hour and have the compan) pay half the cost of uniforms."

Memoriam

Muir, William Andrew Sunday December 12, 1993 in his 77th year. sill retired from the HSR in December 1982 after 34 years of service.

"On behalf of the Easter seals children and the Rotary Club of Hamilton, thank you for your kind contribution of a wheelchair accessible bus (CNG If Bus) for our Christmas party on December 12. The Rotary Club provides many programs and services for children with disabilities through the ‘aster Seals Program. Due to your generosity, we had many happy faces" Aznive Mallett, Executive Director Path Employment Services for the Disabled

".Thank you very much for the mini bus that

took some of our seniors shopping on December

9. It was a very nice gesture. The driver was the

best, and we enjoyed the trip (a lot of us don't get very far) to the Centre."

Thanking you, from all of us,

Dorothy Peters, Hamilton

"".. After a few phone calls to HSR's Lost and Found Department, | was able to retrieve my purse (in less than 15 minutes)! I was so im- pressed by the speed and competence with which this incident was handled - also the very pleas- ant, reassuring manner of the gentlemen (opera- tor Bob Davie and Ticket Office employees) involved. | want to thank them and let them know how much | appreciated their understanding and help." Most sincerely, Isabel Naucekivell

Other Employees Commended

December '93 - January '94

Operators: Pasquale Almonte, Bill Blair, Matthew Conry, Frank Dougherty, John Paul Garner*, Mario Giannini*, Rick Moran, Keith Ruck, John Sandor, Bruce Snively(2)

*also mentioned in our last issue Inspectors: Joe Loosemore

Marketing & Customer Services Jane Petrie

The following is a break down of various Opera- tion Pal reports between the months of Decem- ber, 1993 and January, 1994.

Vehicle Accidents 3 Person in Distress 4

Suspicious Person 2 Missing Person 2

Multi Media Promotion Picks up Ridership

HSR's advertising campaign, conducted between during September 1 and December 12, 1994, "was tremendously successful in generatin awareness for the HSR." We received posit feeedback from passengers, as well as employ- ees, regarding the Employee Profile interior bus cards which presented HSR staff as knowledge- able and helpful professionals offering an impor- tant and valuable community service.

During the four month campaign period, actual ridership exceeded budget ridership by 203,888 trips, generating additional revenue for the sys- tem.

CHML to Broadcast HSR Service

To help notify HSR customers of possible service delays, CHML Radio will be checking in with , control room twice each day. In case of a sno storm or other traffic-related emergencies, the Hamilton radio station will contact the HSR fre- quently throughout the day to keep HSR passen- gers informed.

ONGRATULATIONS

Pre Christmas Time Cheer...

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through event more than a few the company... employees were celebrating the times, HSR's Ladies Night festive season: finally took place at Shirley Hannigan's house on Fri- day February 4. The guest appearance of Veronica (Ronny) Mallon, added a special touch to the evening.

Anniversaries

Communications Officer, Carole Morris-

McHugh, insisted that we broadcast news of her Christine Symonyai, Lurch, Chris Campbell, 11th year of wedded bliss with husband Gerald. Dan Arnott, Jim Dahms, Nick Pellegrino, Bob Official date of this earth-shattering event was Hamilton and Paul Brown, celebrate the season —_- January 27, 1994.

~ their favourite mountain spot, and

Perfect Attendance PEOPLE >

Awards _ ON THE MOVE : ; — | Paul Brown Congratulations to all employees (Administra- Component Mechanic tion 35, Maintenance 30, Operations 165) who | effective November, 1993

made the perfect attendance list for the quarter

‘ ( ae : Garv Famz ending December 31, 1993. The winners of this ary Fama

Lubricator

rransit Attendance Award Program were: | affective December. 1008 Dorothy Cantrill, Prince Dauda and Steve Tyios | - all from operations! Nick Pellegrino Inf ion Cla. C With | i | Painter (revised) ‘Mat TK 0 AC B ns mm AV " * ffective . » f Pe ice, Miley OWNS aroun The 1993 Yearly Perfect Attendance list showed —_|_ effective November 1993

with Santa's wig, and, 71 employees (Administration 22, Maintenance

: : P eRe : h ick Rinald 6, Operations 43) eligible for the $1000 draw to ee

HSR Ticket Agent

be held in April '94, during Team Week. effective November. 1993 The attendance list for 2 Days or Less showed Walter Scott 125 employees eligible for the $250 Team Day Service Line Worke1

Draw (Administration 14, Maintenance 24, Op- effective December, 1993

erations 87).

Kidney Car Program

The Kidney Car Program accepts any

eas, radiator, antifreeze, bat- teries, transmission fluid, etc.,

?.. the Three Wise Women (Former CCL Ladies,

Julie, Marg and Sheila) meet for some holiday motor vehicle in any condition. In return, will be disposed of in an envi- 7 c c u ALC / ‘ GQ) . ; > ‘ > ¢ roo 1} > f cheer at Alistair's place you get a free tow and an income tax receipt for ronmentally responsible way.

c d obec 4 c . a Pies — 7 And. although the weather cancelled the annual the auction selling price, or for the salvage value Call 1-800-565-5511 for f we ¢ Bb )

of the vehicle. The program ensures that the oil, more information.

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DQ q } V ¢ BUS BE

AT « MARCH '94 °

Gord Heidman Systems Department

You may have noticed a flurry of activity over in the Marketing area in recent days. We certainly have. Our friends in Marketing have traded in their old ter- minals and bought Personal Comput- ers. (For you techies, most of the PC’s are NEC 486/33MHZ with 210mb of disk. A few special applications re- quired the faster 66mhz boxes.) We noticed because we had the joyous task of setting them up and attaching them to the network. Our own Jamie Dunlop has developed a standard PC installa- tion routine for the network gadgetry and assorted software. It’s so good that even | managed to setup and in- stall a PC! We have installed several

Sports & Rec

Slo Pitch

WANTED: 15 Players to participate on a mixed recreational Slo-Pitch Team sponsored by the HSR Sports/ Rec Committee. All games will be played on Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. beginning May 15, 1994. Reg- istration fee is $40.00 per person. To obtain registration form (first come basis) contact operator Gord Winger, badge 595 or call 387-1608

Golf Tournament Sunday June 5th, 1994 - Stay tuned | for more info!

programs and utilities on the network. This makes them centrally available and easy to upgrade (once instead of 25 times for each PC). Drop by the Mar- keting area - they'll be happy to show off the new capabilities.

‘

Installation of the new “pizza box” sized VAX’s is now complete. They’re teeny but fast! Preliminary results show that tasks formerly taking 15 minutes of processing now finish in about 6. These seem to be typical of the results you can expect on alinost everything (ie. it takes about 2/5 of the time it used to). As | mentioned last time, the new equip- ment is saving us about $1,000 per month and takes up much less space. Drop by for a quick tour!

In other news, work is well underway on a new Customer Contact Database. This is one of the many initiatives of the Service Quality Team designed to im- prove our responsiveness to our cus- tomers. In January, Kevin published a series of graphs (near the cafeteria) showing on-time performance trends.

Rosemary Wins Weekend Get-Away

Rosemary Biro was the Grand Prize Winner of Sports and Rec's Valentine's Day draw. Second place winners were:

Dan Arnott, Christine Cowperthwaite, Paul Irwin, Dave Kirkham, Mark Marangoni, Silvana Melatti, Bob Pauhl, Gerry Roach, Kon Walker and Richard Weichelt.

MYSTERY PHOTO

Can you identify the photo below?

If so, call Rosanna at ext: 222. All correct

answers will be entered in our

HSR T-Shirt draw. Contest closes

~ Maroh.31, 1994.

Mystery Photo Unidentified

Tom McCaffery Tom McCaffery was featured as the Mystery Photo in Bus Beat's Winter 1993 edition. Tom started working with CCL in 1972. He has been an HSR Inspector since 1989.