FGW ignoring and deleting posts

[D2022]

Seems to be, I'm not the only one to notice, that if you dare to say even a slightly bad word to or criticise their service on Facebook and Twitter they either delete or ignore it.

Seems they don't want there reputation tarnished....disgusting to do this though.

 

[Goatboy]

To be honest you can hardly blame them - customer complains are best dealt with on a personal basis and not plastered all over media outlets.

 

[richw]

I'm under the impression any complaints are deleted and the posters details passed to the complaints team, They are deleted due to so many unfounded and quite frankly unacceptable false complaints. The twitter team are not in the position to investigate complaints.

 

[fgwrich]

I'm under the impression any complaints are deleted and the posters details passed to the complaints team, They are deleted due to so many unfounded and quite frankly unacceptable false complaints. The twitter team are not in the position to investigate complaints.

Reminds me of some of the comments on their facebook page this summer. Supprisingly, FTPE didn't seem to receive too many 'Anti First Group / We love Virgin' comments, but the FGW Communications team were bombarded with all sorts of comments, some ok, others ridiculous / unfounded and swearing / bordering on the unpleasant.

The usual complaints seem to be - Why arnt you bringing more trains, i pay for a seat (do you?!), i pay for my season ticket, but my train is late due to some rain (floods) / FGW Cant run a service everytime it rains etc... Including a rather 'nice' argument reccently by somebody from Maida Vale, which spiralled into a 50 odd argument between common sense & the ridiculous.

 

[Captain Chaos]

It doesn't help that some of the postings, especially on Twitter, can quickly turn into verbal abuse. Especially when it involves members of staff. People have a tendency to be more vocal on the Internet. Funny that.

I have witnessed this first hand too. A colleague of mine had someone post a complaint on twitter which quickly turned into a tirade of verbal abuse about the Guard. Sadly for the complainant my colleague saw this on Twitter himself. As did a lot of us. This could be one reason. Ultimately these things are designed to allow the companies to divulge information and queries as I understand it. Perhaps solving the simple issues as and when they arise too. They aren't there to allow a portal for people to be verbally abusive towards us. It is a shame that the behaviour of others prevents these forms of communication from achieving their full potential.

 

[D2022]

I appreciate what people are saying, I just feel it's disgusting given how Firsts management treat the public when spoken to face to face.

 

[Greenback]

I appreciate what people are saying, I just feel it's disgusting given how Firsts management treat the public when spoken to face to face.

I disagree. As has been said, genuine issues are best resolved in private, not in public, and rants are best ignored or deleted.

 

[jopsuk]

do you have specific examples? Obviously on twitter they cannot delete anything that they don't post themselves.

What of yours have they ignored or (on facebook) deleted?

 

[richw]

do you have specific examples? Obviously on twitter they cannot delete anything that they don't post themselves.

What of yours have they ignored or (on facebook) deleted?

they can delete stuff posted on their facebook wall, but cant remove a tweet where they've simply been @fgw tagged.

 

[D2022]

Go on their Facebook and look lol, seriously. The evidence is there. Or do you mean specific incidents I've seen of managers being impolite?

 

[jopsuk]

Yes, that's sort of what I said. I just wonder what the OP is specifically upset about- whether they can reproduce a deleted facebook post or perhaps show us some ignored tweets? I do wonder if the OP appreciates that it is not "management" but relatively lowly customer service personnel that man the TOC corporate twitter accounts?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Go on their Facebook and look lol, seriously. The evidence is there. Or do you mean specific incidents I've seen of managers being impolite?

The posts you say have been deleted are there? Just link to a specific example. We might have sympathy with you if you do.

 

[richw]

Yes, that's sort of what I said. I just wonder what the OP is specifically upset about- whether they can reproduce a deleted facebook post or perhaps show us some ignored tweets? I do wonder if the OP appreciates that it is not "management" but relatively lowly customer service personnel that man the TOC corporate twitter accounts?
.

Barring Ollie and Jo managing it, the FGW tweeters are agency staff operated by Serco.

 

[D2022]

Log into facebook and just look up First Great Western, or FGW on Twitter, I won't copy and pate things as it could lead to someone working out who I actually am.

The management issue is an in person issue, not a online one.

 

[Harlesden]

I may be old fashioned, but I feel it is totally inappropriate to place complaints on a company's social networking site. The site is there principally for promotional purposes to provide up to date information for customers. If there was a way on Facebook to actually block incoming messages, I am sure many company's would use it so as to eliminate abusive communications. Many people making complaints are in a highly emotional state and prone to rudeness.

 

[richw]

Ollie has replied to someone whom I believe may be you saying that posts mentioning staff members or bad language are the only posts that get deleted.

 

[D2022]

http://m.facebook.com/home.php?refsrc=http://m.facebook.com/search/&refid=8&_rdr

 

[richw]

Theres another reply saying:
Sorry to hear not happy with how staff handled this on board. We do not deal with staff complaints on Facebook so would ask you go via our customer services team. You can email them here: [email protected] -Ollie
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

http://m.facebook.com/home.php?refsrc=http://m.facebook.com/search/&refid=8&_rdr

That just brings up mine in mobile format, doesnt show anything other than redirecting whoever clicks on it to there own news feed in mobile format

 

[D2022]

Ollie has replied to someone whom I believe may be you saying that posts mentioning staff members or bad language are the only posts that get deleted.

No it's not me, trust me. I'm not allowed to post on their wall. Never have been.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Theres another reply saying:
Sorry to hear not happy with how staff handled this on board. We do not deal with staff complaints on Facebook so would ask you go via our customer services team. You can email them here: [email protected] -Ollie
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


That just brings up mine in mobile format, doesnt show anything other than redirecting whoever clicks on it to there own news feed in mobile format

I dunno what to do with that then. I don't use a laptop as I don't have one, only my phone.

 

[FGW_DID]

Be it Facebook or Twitter, it would appear to be the same on railway internet forums, as soon as you see certain usernames you can be sure that somewhere in the post there will be anti (insert TOC here) comments.

By all means I'm not saying people cant or shouldn't complain about TOCs but it does get a bit boring with the 'I've got an axe to grind so i'll let everyone know about it' type comments especially when it doesn't really add anything to the specific thread.

 

[Goatboy]

If you have a complaint about the services of a TOC you should write to them. Sending insults and complaints over Facebook strikes me as incredibly juevenille and it's only right that TOC's remove such comments.

 

[richw]

If you look at fgw facebook now, there are 3 complaints all relate to external factors beyond FGW control, yet despite Ollie explaining the external factors, the people have commented that these are excuses etc.

 

[D2022]

It would appear to be the same on railway internet forums, as soon as you see certain usernames you can be sure that somewhere in the post there will be anti (insert TOC here) comments.

By all means I'm not saying people cant or shouldn't complain about TOCs but it does get a bit boring with the 'I've got an axe to grind so i'll let everyone know about it' type comments especially when it doesn't really add anything to the specific thread.

I'm not anti FGW per say, I do hate them with a passion. With good reason too. But they run a reasonably reliable rail service that I use on a daily basis. There are worse companies out there so I'll take the lesser of evils. Plus I get 'perks' on some FGW trains that I can't really go into
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If you have a complaint about the services of a TOC you should write to them. Sending insults and complaints over Facebook strikes me as incredibly juevenille and it's only right that TOC's remove such comments.

And what insults are those? I haven't sent any...

 

[Eagle]

I'm not anti FGW per se, I do hate them with a passion.

Read that again and tell me that it makes sense. :P

 

[D2022]

Read that again and tell me that it makes sense. :P

I should explain, I hate them, but given that I use them every day wouldn't go posting hate on their sites etc...not worth getting barred from their trains.

 

[FGW_DID]

Ha Ha, wasn't particularly aimed at you D2022!!

As for Goatboys comment about insults, I think that was a generalisation as well.

(or is that "I haven't sent any.....................yet )

 

[D2022]

Ha Ha, wasn't particularly aimed at you D2022!!

As for Goatboys comment about insults, I think that was a generalisation as well.

(or is that "I haven't sent any.....................yet )

Ah fair enough, my bad

It's not a yet either I've got my views on FGW and bar from the one guard I speak to about them I tend not to bother with telling first them, I've had enough grief off them in the past regarding other things.

 

[Goatboy]

And what insults are those? I haven't sent any...

I never said you did! I'm talking about people who insult or complain about TOC's on official Facebook pages. I've no idea if you do that or not

 

[tbtc]

I'm not anti FGW per say, I do hate them with a passion. With good reason too. But they run a reasonably reliable rail service that I use on a daily basis. There are worse companies out there so I'll take the lesser of evils. Plus I get 'perks' on some FGW trains that I can't really go into

You're really not helping your cause here or giving us much reason why they should have to put up with your rants, sorry.

Twitter/ FB are best for providing up to date information, not for investigating a complaint

 

[D2022]

You're really not helping your cause here or giving us much reason why they should have to put up with your rants, sorry.

Twitter/ FB are best for providing up to date information, not for investigating a complaint

I've not got a cause so to speak or a rant, I just think given that social networking is what most of the younger generation do it should be a good way to handle complaints, not hide them.

 

[Captain Chaos]

According to a posting on the FB page (you'll have to dig it out), the stance for deleting posts is as I suspected. Any complaints dealing with staff members are deleted and the poster is asked to send an e-mail and it is dealt with privately. Reason given is over potential staff identification issues.

On a related note there is a complaint about me on there (it got a response backing up what I had said)! Afterwards she has a little jab at me about something else too. Disappointed actually. I work the train very regularly (I swap for it) and the only real complaint I have ever had off it was someone claiming we hadn't stopped somewhere when we clearly had! Oh well. There goes my perfect run on it!

Does make me wonder though what does get said about me and others I know on a regular basis though in a way. I only looked because of this thread too!