The trainline

northernrail2009 · 3 May 2011

Do the Trainline have a UK call centre?

I need to speak to them but am fed up with getting hold of someone outside the uk who does not understand what im on about.

RailUK Forums

bb21 · 3 May 2011

I think if you insist on speaking to a UK-based person they'll have to oblige. Have you tried it yet?

northernrail2009 · 3 May 2011

bb21 said:
I think if you insist on speaking to a UK-based person they'll have to oblige. Have you tried it yet?

Yes i have asked and all they said is that they cant.

SS4 · 3 May 2011

northernrail2009 said:
Yes i have asked and all they said is that they cant.

They would say that. Ask to speak to their supervisor and if you don't get put through you'll be writing a letter of complaint

island · 3 May 2011

For the future I suggest avoiding having to speak to them by using a TOC website to buy instead, and as a bonus, you won't pay absurd booking or credit card fees!

AlterEgo · 3 May 2011

Where's this right to speak to a UK-based call centre actually enshrined in law (or trade guidelines)?

bb21 · 3 May 2011

Apparently it's a myth, with obvious political motives, and originally started in the USA.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/servicerep.asp

Yes I know I spoke too soon in my first reply.

bnm · 3 May 2011

island said:
For the future I suggest avoiding having to speak to them by using a TOC website to buy instead, and as a bonus, you won't pay absurd booking or credit card fees!

Bear in mind though that if the TOC you use also uses thetrainline booking engine and you encounter a problem with a ticket purchase, you will still need to deal with thetrainline's Customer Service team.

northernrail2009 · 3 May 2011

island said:
For the future I suggest avoiding having to speak to them by using a TOC website to buy instead, and as a bonus, you won't pay absurd booking or credit card fees!

I didnt book via Trainline website i booked via South west trains website but its done by trainline for some reason.

ushawk · 3 May 2011

I once had a problem with Southerns ticket booking and used their helpline provided, was a UK based person who sorted it quickly. No booking or Credit-Card fees either there.

If their call centre isnt UK based, then i guess you have to try and listen closely, if thats at all possible.

glynn80 · 3 May 2011

SS4 said:
They would say that. Ask to speak to their supervisor and if you don't get put through you'll be writing a letter of complaint

I have had a lot of dealing with call centres in my time and asking to speak to a supervisor in an Indian call centre will get you nowhere.

All it will get you, is either:

Cut off
or Transferred back into the generic queue, so someone else has to deal with you

junglejames · 3 May 2011

glynn80 said:
I have had a lot of dealing with call centres in my time and asking to speak to a supervisor in an Indian call centre will get you nowhere.

All it will get you, is either:

Cut off

or Transferred back into the generic queue, so someone else has to deal with you

Wow, that is poor. Ive never tried this so wouldnt know. But gives another reason why call centres should not be transferred out to India.
Very very poor.
Hey i just thought. Wouldnt it be funny if whoever cut you off, then answered another call 1min later, and it just so happened to be the same (now very disgruntled) customer at the other end!!! Of course, they would probably try and say it was a fault at our end of the line!!!

strange6 · 3 May 2011

I refuse to do business with companies that use foreign call centres.

46100ROYALSCOT · 4 May 2011

northernrail2009 said:

Do the Trainline have a UK call centre?

I need to speak to them but am fed up with getting hold of someone outside the uk who does not understand what im on about.

Click to expand...

Some useful numbers here from the saynoto0870 site

Company Name 0870 / 0871 0844 / 0845 01 / 02 / 03 Freephone Other Information
South West Trains 0845 600 0650 023 8021 3600 Customer service centre
South West Trains Recruitment 0845 408 1322 01256 776050

Unverified Numbers Database
Company Name 0870 / 0871 0844 / 0845 01 / 02 / 03 Freephone Other Information
South West Trains 0845 607 999 023 8021 3600
South West Trains 0870 906 6649 023 8021 3600 Telephone number can be used to pre-book bicycle carriage
South West Trains 0845 600 0650 023 8021 3605 Telesales
south west trains 0845 600 0650

barrykas · 4 May 2011

46100ROYALSCOT said:
Some useful numbers here from the saynoto0870 site

None of whom can help you if you have a problem with a booking made through Trainline or one of the TOC-branded versions of same...

Greenback · 4 May 2011

northernrail2009 said:
I didnt book via Trainline website i booked via South west trains website but its done by trainline for some reason.

This may be a stupid question, but if you use a branded website, how can they then direct you to a third party if something goes wrong?

northernrail2009 · 5 May 2011

Greenback said:
This may be a stupid question, but if you use a branded website, how can they then direct you to a third party if something goes wrong?

As far as i know the trainline do all the payments for most TOC that is as far as i know so if there are any problems with bookings then we have to contact trainline.

barrykas · 5 May 2011

Greenback said:
This may be a stupid question, but if you use a branded website, how can they then direct you to a third party if something goes wrong?

Quite easily...It's in the Terms and Conditions that nobody ever reads.

In the case of the SWT site, the relevant extract reads:

SWT said:
The booking engine transactional pages - those with a web address prefixed by www.buytickets.southwesttrains.co.uk - are, meanwhile, managed by Trainline.com Limited ("Trainline") and, as such, your use of this part of the website should be in accordance with Trainline's Website Usage Policy.

Customers purchasing a ticket(s) for travel are advised that they are entering into a contract with Trainline in accordance with the Terms and Conditions relating to the Online Purchase of Tickets below and that, in these cases, any queries regarding the purchase of the ticket(s) should be directed to Trainline. The Trainline Privacy Policy shall apply in relation to any personal data collected by Trainline in this regard.

Cheers,

Barry

TTL · 5 May 2011

northernrail2009 said:
Do the Trainline have a UK call centre?

I need to speak to them but am fed up with getting hold of someone outside the uk who does not understand what im on about.

Hi, we do have a UK contact centre and when dialling our number you could reach an advisor based in the UK or India.

If there is something in particular I can help you with then you can also reach me on Twitter - @thetrainline.

Simon.

Greenback · 5 May 2011

barrykas said:
Quite easily...It's in the Terms and Conditions that nobody ever reads.

I'm glad I stick to the 'other lot'! Perhaps I should read who I might have a contract with should things go belly up with EC or LM!

bnm · 6 May 2011

TTL said:
If there is something in particular I can help you with then you can also reach me on Twitter - @thetrainline.

Yes. Can you tell us who commissioned the latest god-awful trainline TV advert. Previously calling passengers sheep was bad enough, but now you've gone with a cr*p reworking of an already cr*p song. :roll:

Top marks for joining and posting here, but I think it highly unlikely that any of the advice given on this particular board will ever recommend using thetrainline.com

SS4 · 6 May 2011

bnm said:
Yes. Can you tell us who commissioned the latest god-awful trainline TV advert. Previously calling passengers sheep was bad enough, but now you've gone with a cr*p reworking of an already cr*p song. :roll:

Top marks for joining and posting here, but I think it highly unlikely that any of the advice given on this particular board will ever recommend using thetrainline.com

Agreed on both counts. I found the latest ad to be very misleading and implying that you could get even Anytime and Off-Peak at vastly reduced prices. In addition percentages need to related to something.

For example I can spend £37 on a First Advance whereas the Anytime Single is £120 - a saving of 69.2% which makes a great headline price. This isn't a TTL problem so much as general statistical ignorance though

bb21 · 6 May 2011

bnm said:
Top marks for joining and posting here, but I think it highly unlikely that any of the advice given on this particular board will ever recommend using thetrainline.com

That is unless they start doing some sort of a special offer. Redspottedhanky have realised that charge booking fees is not necessarily the best way forward and now that they have abolished it, they have won over my custom with their special offers in conjunction with Tesco vouchers, where TOCs don't offer discounts on their own tickets. TTL don't have to do something so drastic, however to win over the sceptics on this forum, something needs to be done to sweeten the deal with the customers. Maybe tie up with Nectar or some other loyalty schemes and offer £10 of travel for every 1000 points or somethings and try absorb some of the ludicrous fees.

Greenback · 6 May 2011

It's debatable whether they need to win over us members at all. Presumably enough people are taken in by the misleading adverts and happily pay the ludicrous fees despite our scepticism, otherwise they would have changed, or at least attempted to change, their business model already.

Indeed, as has been illustrated on here a few times, even some members of this forum are quite happy to continue to use The Trainline despite the disadvantages!

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