Brighton and Hove parking staff told not to smile at irate customers (From The Argus)
Get involved: Send your news, views, pictures and video by texting SUPIC to 80360 or email us.
Brighton and Hove parking staff told not to smile at irate customers
5:20pm Friday 8th October 2010 in News By Naomi Loomes
Council staff dealing with complaints about parking have been told not to smile – in case it inflames the situation.
During a training day, Brighton and Hove City Council employees were told that putting on a friendly face for an uptight resident could cause the complainant to get even angrier.
Staff in the office at Hove Town Hall told a resident using the office that they had found the guidance ‘amusing’.
But a council spokeswoman insisted that body language can be an important factor when dealing with a parking dispute.
She said: “We provide training for our staff to ensure good customer service and to give staff the opportunity to develop their skills.
“Training is also given to new staff on how to handle confrontation.
This is a very specific situation and the training is designed to help staff use body language that would not inflame the situation.
“This includes being aware that smiling when dealing with confrontation could be taken the wrong way.”
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for transport, said: “Our parking staff are working across the board to improve the service they provide to residents.
“Our civil enforcement officers do a lot more than enforce parking. They are the eyes and ears of the city and play a part in keeping areas safe.”
Psychologist and body language expert Dr David Lewis, based in Eastbourne, said the council were right to warn staff about the dangers of smiling.
He said: “Visual communication is as important as the words we say. Even though many people may smile in a confrontational situation to diffuse it, it can be seen as patronising or mocking.
“It is much better to keep a neutral face and show that you are listening.
“Our studies show that one of the best things to do is to then say ‘If I have understood you correctly’ and then repeat back to them what their grievance is, this externalises it.”
This week the city council’s head of transport operations has gone ‘back to the floor’ in the information centres shadowing staff as they deal with the public.
Comments(16)
Morpheus
says...
5:53pm Fri 8 Oct 10
sparky_2004
says...
6:48pm Fri 8 Oct 10
“Our civil enforcement officers do a lot more than enforce parking. They are the eyes and ears of the city and play a part in keeping areas safe.” ....
What a plonker!
Ballroom Blitz
says...
8:09pm Fri 8 Oct 10
sparky_2004 wrote:Plonker... and no they don't. They are only interested in collecting MONEY!!!
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for transport, said: “Our parking staff are working across the board to improve the service they provide to residents. “Our civil enforcement officers do a lot more than enforce parking. They are the eyes and ears of the city and play a part in keeping areas safe.” .... What a plonker!
(That's when they aren't walking around hand in hand - because they're SCARED!)
puddingandpi
says...
9:25pm Fri 8 Oct 10
They personally have no interest in making money as they *don't* make any money out of tickets. If the criteria are fulfilled, a ticket must be issued.
They are out in all weathers, trying to stop people breaking the law, trying to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
.
Why should drivers be allowed to park on the pavement, blocking access for pedestrians? Why should people with pushchairs, people in wheelchairs, people on mobility scooters have to go out into the road because some selfish git wants to park their car wherever they see fit?
.
Why should car drivers be allowed to park blocking a road lane so traffic has to stop & go around, delaying other drivers? .
.
Why should drivers be allowed to park in disabled bays so disabled drivers can't use them & have to struggle?
.
Selfishness.
.
Do you really, really want to p1ss off NCP? Really want to make the Parking contract unworkable?
Don't break the law. Don't fulfil the criteria, don't give them a reason to give you a ticket. If it becomes unprofitable, NCP will give it up.
.
If you do get a ticket, take photos of your car from all 4 sides, noting time & date. If there is a mistake on the ticket, it is invalid. Pay particular attention when the clocks change, make sure the colour of the vehicle is correct. If you have parked with the rear of the car overhanging double yellows but the wheel not actually on the lines, they will photo it from such an angle that it looks as though you are on the lines. Always appeal a ticket. The fine is put on hold until the appeal is over, it takes up staff time & it costs them money.
Dwayno
says...
10:09pm Fri 8 Oct 10
puddingandpi wrote:Please don't have a go at me, but what is your point? I'm lost.
They HAVE NO DISCRETIONARY POWERS. They are *not allowed* to make decisions. If they do, they are disciplined & dismissed.
They personally have no interest in making money as they *don't* make any money out of tickets. If the criteria are fulfilled, a ticket must be issued.
They are out in all weathers, trying to stop people breaking the law, trying to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
.
Why should drivers be allowed to park on the pavement, blocking access for pedestrians? Why should people with pushchairs, people in wheelchairs, people on mobility scooters have to go out into the road because some selfish git wants to park their car wherever they see fit?
.
Why should car drivers be allowed to park blocking a road lane so traffic has to stop & go around, delaying other drivers? .
.
Why should drivers be allowed to park in disabled bays so disabled drivers can't use them & have to struggle?
.
Selfishness.
.
Do you really, really want to p1ss off NCP? Really want to make the Parking contract unworkable?
Don't break the law. Don't fulfil the criteria, don't give them a reason to give you a ticket. If it becomes unprofitable, NCP will give it up.
.
If you do get a ticket, take photos of your car from all 4 sides, noting time & date. If there is a mistake on the ticket, it is invalid. Pay particular attention when the clocks change, make sure the colour of the vehicle is correct. If you have parked with the rear of the car overhanging double yellows but the wheel not actually on the lines, they will photo it from such an angle that it looks as though you are on the lines. Always appeal a ticket. The fine is put on hold until the appeal is over, it takes up staff time & it costs them money.
TheInsider
says...
11:01pm Fri 8 Oct 10
I am more than happy to spend a few hours towing some vehicles away and ticketing real offenders and not just hanging around parking bays penalising parkers whose tickets have over-run by ten minutes.
dunderheads
says...
11:57pm Fri 8 Oct 10
Grumpygit
says...
8:12am Sat 9 Oct 10
You can’t buck the system even though it stinks.
It sounds like “Common Purpose” has got their foot in the door with the council traffic warden training programs…. God help us.
Acheron
says...
9:46am Sat 9 Oct 10
Used to live in a road where you had meter and residents parking one side and residents the other.
I was regularly warning people who confused the two bays they would get a ticket.
Now letter of the law, yes they should get a ticket, but it's rather annoying to come back having bought a ticket from a nearby machine to find that it's invalid.
Clearer signing as to what is allowed where and which meters apply to which bays is needed.
(Never had a parking ticket so have no agenda in that respect)
Maureen Marine
says...
10:38am Sat 9 Oct 10
Granny
says...
2:16pm Sat 9 Oct 10
pun master
says...
5:13pm Sat 9 Oct 10
Baldseagull
says...
5:53pm Sat 9 Oct 10
Grumpygit wrote:You can buck the system, I get 2 or 3 parking tickets every month but I haven't paid one for more than 2 years.
I always park lawfully so don’t get parking tickets, it’s so simple.
You can’t buck the system even though it stinks.
It sounds like “Common Purpose” has got their foot in the door with the council traffic warden training programs…. God help us.
The system relies upon motorists capitulating when given a ticket, most are invalid in one way or another.
Grumpygit
says...
6:26pm Sat 9 Oct 10
Baldseagull wrote:I know mate, long live "Lawfull rebellion" In my job i have to acquiesce.
Grumpygit wrote: I always park lawfully so don’t get parking tickets, it’s so simple. You can’t buck the system even though it stinks. It sounds like “Common Purpose” has got their foot in the door with the council traffic warden training programs…. God help us.You can buck the system, I get 2 or 3 parking tickets every month but I haven't paid one for more than 2 years. The system relies upon motorists capitulating when given a ticket, most are invalid in one way or another.
sodium-lit-suburb
says...
3:57am Sun 10 Oct 10
Morpheus wrote:In some of the council departments they do. Maybe B&H could save on the training budget by getting everybody to do the same course by combining 'computer says no' with 'look sincere' workshops.
Why don't they just sit in front of a computer, type in a load of nonsense and say "Computer says no."
pun master says...
5:42pm Fri 8 Oct 10