Twitter desks - quality of information

185 · 7 Apr 2017

Having seen a few awful examples at my own employer recently of passengers being told their ticket is "perfectly fine" when it simply wasn't, I wondered how other operators Twitter desks fare with their retail knowledge. In fairness, when we reported two offending staff at my company for repeatedly either leaving passengers stranded or travelling without correct tickets, management stuck them on a retail refresher course in the room of doom / company training centre.

As I'm one of the big nasty men (quote, passenger) or facist (quote, passenger) who is expected to report, effectively penalise those passengers I thought I would have a quick look at other companies, to see if I'm maybe expecting too much.

Not good so far.

Today, drifting onto Northern's twitter noticed immediately an striking error with a passenger presenting a booked train only 1 of 2 coupons portion told she can use any train "as there's no time on it".

Recently, seeing Facebook posts from colleagues at neighbouring TOCs, they too have reports of not just Northern but other operators Twitter desks also seemingly sending passengers to their impending doom.

Any thoughts?

RailUK Forums

causton · 7 Apr 2017

I am not surprised, but disappointed.

185 · 7 Apr 2017

It worries me that having a degree as a "digital social media executive" thus being able to correctly use Lols, 'Rofls' and err.. "Emoticons" is the only key skill HR People consider important for that job. Proper retail training seems to be missing from this key information role at almost all operators - many who inexplicably contract this job out to hired hands.

Tetchytyke · 7 Apr 2017

Not surprised, but there should be no doom. That passenger was authorised by an authorised railway employee to take an earlier train.

*ducks*

Bletchleyite · 7 Apr 2017

I'm guessing this is actually another case of the reservation getting stuck in the TVM?

In practice it should be neither here nor there, as most guards would allow travel with the ticket plus a printout of the booking confirmation, as there is in that case no potential for reuse.

Bertie the bus · 7 Apr 2017

It seems to be a growing trend with companies and government agencies where instead of giving staff better training to provide relevant and accurate information they just recruit more people to give the same guff on additional platforms.

Bletchleyite · 7 Apr 2017

Bertie the bus said:
It seems to be a growing trend with companies and government agencies where instead of giving staff better training to provide relevant and accurate information they just recruit more people to give the same guff on additional platforms.

You can get away with that if you have a "computer says no" style operation like a budget airline - but the railway is just too complex for it to work.

Starmill · 7 Apr 2017

It is very, very unlikely that you will be able to get highly detailed, accurate information out of a train company twitter. Actual customer support is almost unheard of. Of course, these are common outside of the railway. Check out the Xbox or Spotify support accounts.

185 · 7 Apr 2017

Neil Williams said:
I'm guessing this is actually another case of the reservation getting stuck in the TVM?

Looking closely at the picture there does appear to be another ticket directly under the obvious one. I mean, it could in theory be a day return for Ruabon to Llangollen by nuclear hovertrain, but my suspicions are it is probably the actual reservation portion (2/2).

Bletchleyite · 7 Apr 2017

Starmill said:
It is very, very unlikely that you will be able to get highly detailed, accurate information out of a train company twitter. Actual customer support is almost unheard of. Of course, these are common outside of the railway. Check out the Xbox or Spotify support accounts.

In the days when a senior manager ran it, LM Twitter was utterly superb - I even got a stop order placed on a train using it after a cancellation left a long gap at Bletchley. Unfortunately, the bean counters stepped in.

robbeech · 7 Apr 2017

Isn't Ruabon to Llangollen valid via Chester anyway?

AlterEgo · 7 Apr 2017

185 said:
It worries me that having a degree as a "digital social media executive" thus being able to correctly use Lols, 'Rofls' and err.. "Emoticons" is the only key skill HR People consider important for that job. Proper retail training seems to be missing from this key information role at almost all operators - many who inexplicably contract this job out to hired hands.

It's missing at many TOCs for many roles beyond the Twitter desk, sadly.

185143 · 7 Apr 2017

Neil Williams said:
In the days when a senior manager ran it, LM Twitter was utterly superb - I even got a stop order placed on a train using it after a cancellation left a long gap at Bletchley. Unfortunately, the bean counters stepped in.

I got a special stop order out of EMT in similar circumstances about 3 years ago.

Merseysider · 7 Apr 2017

Just last year, Virgin's Twitter team backed me up against both a Euston supervisor and a TM on the barriers about ticket validity after they wouldn't allow me to board the train.

The TM's words as he slouched off to his train, after letting me through, were 'I'll be having words with this "M" on Twitter'

Qwerty133 · 8 Apr 2017

Neil Williams said:
In the days when a senior manager ran it, LM Twitter was utterly superb - I even got a stop order placed on a train using it after a cancellation left a long gap at Bletchley. Unfortunately, the bean counters stepped in.

It was but it wasn't sustainable for the same person to be manning a twitter account for 18 hours a day 7 days a week

mugam4 · 8 Apr 2017

I'll ask Twitter a request to 'bend the rules' a little before I ask staff, as they're more likely to give a customer-focused answer rather than a do-it-by-the-book answer.

GatwickDepress · 8 Apr 2017

JakeF said:
Just last year, Virgin's Twitter team backed me up against both a Euston supervisor and a TM on the barriers about ticket validity after they wouldn't allow me to board the train.

The TM's words as he slouched off to his train, after letting me through, were 'I'll be having words with this "M" on Twitter'

I find that satisfying on a very very primal level.

yorkie · 8 Apr 2017

mugam4 said:
I'll ask Twitter a request to 'bend the rules' a little before I ask staff, as they're more likely to give a customer-focused answer rather than a do-it-by-the-book answer.

It very much depends. If you're asking a Guard, I'd say it's the other way round. Gateline staff in the London area can be terrible though so you'd be better off asking on Twitter.

miami · 9 Apr 2017

JakeF said:
Just last year, Virgin's Twitter team backed me up against both a Euston supervisor and a TM on the barriers about ticket validity after they wouldn't allow me to board the train.

The TM's words as he slouched off to his train, after letting me through, were 'I'll be having words with this "M" on Twitter'

Should be slouching off to a re-education camp. Virgin know their staff are inadequately trained, but they make more money because of it, so why would they bother.

GaryMcEwan · 9 Apr 2017

Don't tweet Scotrail. They are beyond useless and from what I've seen and read, it appears to be only one person on it and when the proverbial hits the fan with any delays or service updates, they do not respond to anyone and send a tweet out saying they 'are too busy to respond to all tweets'.

They don't like constructive criticism either, they either ignore or tell you to send an email.

LowLevel · 11 Apr 2017

mugam4 said:
I'll ask Twitter a request to 'bend the rules' a little before I ask staff, as they're more likely to give a customer-focused answer rather than a do-it-by-the-book answer.

Though do be aware that in such cases the Twitter desk (at my TOC at least) will ring the train crew and ask rather than make the decision, before they reply

Someone mentioned EMT's desk - that's somewhat unusual in being manned 24/7 by someone actually based in the TOC control room - during the day a dedicated customer contact controller and overnight by one of the duty managers.

221129 · 11 Apr 2017

LowLevel said:
Though do be aware that in such cases the Twitter desk (at my TOC at least) will ring the train crew and ask rather than make the decision, before they reply

Someone mentioned EMT's desk - that's somewhat unusual in being manned 24/7 by someone actually based in the TOC control room - during the day a dedicated customer contact controller and overnight by one of the duty managers.

Same with ours at XC.

Bletchleyite · 11 Apr 2017

Qwerty133 said:
It was but it wasn't sustainable for the same person to be manning a twitter account for 18 hours a day 7 days a week

Indeed not, but the same effect could have been achieved by having it managed by people who have the knowledge and the remit to do things to solve problems straight away, i.e. by locating it in Control and having a relatively senior manager in charge.

From other postings on here it seems EMT do do this, but others don't - LM now don't give them any power at all from what I can see, and run very short opening times too.

Paul Kelly · 11 Apr 2017

I had great service from the CrossCountry twitter last year when I accidentally left some luggage behind on a train. They liaised with the train manager to confirm it was still there and arranged for the next train manager to hand it over to me when I met the train when it was passing back through my alighting station on its return journey later that day. Such a refreshing change from being told you have to wait for lost property to turn up at some centralised storage location, wait a week or so and then pay to get it back (as happened to me with Easyjet recently).

Abpj17 · 11 Apr 2017

and there is the legendary VM twitter team helping a guy out on a train....

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/01/06/toilet-paper-delivery-twitter_n_6423760.html

Adam told BuzzFeed: “I got a tweet from Virgin Trains asking which carriage I was on, so I responded quickly by peering out the toilet room door and checking the carriage letter - this wasn’t awkward at all I swear.

“I tweeted back with the carriage number and I shortly after I saw a guy looking quite worried in a full black suit carrying toilet roll, after the awkward exchange and smiles I grabbed it off him and finished what I started!”

Twitter desks - quality of information

Established Member

Attachments

RailUK Forums

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Forum Staff

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Verified Rep - BR Fares

Member