h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Did you get a reply? We're all eagerly waiting you know!

No, cos I've since found up their policy is to get back to you within 30 days or something equally wrong

Oh for sake. You could have another ten or twenty bad days by then.

Welcome to the world of Scotrail! They're so bad I suppose I should laugh.

You know, they have Meet the Managers days when even the MD gets on a certain train and answer your questions, field complaints, etc. Never seen one on my train, and I'm on them Monday to Friday at every rush hour, without fail.

We apologise for the late arrival of your reply. This is due to a problem with the reply to the previous complaint. Have a small bottle of warm fizzy water and a couple of broken biscuits as compensation.

I've just recieved the following letter.

Dear fords,

In response to your letters of complaint dated 21 June 1989 - 6 July 2000 inclusive we would like to apologise for the delay in our response.

This was due to the wrong type of mess on our desks at the response centre. A bad case of security guards not being available for the operation of our call centre. No driver being available to operate our Amstrad 64 computers and copy your files unto our new windows 95 driven machines.

We have taken your comments on board, last seen on the sleeper from Inverness to London in fact, and hope to improve our servie and complaints procedure in the future.

Yours

British Rail (deleted)
Scot Rail (deleted)
Rifts Cots Aril

The reply I received today:

04 September 2005

Dear fords

Thank you for contacting me about your journey on 26 August. First
ScotRail is committed to provide a quality service and to run all trains to
time and I am sorry for the delays and cancellations you encountered when
travelling between Glasgow and Dunblane. This was due to an infrastructure
failure and I am very sorry for the inconvenience this type of delay
causes.

As you are probably aware the railway infrastructure does not come under
our control, but is the responsibility of Network Rail and I can assure you
that we are as frustrated with this type of delay as you are. Network Rail
also accepts that the situation cannot continue and they are looking at
ways to improve matters. Further work is due to take place at various
points on the network and there is a full programme of renewal and
maintenance throughout the winter timetable. New equipment is also being
installed to prevent signal failures at Glasgow. We will continue to lobby
for works to be completed but the network is clearly very fragile and it
would be foolish to suggest that all infrastructure delays can be
eliminated in the very near future.

I can appreciate your frustration at the service you have received.
Cancelling a train or even a delay does bring heavy financial penalties to
us as well as disappointing our customers. We do not cancel or delay any
train unless it is absolutely unavoidable. It is important to us that First
ScotRail regains its reputation as being one of the most reliable and
punctual Train Operators in the UK.

If a train is cancelled and there is another service an hour later,
customers will normally travel on that next service. This is because if we
were to arrange alternative transport the next service would invariably
arrive at the customer’s destination first and therefore the customer would
not benefit.

Only in exceptional circumstances such as a missed last train connection or
serious disruption etc, will we provide replacement buses or taxis and this
is only arranged through operators that we have approved. This is to ensure
that the onward travel arrangements are made with due regard to customer
safety and security.

Unfortunately I cannot comment on your reference to the First Bus service
not turning up, although both companies fall under the First Group, we are
different companies.

Thank you again for contacting me and I am sorry for the inconvenience you
experienced.

Yours Sincerely

Some bloke from Scotrail

So, basically they apologised for disruptions on a route I wasn't travelling on, blamed it on someone else and don't seem to be that bothered.

Take it further. Ask them why they are apologising for a service you weren't on, and why they're not apologising for the one you were. Tell them you'll be getting Mr McAngry (Nicky Campbell) off Watchdog involved, that'll get them worried.

Agreed.

That was just round one for them with complaints. They get rid of a few complainers that way.

"ding ding" Round 2...

Think I'll do my reply tomorrow when I'm not as tired, but I was pretty miffed that they couldn't get my route correct - I think I made that clear!

I'll certainly be asking if they'll be forwarding my complaint to Network Rail and First Bus too.

I wouldn't rely on them doing that, your best bet to set the cat amongst the pidgeons would be to CC it yourself. Maybe to a few others to.

Might just do that. Thanks for the tip

You could always send a letter to your minister of transport!

I CC ours in a few years ago when a train I was travelling on got diverted *after* the stop I could have gotten off at and changed. Slightly slower to my destination but at least I wouldn't have been stranded were I ended up!

Anyway they cacked their y fronts and ended up sending me 4 days free travel discounted off of my season ticket. Not much but it was something.

I do hope the travelling gets better for you its bad enough we all have to work, without having a horrible time getting there and back again!

I'm still thinking about how to word the letter without swearing

For a start remind them that when you buy a ticket your contract is with them, not Joe Bloggs who fixes the tracks - they have the contract with them not you.

Also remind them just as they will expect compensation at the end of the year for all the disruptions to their services and loss of business (except season ticket holders of course) the same could be said for you.

The time and route is advertised and if - as they say they have been expecting track improvements - then they are in a position to forewarn travellers that delays can be expected. I assume there wasnt a notice?

Whatever problems they have with another a company, they are not yours. You deal with them and have paid for a service they have failed to provide, it is their tough luck if they can't provide a service due to someone else they deal with. Your contract - in purchasing a ticket - be it a day ticket or season ticket - is with them and as such they are responsible for problems in their failure to fulfill that contract - ie by supplying the advertised transport.

However the unforseen can happen, and that is taken onboard but compensation for the disruption and inconvenience is the least they will expect from Joe Bloggs on the tracks, and so do the customers who did not receive the service they paid for.

I am in a foul mood and itching for a fight - can you tell?

Do you want to write my email to them for me?

And that Cr*pity cr*p about the fines.... the money just goes round and round in a circle and I can assure you that the fines we have to pay to *THEM* when there is an infrastructure failure causing delay is alot worse than the fines they pay for late trains....

For example a train delayed near London Victoria costs us around £2,000 for every minute its delayed.....

For them its like oh dear your train service was abissmal this year, lets fine them £100,000. Which the big fat bald evil bloke from the train operators gets out of his wallet from his Christmas bonus and still has enough left to buy a yacht.....

Perhaps a well placed cattle prod if you ever visit their offices?....

I've just had to complain to one great eastern - there are pigeons nesting on the station, and there's crap everywhere.

My response to Scotrail's response:

Dear Scotrail

Thank you for your email and for not reading mine properly. I don't believe I ever said I was travelling from Glasgow to Dunblane, so top marks for paying attention.

When I buy a ticket to travel on one of your trains, my contract is with YOU, not Network Rail. Therefore it is YOUR responsibility to get me to my destination. I would also like to point out that just as you expect compensation from Network Rail for all the disruptions to your services (and I know how much they pay in fines compared to you) surely that should apply to all of your customers? A 5% discount on season tickets just doesn't hold up; what if you've bought a standard return ticket? I would think it is your responsibility as a company to get Network Rail to fix your tracks without your passengers having to suffer.

I subscribe to Journey Alert and have to say that when the email comes through at 5 o'clock (if you were paying attention before you would have noticed I get the 1737 Dunblane service going to Polmont) simply saying that there are disruptions is not enough. I want to know exactly what the problem is and what's being done with it in case I want to get home by alternative arrangement. The same goes for station staff being able to give passengers informative announcements. If you can make them out over the abysmal PA system at Haymarket, that is.

I appreciate that there are unforeseen circumstances, but that is not my fault. As a service provider it is up to you to provide a service. Just because the trains were back up and running that Friday does not mean that I would want to hang about for three hours on a cold platform drinking overpriced 'coffee'. I expect you, the service provider, to get me home by alternative transport where necessary. That is my contract with you.

I'd appreciate it if you could read my email properly this time and actually give me some answers. Oh, and I don't suppose you bothered forwarding my email to FirstBus? Probably not, seeing as you are under the same company but aren't really.

Yours sincerely

fords