“This is the best job I’ve ever had”
SWR Customer Ambassador Tarnia Rayment left her job as a cab driver to join the ‘railway family’ and within two years has become a National Rail Awards winner.
Few people can honestly claim to have been described as ‘a force of nature’ by their colleagues and peers, or to have been told that they have ‘the X Factor’ when it comes to their day-to-day activities at work.
But that is exactly what the National Rail Awards judges said about South Western Railway Customer Ambassador Tarnia Rayment, when they adjudged her winner of the 2019 Outstanding Personal Contribution (Frontline) category.
With a self-proclaimed mission in life to
“do the right thing by people”, Rayment left her mark on the judging panel with her friendliness, engaging personality, and ability to put a smile on the face of all who meet her.
The judges were also extremely impressed by the examples they were given of the exceptional customer service that Rayment delivers, both in her ‘day job’ supporting customers at Kingston station, and in the multiple voluntary roles she performs with non-rail users and charities.
Rayment’s achievement was made all the more remarkable given just how quickly the former London black cabbie has been able to make a significant difference to the lives of passengers and colleagues.
She only joined SWR in August 2017. And with barely two years having passed between her first day on the job with SWR and the 2019
NRA ceremony taking place (in London on September 19), it is difficult to think of any individual who has previously won a National Rail Award after such a short time of service.
She tells “I can honestly say this is the best job I’ve ever had. I’m in my element because the people in my taxi used to talk to the back of my head. Now I can meet challenges head-on.
“SWR has mentioned moving me into different roles, but I can’t ever leave all those lovely people at Kingston station because working in the ticket office and the concourse is like having another family.
“The support I get from colleagues is wonderful. People often talk about the ‘railway family’, but if I’d known how true it was then I’d have probably joined up many years ago.”
Rayment is responsible for supporting customers as they plan journeys and buy tickets. The NRA judges noted how she prides herself on helping to find passengers the best deals, and to support them during times of disruption and delays - such as finding cab shares for passengers travelling to the same destination.
Cheering up grumpy-looking passengers is also a favourite pastime for Rayment, whose enthusiasm, outgoing nature and sense of humour rarely fails to leave people in a better mood than when she found them.
She adds: “We have two mottos at Kingston which we’ve stuck to the window in the ticket office. One says: ‘If you can be anything in the world then be kind’, while the other reads: ‘Smile while you’ve still got teeth’.
“We like to change them from time to time, but that last one always makes people smile even when they’ve been about eighth in the queue or they’ve missed their train.
“I suppose that my general way of going about things can be quite infectious, and when I go somewhere staff around me tend to start joking with customers. Just ask any of the judges how chatty I am. My meeting with them [during due diligence] was meant to take 20 minutes, but I think took about 45 in the end.”
Another example of Rayment’s going above
and beyond the day job is her voluntary role as an advocate for SWR’s ‘Try the Train’ initiative, which encourages staff to engage with individuals and groups in the local community who don’t typically travel by train.
She is one of more than 30 members of staff who have joined the scheme to become Community Ambassadors (CAs), which involves running up to 12 ‘Try the Train’ trips per year.
For example, in February she helped lead a ‘Try the Train’ event for 31 children and staff from Red Barn School in Portchester, for whom she compiled a quiz on safety procedures at stations.
Rayment has reportedly put herself forward for more trips than any other CA, and has successfully identified and contacted a diverse range of different groups who could potentially benefit from ‘Try the Train’ trips. These include
The Pink Ladies group supporting women with breast cancer, the Canine Partners charity for the training of guide dogs, and an LGBT group.
SWR Community Rail Manager Andy Harrowell overseas the operator’s network of voluntary CAs and is full of praise for Rayment: “She is truly one of a kind. I am astounded by the way she looks beyond the normal groups we target for ‘Try the Train’ and finds others as deserving - if not more - that we may not have approached otherwise.
“I can safely say that Tarnia is one of the best CAs we have. She makes a remarkable difference to my work and that of her colleagues. It’s a true pleasure just knowing her, and I can’t wait to see who else she brings into the programme.”
Rayment is also heavily involved with several external charities - including Marie Curie, for which she organised collection tins at four stations on the line to Kingston, as well as holding a bake sale.
She also has a regular commitment as a ‘befriender’ to the elderly, and has now volunteered to become SWR’s charity champion in order to more fully bring her expertise and enthusiasm in this area to bear.
As a result of all her voluntary efforts, Rayment was nominated for an SWR Excellence Award in addition to an NRA. She was presented with the former in April.
“I think I’m quite a caring person,” she adds. “I’ve been the cab driver that has a sign saying ‘please give me tips to go towards the Race for Life’, and I’ve talked 23 of my friends into doing the Marsden Walk [a 15-mile walk between Sutton and Chelsea that raises money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity].
“SWR has been marvellous and supported me all the way. Now I’d like to be even more involved in charity, which SWR is also very keen to support.”
I’m in my element because the people in my taxi used to talk to the back of my head. Now I can meet challenges head-on.