Transforming Travel… Oh Rly?
Jun. 17th, 2008 08:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suzyscottdotcomI had an interesting discussion with First in Essex (bus operator) by phone earlier. Looking for fares for two journeys, to see if it was cheaper with a day ticket. I called the number on the back of the First tickets leaflet, and was given a recorded replacement number. OK, so called that. It’s a call centre, and the first person… sorry, First person, couldn’t hear me.
Called back, got someone else. Asked for the fares for the 33 and 351, firstly for the Service 33 from Bishop’s Stortford to Chelmsford.
‘The 33 doesn’t go to Bishop’s Stortford any longer’ came the response.
I had a quick browse through my leaflets, and said “Oh, this one is dated October 2007, is this no longer current?” (I wasn’t going to say that I photographed one there ten days ago – I didn’t want to be rude).
“Well I drive the buses normally... I’m helping out here, but the 33 only goes to Stansted, it doesn’t go to B.S. any longer… let me check, if I’m wrong then I’m wrong…”
(Default hold music – we are trying to connect you to the person or department you require”)
“Hello, ok, yes, the 33 does go to Bishop’s Stortford, but I thought we truncated it… I remember a long time ago, when we used to drive the bus up there… with the big hill as you came down…”
“That’s the one, yeah” (thought I’d humour him.)
“OK, and... err... what did you want to know?...”
(I’m just about ready to give up and say I’ll get there by the Arriva 59 instead…)
“The fares, B.S. to Chelmsford?”
“Hold on and I’ll get my fare charts”
(on hold. Again. This time “We are trying to connect you, sorry for the delay!”)
Information given, but I had to ask twice for single fares. Didn’t bother asking for the other one, just left it at that. No apology for confusion, nothing.
Now, although I’ve subsequently got something to do tomorrow, I will be out that way probably next week. The response from First hardly inspires confidence, does it? After all, I’ve only been here for little over a year! Having browsed the website, they mention that this helpline has “fully trained staff” – does that include drivers (long established by the sound of things) filling in? Oh yeah, and they are in Basildon now. So, the old established practice of phoning Chelmsford travel & tourist centre (based in the bus station where the 33 starts and ends) has now been done away with! What about general Tourist info enquiries, as they double up as the TIC?
This reminds me of a recent exchange of emails with First ScotRail (train operator, part of the same group). Their customer ‘support’ is now done in a call centre in Fort William, and has been for some time. During the winter timetable period, after I got passed the ‘all the timetables are on the website’ usual fob-off, I got passed onto Marketing at HQ in Glasgow, who promptly despatched the leaflets I wanted, and offered me to get back to them if I needed further help. Unfortunately, I shredded the ‘with compliments’ slip with their name on it. You’ll see why I say unfortunately.
I picked up most of the new Summer timetables just before their validity commenced from Dundee and Perth (even managed to get the Glasgow-Aberdeen one, which had to be pulped and reprinted after a mistake was found!), but not the whole set (the one book covering all of Scotland being long done away with, and no one station gets every booklet to give a complete set). So, I emailed FSR, and asked for paper copies.
Firstly, they replied to me as Ms Smith. I was then advised that an SAE would be required, with no mention of how much postage would be required (i.e. how heavy, how large). Presumably it’s a deterrent. Now, they have more income than me, but I don’t really mind. Having said that, I wrote back to question exactly what they meant – bearing in mind they thought I was someone else. I said what had happened last time (i.e. pass my details onto Glasgow) and hinted I’d be willing to contact them myself if need be.
They apologised for the name, and explained they’d send them out, as a gesture of goodwill (LMAO!) It got better, because they are not allowed to give out names of company staff, and this is the correct method of contact.
So, the timetables arrived. The South West Scotland and Ireland Services booklet was out of date i.e. the old one that I already had. So, I emailed them back, asking for a new one, and asking if the old one had perhaps been extended.
The reply came “We do not publish this timetable”.
So, I scanned the cover, and emailed it back to them. Sorry, but this is what I received, in an envelope postmarked First ScotRail Customer Relations, Fort William.
They then apologised. Again. Said something obviously template pasted about new material coming in soon. One arrived about a week later, in a plain envelope, with no details of sender, and just a PHQ postmark.
Transforming Travel? You think so. Good to give these people work, but please, if you gave your staff a bit more information and assistance, the call and email volumes would decrease substantially! (I only worked in a call centre for most of six years of my life, in differing industries and climates, so naturally, this will not be a qualified opinion. Or a rant).
Next time I see a press release about First fare increases or service cuts…
Called back, got someone else. Asked for the fares for the 33 and 351, firstly for the Service 33 from Bishop’s Stortford to Chelmsford.
‘The 33 doesn’t go to Bishop’s Stortford any longer’ came the response.
I had a quick browse through my leaflets, and said “Oh, this one is dated October 2007, is this no longer current?” (I wasn’t going to say that I photographed one there ten days ago – I didn’t want to be rude).
“Well I drive the buses normally... I’m helping out here, but the 33 only goes to Stansted, it doesn’t go to B.S. any longer… let me check, if I’m wrong then I’m wrong…”
(Default hold music – we are trying to connect you to the person or department you require”)
“Hello, ok, yes, the 33 does go to Bishop’s Stortford, but I thought we truncated it… I remember a long time ago, when we used to drive the bus up there… with the big hill as you came down…”
“That’s the one, yeah” (thought I’d humour him.)
“OK, and... err... what did you want to know?...”
(I’m just about ready to give up and say I’ll get there by the Arriva 59 instead…)
“The fares, B.S. to Chelmsford?”
“Hold on and I’ll get my fare charts”
(on hold. Again. This time “We are trying to connect you, sorry for the delay!”)
Information given, but I had to ask twice for single fares. Didn’t bother asking for the other one, just left it at that. No apology for confusion, nothing.
Now, although I’ve subsequently got something to do tomorrow, I will be out that way probably next week. The response from First hardly inspires confidence, does it? After all, I’ve only been here for little over a year! Having browsed the website, they mention that this helpline has “fully trained staff” – does that include drivers (long established by the sound of things) filling in? Oh yeah, and they are in Basildon now. So, the old established practice of phoning Chelmsford travel & tourist centre (based in the bus station where the 33 starts and ends) has now been done away with! What about general Tourist info enquiries, as they double up as the TIC?
This reminds me of a recent exchange of emails with First ScotRail (train operator, part of the same group). Their customer ‘support’ is now done in a call centre in Fort William, and has been for some time. During the winter timetable period, after I got passed the ‘all the timetables are on the website’ usual fob-off, I got passed onto Marketing at HQ in Glasgow, who promptly despatched the leaflets I wanted, and offered me to get back to them if I needed further help. Unfortunately, I shredded the ‘with compliments’ slip with their name on it. You’ll see why I say unfortunately.
I picked up most of the new Summer timetables just before their validity commenced from Dundee and Perth (even managed to get the Glasgow-Aberdeen one, which had to be pulped and reprinted after a mistake was found!), but not the whole set (the one book covering all of Scotland being long done away with, and no one station gets every booklet to give a complete set). So, I emailed FSR, and asked for paper copies.
Firstly, they replied to me as Ms Smith. I was then advised that an SAE would be required, with no mention of how much postage would be required (i.e. how heavy, how large). Presumably it’s a deterrent. Now, they have more income than me, but I don’t really mind. Having said that, I wrote back to question exactly what they meant – bearing in mind they thought I was someone else. I said what had happened last time (i.e. pass my details onto Glasgow) and hinted I’d be willing to contact them myself if need be.
They apologised for the name, and explained they’d send them out, as a gesture of goodwill (LMAO!) It got better, because they are not allowed to give out names of company staff, and this is the correct method of contact.
So, the timetables arrived. The South West Scotland and Ireland Services booklet was out of date i.e. the old one that I already had. So, I emailed them back, asking for a new one, and asking if the old one had perhaps been extended.
The reply came “We do not publish this timetable”.
So, I scanned the cover, and emailed it back to them. Sorry, but this is what I received, in an envelope postmarked First ScotRail Customer Relations, Fort William.
They then apologised. Again. Said something obviously template pasted about new material coming in soon. One arrived about a week later, in a plain envelope, with no details of sender, and just a PHQ postmark.
Transforming Travel? You think so. Good to give these people work, but please, if you gave your staff a bit more information and assistance, the call and email volumes would decrease substantially! (I only worked in a call centre for most of six years of my life, in differing industries and climates, so naturally, this will not be a qualified opinion. Or a rant).
Next time I see a press release about First fare increases or service cuts…
