Sunday, Paddington to Bath - request to transfer to earlier train & consequence

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-45952442

Autistic boy 'mocked' by Great Western Railway staff

An autistic boy was "mocked" by Great Western Railway (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) staff at Paddington station, his mother claims.

Crime writer Sarah Hilary said two GWR help desk staff "jeered" at her and her 17-year-old son when she asked if they could be put on another train.

She was "humiliated" when staff accused her of "trying it on" and was "made to feel like a criminal", she said.

Apologising, GWR said it was "totally unacceptable" and that it had launched an investigation.

Ms Hilary, an award-winning crime writer who lives in Bath, made a formal complaint about what happened on Sunday evening.
She said they had arrived two hours early for their train and asked staff at the help desk if they could be transferred to an earlier one because her son was "so overwhelmed" by the station environment.

"I tried to explain how difficult it was for my son but they spoke to us both rudely, accused me of 'trying it on' and humiliated us in front of other passengers."

Article continues

[rogerw]

Clearly some serious training required

[TaplowGreen]

....another shining example of how not to deal with disabled people from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-45952442

[CMRail]

Clearly some serious training required

I have to disagree. Generally, when traveling with less accessible passengers I find staff helpfull and very welcoming when it comes to helping me out. I believe from what a Train Manager (of which I chat with often) explains is that serious Customer Service is worked on within the training that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) provides.

https://youtu.be/cXoAaxjeNm0

Here, on GWR’s very own youtube channel, is a video about the company rolling out Autisum awareness training. Had this/these member of staff received the correct training or not, GWR show that they train individuals well despite their lack of customer service when it comes internal issues.

In July, GWR were criticised after comedian Tanyalee Davis was threatened by a guard on a GWR train who said he would call the police if she did not move her mobility scooter from a disabled space.
GWR said at the time that staff who saw a video of the incident were "collectively horrified".

Since when is this incident involving accesibilty and wheelchair rights applicable to the customer service towards an individual is the issue of concern. Ultimately, the member of staff is in the wrong of whom should be trained more efficiently and should have a word with their line manager about this incident and how to work around it in the future.

[a-driver]

Honestly, aside from her claim about how she was spoken to I don’t really agree with, or find it fair, to use a condition in order to get on an earlier train. Unless you’re willing to pay the difference you’re making a financial gain.
I accept sometimes there’s genuine reasons but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s people who exploit it.

[JayMac]

Honestly, aside from her claim about how she was spoken to I don’t really agree with, or find it fair, to use a condition in order to get on an earlier train. Unless you’re willing to pay the difference you’re making a financial gain.
I accept sometimes there’s genuine reasons but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s people who exploit it.

And that justifies the shockingly poor customer service does it?

[TaplowGreen]

Honestly, aside from her claim about how she was spoken to I don’t really agree with, or find it fair, to use a condition in order to get on an earlier train. Unless you’re willing to pay the difference you’re making a financial gain.
I accept sometimes there’s genuine reasons but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s people who exploit it.

Whenever these (not infrequent) incidents occur involving GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and disabled people, I have to pinch myself and remind myself that's it's 2018 and they are a customer facing business so how can this happen? How can their Customer service employees have such an appalling attitude? What sort of organisational culture allows it to happen?

Then I read posts like this one and it all becomes clear.

To be fair at least on this occasion GWR have come out swiftly, apologised and admitted that it is totally unacceptable - be interesting to hear the outcome of the investigation.

[TaplowGreen]

Clearly some serious training required

I have to disagree. Generally, when traveling with less accessible passengers I find staff helpfull and very welcoming when it comes to helping me out. I believe from what a Train Manager (of which I chat with often) explains is that serious Customer Service is worked on within the training that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) provides.

https://youtu.be/cXoAaxjeNm0

Here, on GWR’s very own youtube channel, is a video about the company rolling out Autisum awareness training. Had this/these member of staff received the correct training or not, GWR show that they train individuals well despite their lack of customer service when it comes internal issues.

In July, GWR were criticised after comedian Tanyalee Davis was threatened by a guard on a GWR train who said he would call the police if she did not move her mobility scooter from a disabled space.
GWR said at the time that staff who saw a video of the incident were "collectively horrified".

Since when is this incident involving accesibilty and wheelchair rights applicable to the customer service towards an individual is the issue of concern. Ultimately, the member of staff is in the wrong of whom should be trained more efficiently and should have a word with their line manager about this incident and how to work around it in the future.

…...just to be clear, you don't think that "helpdesk" staff who jeer at customers and the disabled, humiliate them and accuse them of "trying it on" in respect of a disabled child need more training?

It could quite easily be argued that they are in need of dismissal for gross misconduct.

[grahame]

I have merged the two topics running on the same subject

Two issues:

a) The treatment of a customer group by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff which, as reported, sounds very much out of order.

b) The request to be transferred to an earlier train on what sounds like it was an advanced ticket.  Nothing to stop you askng ... but (taking an example) booking at £17.50 for specific a later train and then looking to travel on a train where the lowest cost service on offer was £34.30 at the time you booked is cheeky and a polite request to top up or replace the ticket would be reasonable.

Should someone take offense at a request to upgrade (b), I can quite see the staff who have been 'approached' and then have an offended customer stepping over the mark and loosing their cool.

But we should be careful not to jump to conclusions with only media evidence and discussion.

[Bob_Blakey]

Previous Post Spelling Alert: Offense Offence, Loosing Losing 

As per usual with reports of this nature I doubt we have yet been presented with the full story and certainly not with both sides of it. But if the customer was requesting transfer to a different service than that booked at no additional cost when holding an Advance ticket then the response should have been a polite 'No' regardless of the circumstances.

[ChrisB]

Or asking her to upgrade to a (super, if there is one) off-peak walk-up maybe? Rather than the response given?

[CMRail]

Clearly some serious training required

I have to disagree. Generally, when traveling with less accessible passengers I find staff helpfull and very welcoming when it comes to helping me out. I believe from what a Train Manager (of which I chat with often) explains is that serious Customer Service is worked on within the training that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) provides.

https://youtu.be/cXoAaxjeNm0

Here, on GWR’s very own youtube channel, is a video about the company rolling out Autisum awareness training. Had this/these member of staff received the correct training or not, GWR show that they train individuals well despite their lack of customer service when it comes internal issues.

In July, GWR were criticised after comedian Tanyalee Davis was threatened by a guard on a GWR train who said he would call the police if she did not move her mobility scooter from a disabled space.
GWR said at the time that staff who saw a video of the incident were "collectively horrified".

Since when is this incident involving accesibilty and wheelchair rights applicable to the customer service towards an individual is the issue of concern. Ultimately, the member of staff is in the wrong of whom should be trained more efficiently and should have a word with their line manager about this incident and how to work around it in the future.

…...just to be clear, you don't think that "helpdesk" staff who jeer at customers and the disabled, humiliate them and accuse them of "trying it on" in respect of a disabled child need more training?

It could quite easily be argued that they are in need of dismissal for gross misconduct.

I absolutely agree that she was spoken to in an appalling manner. Although the comment saying that serious training was required was the point I argued with as said in my message. She was treated in a disgusting way and it shouldn’t happen again, however you can not say that training is required when two individual staff members on separate occasions have been in the news.

I also disagree with the need to publicise, I would formally complain until I am satisfied with my reply and then I would go on twitter, to the news etc. It takes an age for GWR to respond so she certainly have not heard from then yet, personally I think she is seeking for a faster reply from GWR.

[TaplowGreen]

I have merged the two topics running on the same subject

Two issues:

a) The treatment of a customer group by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff which, as reported, sounds very much out of order.

b) The request to be transferred to an earlier train on what sounds like it was an advanced ticket.  Nothing to stop you askng ... but (taking an example) booking at £17.50 for specific a later train and then looking to travel on a train where the lowest cost service on offer was £34.30 at the time you booked is cheeky and a polite request to top up or replace the ticket would be reasonable.

Should someone take offense at a request to upgrade (b), I can quite see the staff who have been 'approached' and then have an offended customer stepping over the mark and loosing their cool.

But we should be careful not to jump to conclusions with only media evidence and discussion.

I'm sorry, but there is never, ever a justification for someone who has chosen a customer facing role to mock, jeer at, ridicule or otherwise humiliate a Mother and her disabled child, whether or not you are susceptible to "losing your cool" when confronted with someone making a far from unreasonable request in the circumstances ......if you're capable of such crass behaviour, you're in the wrong job...

[grahame]

I'm sorry, but there is never, ever a justification for someone who has chosen a customer facing role to mock, jeer at, ridicule or otherwise humiliate a Mother and her disabled child, whether or not you are susceptible to "losing your cool" when confronted with someone making a far from unreasonable request in the circumstances ......if you're capable of such crass behaviour, you're in the wrong job...

Not sure why you should be "sorry" ... I never mentioned justification.  I suggested how it might have come about.

[TaplowGreen]

I'm sorry, but there is never, ever a justification for someone who has chosen a customer facing role to mock, jeer at, ridicule or otherwise humiliate a Mother and her disabled child, whether or not you are susceptible to "losing your cool" when confronted with someone making a far from unreasonable request in the circumstances ......if you're capable of such crass behaviour, you're in the wrong job...

Not sure why you should be "sorry" ... I never mentioned justification.  I suggested how it might have come about.

At point (b) you seemed to be attempting to find mitigation in circumstances where this clearly did not and could not exist. If that was not your intention I apologise. I am sure you are as revolted by the behaviour of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff concerned as any other right thinking person would be.