B737-700
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 486
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
After I told the Pushback Driver our nose number; their reply was: 'Hi; XXX; towbar connected; were ready for the push.' With all our rollback events at the gate; wingtip clippings and other ground damage of our aircraft in and around the gate area; I try to be as standard and by the book as I can be with my communication with the Pushback Crew. The exact verbiage is pretty much spelled out in AOM table 7.1. So I asked if there was anything else he wanted to tell me; like pin inserted or doors closed and such. Only then did the Pushback Driver; reluctantly; use the correct verbiage. He even added the word '(other carrier)' at the end. Why and how he knew that I was former (other carrier) I do not know; but I took it as a compliment to mean former (other carrier) guys are very by the book and follow the right procedure. During pushback he also told me that 'you can start 'em'.' I then inquired which engine or engines to start. Only then did he tell me to start engine two and one. He gave me a very friendly look after the wave-off.A reminder to use proper procedure and verbiage goes a long way in avoiding misunderstandings between the Pushback Crew and the flight deck and will therefore help avoid future possible damages to aircraft; equipment and personnel. As to calling me an '(other carrier)' in an attempt to ridicule one group over another only leads us to tribalism between groups and does absolutely nothing in keeping it a positive work environment for all of us here.
B737 Captain reported that the pushback driver did not use standard verbiage during pushback.