Even though it means the end of summer vacation, the start of a new school year is an exciting time for children, parents, teachers and, yes, school bus folks.

For you, it begins the predictable cycle of confusion, improvisation, adaptation and, finally, realization that the worst is over. You will survive the wicked test of those first few weeks, although it may be a few more weeks before you recover.

By now, you’re likely immersed in the start-up of the 2005-06 school year. It will probably play out not much differently than years past. But I’d like for you to embrace a new goal this year. I’d like for you and your staff to get to know your customers better.

Just so we’re straight on who the customer is, I’m referring to the 24 million children who ride yellow buses each school day. These are your customers. They are the ones who place themselves in your hands, trusting implicitly that you will deliver them to and from school safely.

The power of rapport
Why should you get to know them better? Because you can’t hope to meet their needs without understanding what those needs are. And how do you determine what their needs are? Simple, you ask them. And you care about the answer.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in emphasizing safety and efficiency that we forgot about respect and friendship. For most drivers, this comes naturally. They honestly care about the lives of their passengers and take the time to get to know them and appreciate the ups and downs of their lives.

Others, however, just want to transport them from Point A to Point B without any undue stress or exertion. They might as well be ferrying a truckload of canned vegetables to the local grocery store. Even extending a welcoming “good morning” is a chore for them.

You need fewer of these drivers and more of the former. But you already know that. What’s important is that every driver can improve in the area of customer relations. They just need to understand the importance of communicating with their passengers.

If the passengers truly believe that drivers care about their well being, they’ll be more apt to report problems with other students, such as bullying or harassment. They’ll also be more likely to act civilly while on the bus. With disrespectful behavior on the rise, it’s important to employ any available tool to keep students from using the school bus as their personal sandbox.

Stay tuned to education
Most kids aren’t skilled communicators, especially when they’re speaking with adults. So getting them to talk isn’t as simple as it sounds. That’s why it’s important that drivers are aware of what’s going on at the schools they serve. Make sure they have access to school newsletters and that they read the education section of the community newspaper. This will also give them background information when they’re communicating with parents.

If students, parents, teachers and administrators know that the transportation department and its employees are aware of the bigger picture of the education program, they’ll be more inclined to actively assist when bus problems arise.

Many bus drivers are parents themselves and understand the sometimes contradictory and often unpredictable ways that children behave. And all of us were once children ourselves. If we look back on our own childhoods and remember how important it was to have the friendship and trust of non-parental adults — like our teachers, coaches and, yes, bus drivers — we’ll see how powerful words like “Good morning” and “How are you today?” can be.