In message ,
CharlesPottins writes
But I get the impression some experienced and more knowledgable staff are being
replaced by novices, even casuals. A friend of mine who worked for many years
at a north London PO and was very conscientious, got told off for helping a
customer with a post code ("That's not our business, it's Royal Mail, we are
Post Office Counters Ltd.)
I used to work in a tourist information centre. When fairly new, I was
told off for helping a lady with train times (we had the Nation Railway
Timetable there as part of our so-called "reference kit", issued to all
TICs).

The reason - I was told - was twofold. Firstly, although *I* know how
to read the timetable, I was told, colleagues might not and therefore it
was unfair on them as people might come back for more train times and
not be able to get them.

Secondly, the times might be wrong due to later service revisions and we
could get into hot water over that.

I was surprised but it was par for the course. I eventually left which
is how I came to be doing what I do now! ;-)

Later a new abrasive manager told him "Your trouble
is you've been here too long", and she found a way of getting rid of him.
Or in my case, "not long enough".......
--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk