I've been thinking about doing one of these things for sometime but mainly because I couln't be arsed, didn't bother. Today however was differant and if most (can't expect all) goes to plan, i'll keep posting.
What's started it off is GNER or more precisely their idea of what constitutes good customer service. Before I continue, I'll appologies for my poor spelling and grammer.
I live in Perterborough and work in London. What I intend to write about is my experience as a commuter on GNER train between Peterborough and Kings Cross. I've started this thing becase the more I travel, the more I experience the pathetic excuses GNER call customer services.
Whilst I don't exactly experience bad service from GNER everyday or even every week, other than my fellow commuters, I probably experience more than most. It's got to the point where I realise that they give not a jot about the me and the £5000 I spend with them each year. So why should I give a jot about them? Why don't I just post the reality on the web for all to see. So here it is.
Don't expect too much. This is my first attempt at blogging so it could all go tits up before I've even started. Also 3 days out of 5 are uneventful so I'll only post what I see or expirience.
To get me started I'll start off with today, May 19th 2006: -
Caught my usual 7.20am from Peterborough and it arrived and left on time.
Caught my usual 5.20pm train home. Had an exrta bag with me today because following an office clear out, we found a box of samples sent in from advertisers and potential suppliers. Within these samples were 2 pairs of steel toecapped work boots in my size. So I had em in a bag quicker than John Prescott can swing a punch.
Got to Kings Cross, onto the train and popped my bag of boots in the rack abvove my seat. Train left and arrived on time, I got off, train pulled out. What a Tit! Left mi new boots on the train. Bollocks, totaly my fault.
'No worries', thought I, ' If I report the loss now they can contact the train (they can do this these days) or they can ring through to the next stop (Newark) and have them returned to peterbough.' IF ONLY IT WERE THAT EASY.
GNER'S POLICY ON LOST PROPERTY IS THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE TO COLLECT THE ITEMS FROM THE STATION AT WHICH IT IS FOUND. I ask ya. What fucking good is that? I live in Peterborough and the boots are in Newark.
In fact that's what I asked the bloke to whom I'd reported the loss. Whilst he wasn't too keen on the language (I was smiling as I said it, honest), he said it was because GNER had lost so much lost property returning stuff to the nearest station to the customers home address, they changed the policy so that the customer had to collect the goods from the station at which they were found.
Now I'm not too fussed about a pair of free boots, but what if they had been a pair of boots I'd just paid £200 for. From a customer services point of view, wouldn't it make sense for GNER to simply pop the item on the next train to stop at Peterborough and I collect them the next day? Apparnetly not. It seem s GNER think it's better for me to drive 1 hour to Newark, 1 hour back, spend £15 or so on petrol and contribute just a little bit more towards global warming. Apparently that a lot simlar and more convenient than poping them on the next train to p'boro.
As a customer who uses GNER nearly every working day and spends £5000 a year with them, I expect a bit more. Eventaully I told them to do what they like with the boots.
Only one word for that kind of service - SHITE
TALK TO YA SOON
FENTYKE