ScotRail and cyclists (on the WHL)

[Hugh Spicer]

From an e-mail I have sent to ScotRail customer services - anyone else
p****d off by ScotRail's policy of compulsory bike reservations on WHL
services ?

ScotRail



Two friends and I had planned to use your ScotRail West Highland Line
service for a weekend trip to Bridge of Orchy (with our bicycles) but after
spending literally hours on the telephone



· trying to contact your telesales people,

· visiting a local station to be told that advance tickets could not
be booked,

· trying an online booking through the ScotRail website only to
discover you can't book bikes online



I have given up and we will take the car instead.



When I got through to your telesales people (on 08457 55 00 33) I was told
they could not make a cycle reservation for me and I would have to go to
Glasgow Queen Street station to do this. (Customer service ?) I was also
told I could not book tickets on-line at so late a stage because the tickets
would not arrive at the station on time for collection. I don't understand
this because I have booked tickets online before - for a journey at short
notice - and the details were, apparently, faxed to the station.



Net result = 3 lost customers for tomorrow.

[Ian McMillan]

Post by Hugh Spicer
From an e-mail I have sent to ScotRail customer services - anyone else
p****d off by ScotRail's policy of compulsory bike reservations on WHL
services ?

Please let us know how you get on regarding this issue. ScotRail still
haven't replied to a complaint I sent them on 7th May 2004.

[Hugh Spicer]

Here is the response I received by e-mail today from ScotRail:


"Thank you for your email message and for bringing to our attention the
difficulties you encountered
recently when trying to book tickets with our Telesales Office.

Our Telesales line has recently been transferred from Sheffield to
Newcastle as part of the merger
of the Qjump and Trainline businesses. This move is designed to improve
the quality of the
booking process and will be judged by us on this basis.

There have certainly been a number of problems in their first few weeks of
operation and your own
experience was clearly not a good one. Please be assured that this
experience, along with any
other customer feedback and quality checks will be used to improve any
deficiencies in the
service.

Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience you obviously
experienced on this
occasion".

Post by Ian McMillan

Post by Hugh Spicer
From an e-mail I have sent to ScotRail customer services - anyone else
p****d off by ScotRail's policy of compulsory bike reservations on WHL
services ?

Please let us know how you get on regarding this issue. ScotRail still
haven't replied to a complaint I sent them on 7th May 2004.
--
Ian McMillan
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scotrail - Scotland's online railway group
http://www.railpic.co.uk - now updated regularly again

[Hugh Spicer]

............and so much for customer service.....

.......and this is how the private sector run their railway
business.............

Post by Hugh Spicer
"Thank you for your email message and for bringing to our attention the
difficulties you encountered
recently when trying to book tickets with our Telesales Office.
Our Telesales line has recently been transferred from Sheffield to
Newcastle as part of the merger
of the Qjump and Trainline businesses. This move is designed to improve
the quality of the
booking process and will be judged by us on this basis.
There have certainly been a number of problems in their first few weeks of
operation and your own
experience was clearly not a good one. Please be assured that this
experience, along with any
other customer feedback and quality checks will be used to improve any
deficiencies in the
service.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience you obviously
experienced on this
occasion".

Post by Ian McMillan

Post by Hugh Spicer
From an e-mail I have sent to ScotRail customer services - anyone else
p****d off by ScotRail's policy of compulsory bike reservations on WHL
services ?

Please let us know how you get on regarding this issue. ScotRail still
haven't replied to a complaint I sent them on 7th May 2004.
--
Ian McMillan
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scotrail - Scotland's online railway group
http://www.railpic.co.uk - now updated regularly again