Guides and drivers must unite
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Verite Baker was the next speaker. She is managing director of Ambassadors of Britain, and in her presentation she described how she saw the present revolution in coaching and how her guides and couriers were keeping pace with it.
In Ancient Greece, she said, groups of travellers were taken around by a "leader", and when they arrived at a building an "explainer" took over. Travellers through the ages described the guides who looked after them, and generally complained about being ripped off; coach drivers were often in league with highwaymen.
Today, emphasis has shifted, and it could almost be said the highwayman's place has been taken over by local authorities with their coach park charges.
Verite made the point that she cannot go to any guide book and choose a coach as she would an hotel.
She said that she encourages guides to take courses for different regions because a guide picks up a group at the start of their tour, and is with them all day — although for places like London so much knowledge is required that it is sometimes better to have a local guide.
If Ambassadors receives a complaint it will apologise to its client — who is always re
garded as being right — and the guide will be called into the office. Very often it turns out to be a clash of personality with a driver who has been giving illegal commentaries and doesn't like his thunder being stolen — although the honest ones admit their tips are generally better when a guide is on board.
As a service to clients Ambassadors is constantly trying to get parking improved — it arranged for coach drivers to be taken to and from the hotel to the coach parks in Brighton — and it hopes to do this elsewhere.
Ambassadors serves on residents' committees, and it was asked to attend a council meeting of the Chelsea Society. This society's residents were violently anti-coach, but the council of the Chelsea Society did propose a vote of thanks to her, and also made one or two suggestions which, if officialdom allows, will make life easier for coaches in the borough.
She told delegates how couriers are told that they must not ask drivers to do the impossible. We expect trainees to know approximately how many hours a driver can do, and ensure that group leaders don't ask drivers to go over the hours.
On training courses Ambassadors emphasises that coach tours should produce good team work. Before a tour starts, the guide or courier should have done some homework and found out where the party are from, if they have any special interests and have in mind an outline of what they are going to do from start to finish. They should arrive 30 minutes before departure, check the route with the driver, not ask the driver to stop or do anything illegal, make sure the driver has his tea or coffee during the tour, mention anything that could tie in with further excursions and at the end check the coach with the driver and ensure nothing is left behind. When teaching she insists on trainees acting as guides or couriers from the start. Before the course even starts they are given jobs to do such as checking timetables, confirming coaches or researching routes. The very first day they get on a coach they are using a mike and doing the majority of the guiding. The tutor is there to correct facts, but the trainees have to work from the start.
If her agency tries to produce the best and most professional guides, then could she ask that the industry trains drivers to also be professionals?
There are some coach drivers who don't think maps are necessary; they arrive in London and the local guide will tell them the way, but when she leaves with the passengers to see the
Changing of the Guard, driver can't find his way badl guide's map drawn hurriedl. no substitute for an A-Z.
Alternatively, when go abroad, the driver expects courier to map read the wt way. A courier should be i coach to look after the clie and although she will help the driver should do homework before the tour ste In Britain drivers allow cer guides to stand up or sit on dashboard when giving a c4 mentary. Why? Don't they h enough professional pride to the guide to sit down?
And, she said, the most unj fessional practice is allovt coach drivers to use mikes. believed that the last timi coach driver was prosecuted using a mike the Magisti fined him £5. Now the po prosecutes for driving with due care and attention wt carries a heavier penalty. said professional drivers Nft.4 guide and drive, and it is the r fessional who will be needet the coming seasons.
She would also like to stricter medical tests, and d ers learning basic first aid they have to do in Germany.