Harrison apologizes to CSX customers for service issues

Yeah, the problem is, he threw his own employees under the boxcar, so to speak.  Even if that were true,  (I don't think it is) it is a low class move to trash your own rank and file employees for your own shortcomings and failure to put a more realistic plan in place.  Harrison knows NOTHING about real leadership, and only gets people to follow him out of outright FEAR.  In my opinion, not only is Harrison a VERY overrated railroader, he is a despicable person.  If it weren't for all of the innocent employees, customers and small stock holders that would be hurt by it, nothing would make me happier than for Harrison and his investment buddies to go down in flames.  The sooner his style of operating is discredited, the better off the rail industry will be.

I think CSX needs to downsize.  See post in the HH "drop bomb thread".

Dieselbob posted:

Yeah, the problem is, he threw his own employees under the boxcar, so to speak.  Even if that were true,  (I don't think it is) it is a low class move to trash your own rank and file employees for your own shortcomings and failure to put a more realistic plan in place.  Harrison knows NOTHING about real leadership, and only gets people to follow him out of outright FEAR.  In my opinion, not only is Harrison a VERY overrated railroader, he is a despicable person.  If it weren't for all of the innocent employees, customers and small stock holders that would be hurt by it, nothing would make me happier than for Harrison and his investment buddies to go down in flames.  The sooner his style of operating is discredited, the better off the rail industry will be.

What HH doesn't understand is that you can't use a cookie cutter approach to railroad management. What worked for CP/CN isn't working for CSX. And the person/people employees, stock holders and customers should really be mad at is the previous CEO and BOD.  They're the ones that agreed to all of this.

Steve

Funny things happen when there is a change in management. Have been involved in several.  The last company I worked for, our last year was the best year ever, we were sold and the new owner came in and changed everything. Forced me to retire and two years  later the new owner bailed out. Crazy. H H uses an axe and a sledge hammer, not good.

In over 20 years with a very large company (world wide company into many different things) I also saw many management changes in our local office. I never paid much attention to the corporate changes higher up. I don't recall any that were for the better? Usually ended up in loss of profits and customers and another new manager in a year or two. I finally got tired of it all and quit. Went to work for a former coworker of mine that ended up going to a small competitor of ours. He and one other person ended up buying the company a couple years later as the owner wanted to retire. When I got over there they were doing about 10 times the business and had many times the employees. It was a very well run and efficient company, like night and day from the much larger company. I worked there until I retired. It was a great place to work, they treated me very well there. Much better place than the other much larger one. However, I am certainly very happy to now be retired!! 

Clearly a graduate of the seagull school of business management:

Fly In, Flap about, Make lots of noise, S**t on someone, Fly out.

n.

His "apology" is not really an apology.  It is simply an attempt to cast blame.

A genuine apology would

• accept personal accountability for a meltdown occurring under his leadership
• acknowledge harm done to the customers
• explain his plan to improve service
• be followed up very shortly with a personal in-person visit or a telephone call from CSX upper management to upper management of each customer
• also be followed up with personal contact with the site manager of each location doing business with CSX and determining what their service needs are
• ask forgiveness and pledge to resolve the damage to the relationship and to improve service and the ease of doing business.

Maybe I missed all of that in HH's "apology".

Or just resign!

Tom:

As a CSX customer; I can only add a resounding "AMEN!" to your comments!

Curt

"Apology" isn't in H H's make up. He could start by returning the $$ he and his cronies took from CSX then go out to  visit his employees and customers. Won't happen. 

Maybe it is time for the Surf Board to ask questions of both CSX management AND the major stockholders about what is going on.  BOTH are responsible!

Limey posted:

Clearly a graduate of the seagull school of business management:

Fly In, Flap about, Make lots of noise, S**t on someone, Fly out.

In too many cases , the "seagull" does all the above, gets a big payout and moves on to the next victim.

Number 90 posted:

His "apology" is not really an apology.  It is simply an attempt to cast blame.

A genuine apology would

• accept personal accountability for a meltdown occurring under his leadership
• acknowledge harm done to the customers
• explain his plan to improve service
• be followed up very shortly with a personal in-person visit or a telephone call from CSX upper management to upper management of each customer
• also be followed up with personal contact with the site manager of each location doing business with CSX and determining what their service needs are
• ask forgiveness and pledge to resolve the damage to the relationship and to improve service and the ease of doing business.

Maybe I missed all of that in HH's "apology".

I certainly agree, this would be the proper, ethical and honorable way to handle things. They just need someone that is proper, ethical and honorable and I think therein lies the problem.

Take the money and run.

Like it or not, HH is doing exactly what he said he was going to do. Consolidate, improve asset utilization, improve operating revenues, profits, shelve equipment, close yards, run longer trains (I have seen that on the River Sub where trains take 6 minutes to clear) buyout or early retire employees, etc. Pain before the gain.

In the early part of my career I had been part of the many reorgs and companies that have been bought or sold. It sucked and really made me wonder but I wanted a paycheck so I put up with it.

Is he agitating everyone, yes, and that's what he wants so you either get on board or you don't. If you don't then your gone. It's business. Period. He was hired to improve the RR and that takes time regardless of industry. 

Customers will bail, they will go the truck route or NS. That business that he really does not want. Low margin, low profit. My bet, HH keeps the profitable lines, sells off or closes what he does not need creates financial stability, raises the stock price then sells CSX in pieces  to maybe NS & CN.

Something is up as their are as many CN, UP, BNSF and KCS engines on the River sub as CSX equipment.

Like it or not times are changing for CSX management and the rank and file.

Maybe there are so many off line locomotives because CSX took so many of their own locomotives off line.