Every Day Should Be Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

Tomorrow is Transit Driver Appreciation Day, a day when riders and transit agencies across the country go the extra mile to recognize the men and women who are such a big part of our lives. They get us to work and school, to the grocery store and the dentist, and to everywhere in between. They command the wheels of our local, commuter, and DART vehicles, serving people of all ages and abilities. They are professional and courteous, getting riders to their destinations safely and reliably. And all of this with a smile!

Yes, we think our bus drivers are pretty special. Our riders agree! From assisting confused non-English speaking students and the elderly to reconnecting lost wallets with their owners, riders have shared their stories of appreciation and thanks.

• "I had the pleasure of seeing a coach operator escort a blind woman (with her service dog) from his bus to the RideStore. What a wonderful thing to see - both with big smiles on their faces, conversation happening, and his patience and kindness in ensuring that she was able to make it into the store safely." 

•  "I really appreciate the operator who drives the 270 from Gold Bar to Everett. I am in a wheelchair and he is always so helpful. When he sees me trying to get to the bus stop, he'll pull to the stop and wait a moment so I can get there. He is always so helpful, kind, and goes out of his way to go the extra mile. I can't thank him enough for his kindness. Please let him know I think he's doing an awesome job!" 

• "I wish to show my appreciation for the courtesy the driver of the 106 bus showed me. I had crossed 35th to my mailbox as the bus came southbound. The driver stopped, allowed me to retrieve my mail and cross back over safely. I was very impressed with this act of kindness during the heavy commute time. Many thanks to your driver for going above and beyond and making common courtesy a priority in our busy world."

• "On October 3, I rode route 120 southbound from Lynnwood Transit Center to Canyon Park Park & Ride. I would like to show my gratitude for the driver. While I was entering the bus I tripped and fell. The driver asked twice if I was ok and even though I assured him I was fine, he still reported it. His demeanor was kind and concerned and I appreciated this as well as his honesty during moments where other people might be careless or dismissive." 

Do you have a great transit driver appreciation story to share? We'd love to hear it! Let us know in the comments, or, better yet, email us at riders@commtrans.org. It's easy! Be sure to include the route, bus number, time of day, and the driver's name if you know it. Your thoughtfulness means the world to your driver. Did you know they are rewarded for these commendations? So please take a moment to make their day.

While tomorrow is the perfect day to say a special "Thank you!" to the person who gets you where you need to go,  let's all remember that these individuals make a difference in both big and small ways every day of the year. Community Transit Coach Operators, our hats are off to you!

How to Commend Your Bus Driver

Today is the day. You've decided you're finally going to let us know how much you appreciate your bus driver. You grab a cup of coffee, sit down at your computer, open up a new document...

And this happens:

Writer's block! 

Don't worry. We're here to help! Commendations don't have to be formal or lengthy-- just speak (or in this case, write) from the heart and go from there. Here are some examples of actual commendations our coach operators recently received:

“I ride the route 412 that leaves McCollum Park and Ride at 6:47 a.m.  I must compliment our bus driver.  He is kind, cautious and makes sure we arrive on time.  He goes out of his way when bus riders ask him for help.  On January 9, he did an act of kindness that shouldn’t go unnoticed.  Please let him know I say thank you!”

“On February 14 I rode the northbound 116 that arrived at Ash Way Park and Ride at 19:02.  The 116 was a little late arriving and I needed to catch the northbound 201.  Sarah, the operator of the 116 honked at the 201 and got that driver’s attention so he waited and I was able to make my connection.  This really made my Valentine’s Day!”

“I ride the first southbound 880 at 5:40 a.m. from 35^th and 148^th.  The operator of this route is very friendly and a good driver.  He makes the ride fun.  Please let him know I think he’s great!”

“I want to commend the driver of the route 115 on January 30 as he was amazing.  He took the time to explain to me how to ride a different bus, explaining the map and even tried to hold the other bus for me.  I really appreciated his help."

Key things to have in your commendation:

• Driver name (if you know it)
• Time, Route and Day (so we can find out who the driver is so s/he gets their commendation)

Commendations are gathered and shared with drivers via a formal letter (like this one, left) and put in their employee file. Your commendation will help the driver earn recognition and service awards.

So, when you’ve got your commendation ready to go, you can:

• Email it to riders@commtrans.org
• Or cut & paste it into this online form
• Or, mail it to Community Transit, 7100 Hardeson Rd., Everett, WA 98203

Remember, commendations are excepted (and welcomed!) year-round and not just on Bus Driver Appreciation Day (March 18).

Have you written a commendation lately? What writing tips do you have for others?

Do You Appreciate Your Bus Driver? Tell them so on March 18.

Courtesy of quoteessays.com

Don't you feel good when someone makes you feel appreciated for what you do?

Know what else feels good? Making someone else feel appreciated!

Next week, we will focus on making our coach operators (a.k.a. "bus drivers") feel the love on Wednesday, March 18 which is Transit Driver Appreciation Day.

We invite you to join us in saying "Thank You" to the men and women who, day-in-day-out, command the wheel of our local, commuter and DART vehicles to get us to work, school, and to points here, there and everywhere as safely and as timely as possible.

We think our coach operators are amazing. Like many other customer service jobs where you're more likely to hear the bad (and rarely the good), it can really make your day to hear a simple and heartfelt, "Thank you!"

We'll be sharing our 'Appreciation Day' activities as they happen on our Facebook Page next week. We invite you to join us, even if it is virtually.

In the meantime, tell us what you appreciate about your favorite driver by commenting on this post. Better yet, put your good words onto virtual paper and send it to riders@commtrans.org. Be sure to include the driver's route, bus number-- and name, if possible. Our drivers are rewarded for these customer commendations, so please take a moment to let us know when they've made your day. Here's a past post about how you can appreciate and commend your Community Transit bus driver throughout the year.

What do you appreciate about your bus driver? Tell us in the comments!

Bus Driver Appreciation Day: Thanks for the Great Ride!

Tuesday, March 18 is Bus Driver Appreciation Day, which was created in 2009 by a couple of bus riders in Seattle who wanted to show gratitude for the men and women behind the wheel. Since its creation, the bus riding public and transit agencies far and wide have embraced this day of recognition— and Community Transit is no exception. As we did last year, our employees are organizing to show our appreciation of our co-workers as they leave to cover their routes from our Merrill Creek base.

We think our coach operators are amazing people! Like other customer service jobs where all you hear is the bad (and hardly ever the good), it can really make their day to hear a simple and heartfelt, “Thank you!”

So on March 18, we invite you to give your bus driver a word or two of appreciation. We suggest:

• Showing your virtual support of Bus Driver Appreciation Day by joining the event on our Facebook Event Page.
• Share what you appreciate about your bus driver either by commenting on this post or on our Facebook page.
• Giving your driver a virtual "High Five" on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #high5
• Just say, "Thank you" as you de-board the bus.

Consider sending an official email to riders@commtrans.org or call (425) 353-7433. Commendations from our customers are not only appreciated by our drivers, but give them recognition among their peers and supervisors.

Thanks for taking the time to give 'em thanks!