An open letter to Arriva: I WOULD like to state that my intentions within this letter of complaint are not to seek any form of compensation, refund, nor are they to gain at the very least an apology.

I merely found myself with no other option but to raise my issues and rant at someone, albeit at a customer service centre that is more than 180 miles away from my local bus route.

I fully appreciate that my experience while using your service is always going to be variable and completely dependant on which member of staff I encounter.

Over the past 12 months while using the Arriva bus service about 80 per cent of the time I have only negative comments. A prime example of this negativity and the decision to actually report such poor service, derives from an experience on Monday, September 1, while using a St Helens service, bus route 35 (St Helens hospital to the town centre) boarding the bus at 12.10pm.

Working in the hospital and travelling to clinics, in between seeing patients, I often have to use the bus service but do not always have the correct change. Sometimes I may have to pay £3 for my £2.50 fare or god forbid the days I have a £5 note to pay my £2.50 fare.

On each of these occasions the maximum amount of change a driver has ever had to return to me is £2.50. I did not on any occasion wave a £50 note, smile and sneer at his efforts to scramble together £47.50 of change.

The reason for my discontent is that I wonder whether it is necessary for your members of staff to repeatedly act as though they are being robbed when they have to give change.

Making the paying customer feel as though they are taking money directly from the driver’s wage packet.

I have been huffed at, sighed at and subjected to the slamming of change on the counter.

On this occasion, the driver shouted: “Arrrgghhhh! For god’s sake! You are joking he shouted at me." This was followed by a ripple of tuts that echoed to the back of the bus.

I do apologise if somewhere during my education I missed the lesson that taught the correct etiquette for paying on a bus or the lesson that informed people that giving change is always a massive burden and is forbidden.

Or that it is only a chore for the driver to give change, adding inconvenience to their day of only accepting passes that beep on a self-scanner. Forgive me if I have also missed the signs on the bus that say ‘correct money only’ or ‘no change given’.

With a bit of luck you will receive enough letters like mine to prompt you at the very least to add ‘manners and customer service’ to your training for drivers.

Another Happy Customer