Customer Service frustration

[whole diary]

[adc82140]

The CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) screens at Farnborough North have been broken for two days. Not a major problem but I thought I'd call Customer Services to report it. I just can't get them to understand that I want them to forward a message to the relevant department to have a look at it (or perhaps them tell me that it's  already in hand). All that CS want to do is give me timetable information. Who do I need to contact to report this fault?

[Chris from Nailsea]

The number given on various signs for reporting comments on the facilities at stations is 0800 912 0843 - worth a try?

[JayMac]

A tweet to @FGW may also help get the ball rolling, or a post to FGW's Facebook page.

That said, I had a response from the correct department some 6 weeks ago (following email correspondence) regarding the vandalised and broken CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at my local station and it's still not been repaired.....

[adc82140]

Done via Facebook. Jo has responded. Let's see how long it takes.

[BerkshireBugsy]

A tweet to @FGW may also help get the ball rolling, or a post to FGW's Facebook page.

That said, I had a response from the correct department some 6 weeks ago (following email correspondence) regarding the vandalised and broken CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at my local station and it's still not been repaired.....

At my local station (Thatcham) the old style CIS was out of action for several months. According to FGW staff there was a cable fault and associated dispute between FGW and Railtrack as to who was responsible for repairing the fault.

I dont know if the new system works on different technologies and if so if this problem is likely occur in the future..I was on a station once where one of the new CIS displays was booting and it appears to be DHCP/IP based given some of the info coming up on the displays.

[thetrout]

I reported a dodgey PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) speaker at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) on Thursday via Twitter. Which the official tweeter said had been forwarded to the correct department. Seems a reasonably effective way of reporting issues to be honest.

Incidentially I tweeted @greateranglia a couple of weeks back because there was no milk or clean mugs in the Liverpool Street First Class Lounge (If you can call it that ) and I was tweeted back almost within a few minutes (Similarly speedy response time as my above tweet to @FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ) saying that they'd contacted the station staff and in no less than 5 minutes a nice lady appeared bearing some clean mugs and a bowl to take away the dirty ones and she also refilled the milk tray I then had a coffee

Although I'm slightly biased in terms of the FGW tweeter for my PA Speaker fault. I couldn't possibly comment that they may be a member of this forum

[Chris from Nailsea]

Although I'm slightly biased in terms of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) tweeter for my PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) Speaker fault. I couldn't possibly comment that they may be a member of this forum

Hmm.  I've had to warn him before, more than once, about being very helpful ... 

[JayMac]

That said, I had a response from the correct department some 6 weeks ago (following email correspondence) regarding the vandalised and broken CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at my local station and it's still not been repaired.....

Quoting myself here by way of update. The Help Point/Customer Information Screen at Shirehampton has still not been repaired or replaced. It's now three months since I brought this to the attention of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and I have followed up numerous times by reporting it to the Customer Information office at Temple Meads. Also mentioned it a couple of times on FGWs Facebook page.

Not a dicky bird as to why FGW have deemed it unnecessary of replacement. Poor show.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I have only tried to used these help points under non emergency situations for which I question their value.

For example, earlier this week the train services on the kennet line were thrown into further chaos by late running engineering works and the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) as normal in this situation wad dishing out automated announcements that were useless (this has been discussed on this forum before)

A call via the help point served no useful purpose whatsoever - but I am guessing the person at the other end of the line really didn't know what was going on either.

I have had no reason to use these call points in an emergency but in ths case they probably do have a value and I agree with you bnm that it should have been repaired by now.

[EBrown]

Not a dicky bird as to why FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have deemed it unnecessary of replacement. Poor show.

Passenger Focus?

[Chris from Nailsea]

That said, I had a response from the correct department some 6 weeks ago (following email correspondence) regarding the vandalised and broken CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at my local station and it's still not been repaired.....

Quoting myself here by way of update. The Help Point/Customer Information Screen at Shirehampton has still not been repaired or replaced. It's now three months since I brought this to the attention of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and I have followed up numerous times by reporting it to the Customer Information office at Temple Meads. Also mentioned it a couple of times on FGWs Facebook page.

Not a dicky bird as to why FGW have deemed it unnecessary of replacement. Poor show.

A poor show indeed. 

The help point at Shirehampton has now been vandalised twice, the more recent attack being the more serious. The cost of replacement would fall to First Great Western and is unlikely with the current uncertainty surrounding franchise renewals.

[JayMac]

I would like to think that TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) have a responsibility to maintain the assets right up to the last day of the franchise, and wouldn't use that as an excuse not to repair or replace a damaged Help Point.

I appreciate this is obviously a case of vandalism, but to not acknowledge or update me after numerous contacts is a bit off.

Now if that long promised for CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision) had been installed, perhaps the miscreants responsible for the damage may have thought twice about doing it, or at least it may have provided some evidence to identify them.

[Ollie]

Justin have sent an email to our customer information manager. So once I get a response I will let you know what the situation is.

[JayMac]

Thanks Ollie, appreciate your efforts as always.

But I shouldn't really have needed to go 'public' with this issue to hurry along a response.


And that response? Ollie tells me that it will be another couple of months before the Help Point/CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at Shirehampton is replaced. It is on order apparently but no explanation as to why it should take 5 months to do that. 

Would it take 5 months to replace a broken/damaged CIS at say, Paddington?

[EBrown]

Would it take 5 months to replace a broken/damaged CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at say, Paddington?

Poor example, that's NRs^» (Network Rail - home page) responsibility not GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about).