Great Western Coffee Shop

Its National Customer Service week (link below.)
http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/2007/10/03/fcc-national-customer-service-week/

And no doubt I will recieve excellent customer service for the next week on FGW trains, as is usual!

From the link in the opening post on this thread ;-

Its National Customer Service week and First Capital Connect are supporting it by dragging out the managers from behind their desks and ^supporting frontline staff^ by placing them on FCC stations all this week.

I bet you dont see FGW managers on the front line during this week, probably too busy trying to finalise all the timetables that were due to be available weeks ago, I see the Barnstable line draft is still not online.

Maybe they could do a swap with the frontline FGW staff, they would probably do a better job because they know what people want in terms of service.

That's probably because Barnstable doesn't appear to have a station anymore. If you want the times from Plymouth and/or Bridgewater see here (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=OLCOLONY).

talking of Barnstable the guard on train I'm on now is stunning but I don't know her name

Slightly harsh to suggest that front line staff don't know 'what people want in terms of service'.  This may be true in some cases, but a massive generalisation nonetheless.

Gosh  ??? that was a comment made a year ago on a topic that has resurfaced today following a comment by relex109.

Can I very politely suggest reading my comment again in the context where I am actually saying that frontline FGW would do a better job in managing the rail company because they handle customers day in day out so would know what customers want.

Obviously, since Andrew Haines took over and bought in a new management team and listened to staff and customers, FGW customer service and support has improved considerably so my original comment made last October wouldn't really apply thanks to Andrew and his team turning things around with of course the help of all the staff who work for FGW which I have the utmost respect for.

ahh i see that me being a pervert actually did some good for once  :)

Yes, I agree, Timmer.  :)

Many comments that were made, in the context of what was happening in FGW over a year ago, are indeed less applicable now, due to the leaps and bounds that FGW have achieved in terms of improving their customer service.

In my almost daily experience of travel using FGW services over the past year, I have continued to be favourably impressed with the service provided by their staff - whether train / station staff, or managers I have met.

Well done, FGW!  ;)

If I have jumped to a wrong conclusion, I apologise unreservedly.  However, the post is ambiguous, to say the least.

Thanks, G.Uard!

No, I don't think you've jumped to a wrong conclusion - rather, I think we're reaching the conclusion that, what may have been a generally rather poor view of FGW a year ago, is not necessarily the case now!  ;)

Before joining the railway, I was a Customer Relations Manager, for various companies and most recently, for the internet arm of perhaps the most well respected High St Department Store chain.  Customer Service was and is my trade.

As such, I recognise that many of my colleagues, some of them with 20 yrs plus service, are true experts in Customer Relations.  The dedication and sheer effort put into the job by these guys and the related customer service ethos has not just been pulled from a hat by Andrew Haines, wizard though he undoubtedly is.