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I'm in Waterloo at the moment, and next available to work in September 2008.

Greyhound Does It Right

May 24th, 2005

Greyhound treats their customers properly. In the tech sector, one company stands out as the one that serves their users first and stockholders second. It’s been a rude awakening to some of the others.

But if these ‘others’ need a second example, perhaps they could turn to one of the companies that’s been serving people and earning trust since 1914, long before the modern ‘tech sector’ was ever dreamt of.

Coach Bus: The Customer’s Side

I buy a ticket. The ticket is not for a particular seat, a particular bus, or even a particular day. It’s just a starting point and destination, valid in the couple months following its purchase.

I can take whatever bus I want, but the onus is on me to be early enough that I get a seat. If I don’t get a seat, I may have to wait for the next bus.

Greyhound’s Side

They have to plan a bus and a driver for every time and route on the schedule. If only two people show up with tickets, the bus runs anyways, and the schedule will be revised.

And if a greater number of people than expected appear, a second bus must run. This is a last-minute decision, and thus it means that there are buses and drivers standing-by, waiting to take the overflowing routes.

But what about if there’s just a few too many people?

Customers First

Yesterday evening I was coming back to Waterloo from Toronto. I was aiming for the 9:30pm bus, the one that everyone aims for.

There were well over a hundred people on the platform, waiting on a bus that seats fifty-five.

The company ran three buses. But they didn’t even all do the same route. One went to the Kitchener Terminal, and the other two came straight to the University. The third bus was barely half full.

Special?

Is this really that great? Yes, it is.

I’d already bought my ticket. Their statement is:

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance purchase tickets do not guarantee a seat.

This absolves them of any resposibility to me in light of my purchase, except that I get to my destination… eventually. Yet they voluntarily ran a half-empty third bus, a cost expended where the only value back was in customer appreciation.

Mike

← Earlier Later → Posted at 5:53 am to Business.

Discussion

Greyhound is still a bit too limited for service UW-TO, I find…Then again, there isn’t an easy way to make the connections I need to to get home.
Much more comfortable than FED bus though.

Posted at 5:16 pm on May 24th by Ryan Gariepy.
I’m fortunate to live a fairly brief subway ride away from the Bay & Dundas terminal.

But honestly, I don’t think there’s any really good option for getting from Waterloo to Barrie. (Of course, the girl I sat beside had come all the way from Ottawa… now that is a trek.)

Posted at 5:42 pm on May 25th by Mike Purvis.
No matter how I try to get home from UW, I cannot find an easy route on Public Transit. I can either take the fed bus to York Mills, and then the GO bus to oshawa, where my dad picks me up and we drive the last hour in the car, or I can take the greyhound or via to Union, and then the GO train to oshawa where my dad picks me up. Either way, no-one offers greyhound service to lindsay at a time that is convenient for students.

Posted at 7:24 am on June 3rd by David Smith.
Lindsay is like middle of nowhere, though. (I actually had to check GMaps to make sure that I was right about it being Peterborough-ish)

So yeah, like Barrie, it’s probably a lose-lose for you, no matter how it goes.

You just need to invest in a float plane. Or, you know, a car.

Posted at 2:19 pm on June 3rd by Mike Purvis.

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