From studying Business Management at university, to landing an Assistant Operations Manager – the future is bright for Stagecoach North East’s Chloe Gray
Q: What drew you to the Stagecoach Graduate Training Programme?
A: At university I did Business Management, and throughout my studies there was a few modules that stood out focused on human resources and operations. The careers website at university was very good, and when the stagecoach job popped up I applied for it and got it in the end. The description sounded very varied, using a hands on approach – you would do the bus driving before becoming a manager, so you’d have an understanding of each part of the business.
Q: How are you finding your second year in the programme, and your new role as Assistant Operations Manager?
A: I started my second year at the start of September. I’m really enjoying it, and it’s good to just get stuck in. In your first year you spend time shadowing people, but once you’re in the second year it’s up to you to get on with things. It’s been really interesting, moving to a different location and visiting the different depots. Everyone here has been really helpful, and I’ve been lucky in my locations. The people around me know exactly what they’re doing, and they’re willing to help you when you need help.
Q: What might a typical day look like for you?
A: I firstly go and see everyone in the control room to see how things are going. I then check my emails and see how much is in there. You’re dealing with a lot of customer feedback, and sometimes it is complaints. You have to investigate these fully and make sure you get back to the customer and ensure they’re left satisfied. I also interview drivers for new positions. Other parts include disciplines, where you have to make sure you go through all the steps and hear both sides of the story – the customer and the driver – to figure out the truth of the matter. From customer feedback, we might look at the timings of buses. The other day we went out to time certain routes to see if we could adjust the timings for reliability.
Q: What parts of the training programme and your role standout for you?
A: It’s really varied. I like speaking to the drivers – a lot of the time you’re seeing drivers for the negative things, but if there’s a chance it’s good to get their feedback on how things are for them, and listen to what’s happening out there on the road. We’re predominantly office-based, so we don’t always know what’s going on out there, so listening to them is important. A few weeks ago, our Operations Manager Nathan and I went out driving for the morning. It was good to get out there and speak to the customers. I also really like interviewing people and starting them off with a career here.
Q: What have been some of the more challenging aspects of the programme and your role?
A: Moving from my second year. You’ve got to make decisions quickly, and when new things pop up you have to go into action and decide the right thing to do. Disciplining somebody can be a challenge – the whole reason you’re doing it is to change behaviours and help training moving forward, but you still feel bad because it’s somebody’s job.
Q: What do you hope to do on completion of the programme?
A: The programme finishes in September of next year, and once I finish the next stage is to go on as an Operations Manager at a depot somewhere else within the UK. At the moment, I’d love to stay with the company and see how I can progress throughout the industry. I’d like to go as far as I can go.
Q: Is there anyone in the industry who you admire?
A: I worked a lot alongside the Assistant Manager in Oxford, Rob, and he now deals with the Oxford tube. He was really helpful throughout my training, and he had a good rapport with drivers. Here at the Stockton depot, everyone has been so helpful that it’s hard to pin it down to one person. Coming in from university, you maybe don’t have the same experience as everyone else. Everyone I’ve worked with knows their job inside out, and whenever I have questions they’re always there.
