Yes, I agree people should be compensated. My comments were more related to the various suggestions that the sleeper operation is in a death spiral. Maybe it is (I hope not) but I think it's worth remembering that we are in somewhat exceptional times right now. There's clearly significant disruption to the sleeper and perhaps it could be better managed and perhaps it's exacerbated by poor industrial relations - but there are a lot of things that are disrupted at the moment so I don't think it's really fair to say that Covid related staffing issues are just being used as a convenient excuse.
It could definitely be better managed. I've had two experiences of a cancellation, way before Covid and the first one way before the dispute. Indeed, my first cancellation was on my first sleeper journey. The staff, both on the ground and on the phone from the Guest Service Centre, couldn't have done much more to look after us, seemed to really care and couldn't have given a much better first impression really. A steward even came through the ScotRail HST we ended up on to check if we had onward connections from Inverness and opened up the lounge on arrival for us, with staff there doing delay Repay forms with us in person. I just couldn't imagine that much care and attention these days.
The other cancellation I was informed of a few days in advance as mentioned above and offered the option of a bus transfer and a 50% refund despite an earlier arrival or a full refund if I abandoned the journey. Again, this doesn't happen now, it seems to be "take it or leave it" where buses are involved.
Take my first experience where I was phoned and informed of the cancellation, and then subsequently looked after so well when I finally did get moving, along with everyone else despite only having paid £35 for a seat and my most recent experience. Paid £280 for a room (shared admittedly) to be left stood waiting to board for an hour and a half with no information at all. Even the Euston security staff didn't know, said the sleeper staff who were seemingly just stood chatting by the gate line wouldn't tell them anything either, and then when we finally do board and get underway we're told there's no catering.
The management of it has deteriorated drastically even within the Serco era. There's absolutely no reason for letting passengers board a train with no catering, it's even been added to the auto announcements at Sheffield for example and is displayed on the PIS for TPE services at Edinburgh.
If it were once in a blue moon, or a "Ryanair" type service then they may deserve a bit of slack. But it's nearly every night at the moment and it's not nearly good enough when nearly everyone onboard, regardless of the amount of subsidy it gets as most people won't know or care about that, has paid upwards of £100 for their "experience".
For the record, I love sleeper travel. I really, really want the service to be successful and would (in normal times) encourage anyone to bite the bullet, put their hand in their pocket and use it. But I would, and sadly have, discourage anyone from using it at the moment. It's just so disappointing to see what should be an excellent, premium service consistently fall so short of what it should be.