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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: Bad News!!
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on: February 24, 2009, 09:35:37
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This is a perfect illustration of the weird parallel world the people at FGW▸ inhabit.
If Sainsbury's started to charge you for using their carpark, you'd decamp to a competitor.
But of course, FGW has no competitor.
So once again - now the threat of Franchise Withdrawal has been removed - it seems like they're back to their old tricks.
Which is not called Mornington Crescent.
It bears the name "now where else can we screw the passenger?"
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Changes At Paddington
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on: May 23, 2008, 09:45:05
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FGW▸ should not be closing this facility. Rather, they should be increasing the number of ticket windows - and staffing them properly.
I arrived at Paddington at 14-42 on Tuesday, for the 15-06. I wanted to talk to a person about a couple of alternative ticket options. Into the main ticket hall I went.
There were just three manned windows. It was soon clear that two of the three were booking the 21st century equivalents of The Grand Tour, at the lowest prices of course. "But what would it costif I gtravelled on a day without a "t" in its name"?
So at 2 minutes to three I had to cut and run, and get a single from the machine.
Incredibly bad customer service.
And it's the fact that they are irritating hundreds of people like me on a daily basis, with their short staffing, their buffet closures, their heavy-handed barriers manned by bouncers, means that even if they get the reliability right, there's still a way to go before this stressed-out government feels it can get off their backs.
Everyone knows that if they were not a monopoly, they wouldn't be able to get away with it.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: FGW HSTs: worst refurbishment ever?
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on: May 04, 2008, 12:43:00
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John R, me, my Mum, my Dad, my Brother and my Sister don't need a table on a journey to London, no one does, people would like one but they don't need one.
It's attitudes like this that have made FGW▸ such a contaminated brand. Surely, FGW should look to provide the best possible customer experience. And part of that experience for families and friends travelling long distances is the social interaction that tables clearly provide, and airline (or should I say 'bus') configurations fail to deliver. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: PM Enters Future Of FGW Franchise Debate
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on: April 01, 2008, 19:14:00
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FGW▸ may be trying hard behind the scenes.
But all they're doing is playing catch-up to what people have every right to expect in terms of efficiency.
They're currently like a Sainsbury's where 4 days out of 5 the milk and fresh fruit hasn't arrived.
That needs sorting, fast.
But also, passengers need to feel that they are being put first, not First Group shareholders.
And until that happens, people will not stand up and defend FGW.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Those barriers - whose idea?
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on: March 05, 2008, 16:29:11
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9) the barriers are sophisticated enough to let you out of the station and then back in a few hours later. (so for example you can buy a Paper from Smiths at BTM▸ between trains)
You are not actually alowed to do that with or without barriers. You have a ticket which wil specifically have the condition No Break in Journey, leaving the platforms consists of a break in journey, which is not allowed. Blimey. Do the conditions of carriage specify a dress code too? |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Those barriers - whose idea?
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on: March 05, 2008, 16:00:53
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Yes Vacman. But that does not mean that you should punish the 99% of people who are honest in order to catch the 1% of ones who are not. Because that's what the barriers do. And the very word - "barrier" - demonstrates what Andrew Haines admitted to in the Guardian a couple of weeks back - a "disconnect between the company and its customers".
Can you imagine Sainsbury's insisting that their shoppers go through barriers before entering? Of course not.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Those barriers - whose idea?
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on: March 03, 2008, 13:24:11
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Blimey - you're all an obedient lot!
Three points.
First, there's no way that a Tesco could treat its customers in this way. It's the equivalent of frisking them when they leave the store.
Second, the barriers are a nightmare for old people, or those with lots of luggage and/or kids.
Third, when the Great Western really was great, such things did not exist. They didn't need to then, and they don't need to now.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Those barriers - whose idea?
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on: March 01, 2008, 07:51:55
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There was a piece in Wednesday's Western Mornng News saying that the barriers sent out a terrible signal to passengers - "we don't trust you, even if you've just shelled out hundreds on a ticket".
Anyone know whether the barriers in Devon (the ones at Exeter have ruined the flow of the station) were FGW▸ 's idea or DfT» 's?
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: First to spend ^29 million BBC News
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on: February 26, 2008, 23:01:31
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I would sort of say half n half, we know they are already recruiting drivers and guards.
And the additional 150's and keeping 3x 180 has been rumoured for ages.
So maybe lean towards a yes on that. I think Andrew Haines recognises that the franchise is under performing, obviously. I think if anyone can bring it back to standard, he can.
I am in no doubt that he can too. Now FGW▸ have had their knuckles wrapped by the government, with a bit of humiliation thrown in as well, they can get on and sort things out which has already started. First have put more money in the pot so Andrew Haines has got something to work with. What will also help is the completion of the 'West' fleet refresh later this year with the units that have been done looking pretty good both inside and out. I don't think that the Cardiff-Portsmouth line has had so much national attention as it has done today but its good that this line is at last getting some investment that it so deserves. Well I'm amazed you're all so optimistic about this. First, the governent is actively briefing against FGW. Second, the new stock will only benefit passengers on Cardiff-Portsmouth. Third, there'sa nasty little insinuation in the ^4m staff training initiative that the problems have lain with the staff. They haven't. They've been the fault of greedy management. Fourth, the pricing initiative is a con, as it is about attracting incremental business, as opposed to looking after regular (captive) customers. Fifth, no-one wants higher levels of compensation. They want a reliable service that is good value. that's where the money should go. What's happening here is not Haines' fault. But it certainly is Lockhead's. And he continues to pull the strings. |
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