Baby Shark on the Trolley

We live in a city by the sea. There are many fun things the city has to offer during summer, such as farmer’s market, art fairs, and all the beach activities you can imagine. There’s one thing we’ve talked about for years and this year we finally did it — taking the summer-only open trolley bus around town! On the last day of summer (we later found out it was the second last day not the last), we hopped on the bus with our little one in the morning and it was the most fun we’ve had in awhile in our neighborhood. All thanks to the wonderful bus driver we had. During our ride around town, our bus driver curated a playlist as he sees different demographic of passengers hop on/off the trolley. At one point, the trolley became a mini children’s party bus since most passengers were families with small kids. The bus driver, whom I wish I had gotten his name, played Baby Shark and other kids music as the kids sing and waive at people on the sidewalks. It was rather a magical experience, almost felt as if we were at an amusement park. We loved the experience so much, so when we found out we could take the bus again the next day (aka the official last day of summer), we went for it again. This time however, it was a very different experience — a very disappointing one indeed. The trolley was operated just like a regular bus, meaning no music and no fun. The vibe was very different from the day before. The bus driver, which was different from the day before, had no smile on his face and didn’t seem to care about his job. After we got home, it got me thinking about how crucial the role of the bus driver is in this entire journey and how difficult it is to ensure this “tough point” is consistent. Human is still the centered of any design, not just as the customer but also as the service provider. It also got me thinking how lucky we were to experience the Baby Shark moment on the trolley the day before…and I also wonder why some people decide to go the extra mile to provide better services than the other? Is it the pay? I’m sure both these bus drivers are paid the same. If it is not the pay, what else? and how could we incentivize people to do their job well and beyond? I hope I will get to see that Baby Shark bus driver again and maybe I will ask him what motivates him to do his job well!