| Re: Information at the Station, Melksham. Planning for "shovels in the ground" Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 10:05, 20th September 2026 |     |
That all looks good (just a couple of typos) to me, grahame.
I think that sets out very clearly the intent of the Information at the Station volunteers and the range of their responsibility.
| Information at the Station, Melksham. Planning for "shovels in the ground" Posted by grahame at 09:20, 20th September 2026 | |
I am picking up our "Information at the Station" project over the final quarter of 2026 - the project intending to make public transport from, to and within Melksham much more friendly. And so I am thinking about risks and concerns that should be addressed, and how to make the project self-sustaining. By that latter, I mean that people will want to use it, and will want help to provide it, as well as having it financially self sustaining.
There is a customer/passenger benefit from providing this service and every journey I make screams out for that as I see, hear, and interact with people along the way. Minding my own business on platform 15 at Temple Meads yesterday, a chap asks me for about the Weston train and whether it's on time. Sure, I can read the boards to him (and did so) but base help is so often useful and re-assuring.
But ... what if I hadn't known? What if I had offered poor advise? As a member of the public strolling up the platform (but, it would seem "looking like I might know") there is no way a reasonable person should expect a guaranteed, correct-every-time answer, but how does that extend to a cafe / information hub at or near the station? I am coming to the conclusion that we should start off with a grounding that clearly confirms our limits of accuracy.
Please take a look at the following - comments on extras needed, other example sentences, how other do it, etc, warmly welcomed. I am being very careful NOT to say we are "just volunteers" - the word "just" is demeaning, and people helping not for financial reward are the most committed and best in so many ways.
Limit of Liability.
Our volunteers do our best to help you and give you accurate information. We have (and are developing more) experience which we share between us, with you, and in an FAQ. However, we cannot be held liable for incomplete or incorrect information given in good faith, nor for the consequence of any such errors.
If you need authoritative information, we have reference material - phone numbers, and online links - where you can check with official service providers. You can also use the help point or speak briefly to the train manager. However, Melksham Station in unstaffed and only rarely will you find a member of rail staff here. That's why we're here to help; sometimes we may have to say "don't know"; we do have a second level of volunteer to phone and our FAQ, so we can usually find you an answer or direct you towards one.
Although trains and buses run to a timetable, occasionally things go wrong. Sometimes alternative arrangements for passengers are provided on request and/or at short notice. On these and other occasions, advice and suggestions offered by anyone - our volunteer team or indeed staff - may prove in hindsight to have not offered the best solution and may changes as a situation develops.
Our volunteers do our best to help you and give you accurate information. We have (and are developing more) experience which we share between us, with you, and in an FAQ. However, we cannot be held liable for incomplete or incorrect information given in good faith, nor for the consequence of any such errors.
If you need authoritative information, we have reference material - phone numbers, and online links - where you can check with official service providers. You can also use the help point or speak briefly to the train manager. However, Melksham Station in unstaffed and only rarely will you find a member of rail staff here. That's why we're here to help; sometimes we may have to say "don't know"; we do have a second level of volunteer to phone and our FAQ, so we can usually find you an answer or direct you towards one.
Although trains and buses run to a timetable, occasionally things go wrong. Sometimes alternative arrangements for passengers are provided on request and/or at short notice. On these and other occasions, advice and suggestions offered by anyone - our volunteer team or indeed staff - may prove in hindsight to have not offered the best solution and may changes as a situation develops.
Customers will want information shared on paper (or perhaps online) rather than having to remember it, and I am very tempted to have a .sig and a pad of forms our volunteers complete that has the above, tailored as a result of inputs here, printed on the base or rear.
I will be following up with further thoughts on recruiting, training, motivating our team. Those are all key issues; I have just started with the bedrock of defining what we can actually do.
