Media centre

Monday 4 Oct 2004

THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN YOU WANT TO KNOW!

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

The man who drives the white van for Network Rail’s ‘Public Complaints Gang’ for South Wales and the Marches has just won an award for his dedication to his job.  Barry Hadley, who heads the team of four, was recently presented with an internal ‘You Make the Difference’ award for his enthusiasm towards dealing with complaints from the general public. Barry and his ‘Man in the Van’ gang deal with all public complaints that come via Network Rail’s regional Community Relations team based in Swindon.  The gang faces a wide range of problems, from cattle escaping through gaps in railway fencing,  vegetation encroachment into peoples’ gardens, problems with vermin and fly tipping.  Barry assesses the complaints and sometimes even meets the public or calls them himself to let them know what he is doing to eradicate the problem.  Barry Hadley, Community Relations Supervisor, said: “It is the gang and the team back in Swindon that deserve the award as they are the ones who do all the work and ensure that the public are happy.  As long as the public are happy, it makes my job worthwhile.” Not only does the gang enable complaints to be cleared more quickly, but it leaves Network Rail’s maintenance team free to concentrate on safety of the line issues. - more - Man in the Van – 2 Figures only tell half the story, there’s also a constant stream of thank you letters coming in from the public.  For example, “Could I say that if ever there was a right man in the right job, this is it.  Barry is a most courteous and efficient person. Everything he said would happen, happened exactly as he said it would.  You are fortunate to have such a committed employee and is something of a miracle in this day and age and restores one’s faith in British workmanship and human nature.”