Swindon bus operator Thamesdown Transport has appointed Jerry Clark as customer services advisor – a move that has enabled it to extend its weekday customer services operating hours into the evening. 
Customers can now call between 8.30am and 8pm to inquire about routes and services, as well as report or trace lost property.
Jerry, pictured, has joined Thamesdown from a similar role at Nationwide Building Society. Working from Thamesdown’s control room in The Parade, he provides late afternoon and evening support.
Jerry said: “It’s very rewarding to be able to help someone, whether that’s reuniting someone with a piece of lost property or working out the best route for someone to take to get to where they want to go.
“Being available into the evenings and from the control room means I can often radio straight to the drivers to find out what’s happening on the road so I can keep passengers informed with the latest information.”
As a regular bus user, Jerry was already ahead in learning the routes and different services, and with an interest in different forms of public transport, it was the ideal role for him.
“I’ve lived in Swindon since the 80s and use the buses all the time so I know the network fairly well,” he added.
“I enjoy talking to our customers and being able to help them. As well as keeping people informed about delays and traffic jams I’ve also been able to help our local bus enthusiasts spot certain vehicles and reunited one man with his lost laptop almost immediately.”
Thamesdown commercial director Peter Oliver said: “Extending our customer services offering to cover the evening peak travelling times was something we’ve wanted to do for some time and Jerry is the perfect person to do this.
“Our customer satisfaction scores have been consistently high for a number of years and we hope that the extended hours will contribute to continuing with this success.”
Thamesdown Transport will be conducting customer surveys on selected buses this month to gauge customer satisfaction levels. Alternatively, customer comments can be emailed to customerservices@thamesdown-transport.co.uk
