LNER apologise for Train Manager's language

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

You'll need to brace yourself for this. What the Train Manager said is really horrific. You can tell that from LNER's apology on Twitter.

London North Eastern Railway
@LNER Replying to @laurencec123
I'm really sorry to see this, Laurence, our Train Managers should not be using language like this, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention, Please could you let me know which service you are on and I will ensure they remain as inclusive as we strive to be at LNER.

OK, steady yourselves now. I attach a screenshot of the original complaint, which I saw on another Twitter account. The complainer has made their Tweets private, probably because of the avalanche of robust and forthright hateful responses to the LNER tweet above.

I trust the Train Manager has been sent for re-training (as it were). Poor bugger.

Stop the world, I want to get off 🤪

Perhaps "Ladies and/or Gentlemen" might satisfy those who identify as both.

That Two Ronnies sketch that at the time just seemed hilariously funny, was spot on in terms of the world now.

Wittle wawrence is allowed to tweet ‘ladies and gents’ but one of his colleagues ain’t allowed to say it.

How does that work then?????

#alllllllllllaboutmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

So disappointed that this is being discussed in a professional communications group I'm in on FB - and they all think the response from LNER was brilliant and the negative response has been 'vile'. One person took the mick and they shut off the comments.

We've gone very far from "sometimes it's best to say nothing at all". Or just "Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

@BlackForestCake

One of the appalling things about this incident is that this is a trade union rep grassing up his own members and colleagues to management and demanding they be disciplined. Great solidarity there.

Not remotely surprising to anyone who works in a university and has seen the behaviour of the UCU general secretary, unfortunately.

Yes, the UCU is devoid of solidarity.

@AfternoonToffee

We've gone very far from "sometimes it's best to say nothing at all". Or just "Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Exactly this. Being approachable as a brand is important but so is a professional tone of voice. It's the immaturity and informality of these social media communications (including immediate, grovelling apologies without any investigation, or indeed proof) from major organisations I cannot abide, and unfortunately it just seems to be the future.

Personally not on social media like Twitter and Facebook but am hearing similar whoop whoop comments supporting this nonsense from a colleague who insist their group is all of the same mind as Lawro.

The company and those associated with it will no doubt be bandwagon jumping.

In my personal experience? What they say and what they do are two different things. As long as they are seen to be supporting this preciousness they give zero cares about actual bullying.

I have worked with people like that. Exhausting!

@StillFemale

Does anyone know whether the train manager was male or female?

And did the NB (but oh so obviously male) Laurence know them? This could be straightforward bullying of a colleague.

They were male

A few years ago on a dark rainy morning, I was on a Merseyrail train travelling into Liverpool when the guard walked in through a communicating door. Letting it close behind him, with his hands in his pockets, tie askew, he leant back against the door and said "Right listen up guys, lets do this the easy way. Hands up if you haven't got a ticket "
Everyone in the carriage had a good laugh and he started checking tickets. He put a smile on every face there on a miserable morning.
If it happened today his reward would probably be a reprimand because some jerk would complain to a gutless management that he said Guys and not everyone was a guy.

Surely it’s bad for business that companies constantly roll over and indulge customers’ narcissism? The original tweet said ‘i just won’t listen’ which is a perfectly OK suggestion to a public announcement you don’t like. I don’t particularly like being called a ‘Lady’ but you know I just don’t listen. It’s fine.
The companies that get into this crap are going to alienate their own staff and others of their customers. And have to spend a lot of money on courses and corporate certificates with the ‘right’ re-education charities.. this approach isn’t really going to be the cheaper option.

Don't forget that LNER are public sector so are insulated from commercial reality to a large degree.

@DdraigGoch

Don't forget that LNER are public sector so are insulated from commercial reality to a large degree.

I have to disagree with that, LNER still has to make money, LNER still suffers restructures and redundancies and has to cut spending. If anything it can make it a little bit more difficult sometimes.