Tom Rask, a metro driver from Helsinki, brightens up the passengers' day with his personal announcements. They have caused an avalanche of positive customer feedback.
“Good ones fare! The driver calls out from here in the comfortable cab,” he says Tom Raskin sound from the subway speakers a little after Matinkylä station.
Many passengers scratch their ears, looking confused, until the announcement continues:
“I wish you a very good Thursday, and welcome to the subway journey. The final stop of this journey is Vuosaari, which many of you probably know very well. Our arrival time in Vuosaari is 10:47. Good luck and remember to get off at the right stations.”
Now you can already see big smiles on the faces of the passengers.
“Just kidding, these are funny. It's good that it's not always so true,” says a man jumping off at Kalasatama station after a similar announcement.
Metro driver Tom Rask greeted the kindergarten group waiting at the Lauttasaari platform from the cab.
When HS asked readers for tips on excellent customer service, the subway driver making funny announcements came up in numerous responses. According to readers, he is like a flight captain who “brings a smile to the face even on Monday morning”.
Many may be surprised that Rask, known for his personal announcements, has only worked as a metro train driver for about a year.
The now 55-year-old man worked as a nurse for 25 years until he decided to change his field. In the background is a familiar story about getting tired of the work of social and health care.
However, previous work is also useful in a new profession. Rask has worked especially with psychiatry and substance abuse patients, and in those years he learned to face people, according to his own words.
Even though the passengers rarely see the driver in the metro, he still wants to build some kind of connection with them.
“I hope that my announcements raise the mood and build trust in the driver,” he says.
“In general, when meeting people, you don't always have to have something important to say. It's often enough to treat others well and communicate that I'm here.”
Rask enjoys his new job, even though there are not nearly as many face-to-face customer encounters as in the social security sector.
Originally from Kotka and later moved to Helsinki, Rask plays drums in his spare time and has been involved in many Finnish metal music projects.
“Also on that side, I have learned to meet quite a lot of different people.”
Heavy does not particularly plan his announcements in advance, but usually they arise quite spontaneously.
Most of the time, he tells you where the subway is going, how many people are there and if there are any problems or delays in traffic. Sometimes he adds current news or takes special note of, for example, the boarding kindergarten group.
Rask has been making announcements since last spring, and today they are an integral part of his workday.
“They are part of the routine. At first, I'll put the benches and mirrors in order, and when leaving Itäkeskus, I'll make an announcement at the latest between Kulosaari and Kalasatama, which is a bit longer,” he says.
A metro driver spends a large part of the day underground, but this doesn't bother Rask, because a world of his own opens up in the tunnels.
Raski's announcements have caused an avalanche of positive feedback. Recently, he says that he received a “terrible litany” of customer feedback from his manager, and sometimes someone even shows a thumb in the cockpit window.
“Yes, it warms the heart that I can bring a smile to people's faces.”
Generally Rask hopes that people would stop to meet each other more often, whether it was a customer service situation or even an ordinary work trip.
You should always remember good manners and look away from your smart device from time to time, Rask urges.
“When sitting in the subway, you can put your cell phone away for a while and even smile at the people around you. That's where it usually starts,” he says.
Tom Rask urges people to look up from their cell phones more often in public transport and meet their fellow passengers.
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