Cross Country 1st class catering problems?

[tc99]

Hi,

I have some tickets booked on XC this coming week to get me to Manchester.

Last night I received an e-mail from XC stating...

We are currently reviewing our catering offer, and as such some of our services will not have the advertised catering on board over the coming weeks. Because of this your booked journey may be affected.

Now they have offered to let me cancel for free which I don't want to do as I still need to get to Manchester. But do I assume there will be no catering at all (in which case I need to take some food with me) or that there might be a problem, in which case I've still got to take food with me, as finding out once I'm on board is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

If I know for sure there's at least the standard class trolley then I can always use that.

The email helpfully adds

If you do travel as planned, we will be offering affected First Class customers a gesture of goodwill. Please speak to a member of staff on board to secure a confirmation card explaining how to make that claim.

But again that seems to rather miss the point that passengers are better off knowing with certainty what the catering situation is.

Any thoughts as to whether there will be any food at all are most welcome.

To complicate matters further I've split the ticket which massively reduced the fare. It's one train throughout, but I have no idea if this impacts all of the journey or only a part of it.

The tickets were booked via the XC website and I was logged into my account at the time incase that helps.

Many thanks

 

[Randomer]

No idea whether they will provide food or not unfortunately.

To be fair to Crosscountry there actions do seem very reasonable. Catering in First Class is not contractual (without starting an argument about whether it should be) but they are still offering refunds and whatever the gesture may be it's not something they have to do.

Do let us know what the gesture of good will ends up being if you do unfortunately end up without food.

 

[Zerothebrake!]

Quite a few First Class Hosts have taken advantage of a company severance scheme and finished working at the end of March leaving a staffing shortfall.

 

[Carlisle]

Quite a few First Class Hosts have taken advantage of a company severance scheme and finished working at the end of March leaving a staffing shortfall.

Yes that’s what I was thinking & wouldn’t be surprised if some other Inter City TOCs face similar issues .

 

[tc99]

I contacted XC on messenger. They said they won't know until the day what the situation is and that it may affect standard class catering too. Will report back later in the week.

 

[Watershed]

Catering in First Class is not contractual

That's not necessarily true. Section 50 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives contractual force to anything written or said by traders to consumers, where the consumer takes that representation into account in making purchasing decisions.

If a passenger reads on XC's site etc. that catering is available in First Class, they could very well decide to buy a First rather than Standard ticket. That statement would thus be a term of the contract.

It's disappointing but hardly surprising that XC are being cagey about the fact they've offered voluntary redundancy (effectively) to a load of staff and this is why their catering offer is uncertain.

 

[LowLevel]

Was this part of the national severance scheme or a Cross Country scheme, out of interest. I've always thought their crewing costs must be through the roof given they were running 4 car trains with a driver, train manager, retail service manager and first class host all on above average wages.

EMR on the other hand let go a few caterers (chefs, for the most part) who applied for the national scheme but have just recruited to fill a decent number of vacant first class host positions so the situation must be fairly fluid across TOCs.

 

[lammergeier]

Was this part of the national severance scheme or a Cross Country scheme, out of interest. I've always thought their crewing costs must be through the roof given they were running 4 car trains with a driver, train manager, retail service manager and first class host all on above average wages.

EMR on the other hand let go a few caterers (chefs, for the most part) who applied for the national scheme but have just recruited to fill a decent number of vacant first class host positions so the situation must be fairly fluid across TOCs.

National Severance Scheme. Not sure how many took it but quite a few have left.

 

[Sleepy]

Yes that’s what I was thinking & wouldn’t be surprised if some other Inter City TOCs face similar issues .

Greater Anglia are struggling to cover all services, this is due to a combination of severance, moving to other roles and high rates of Covid currently.

 

[dk1]

Greater Anglia are struggling to cover all services, this is due to a combination of severance, moving to other roles and high rates of Covid currently.

Weekdays all booked services should be covered even with a few staff absences. Sundays are hit & miss now its voluntary.

 

[Sleepy]

Weekdays all booked services should be covered even with a few staff absences. Sundays are hit & miss now its voluntary.

Last week last 3 services not covered virtually every day plus others ad hoc gaps during the day.

 

[dk1]

Last week last 3 services not covered virtually every day plus others ad hoc gaps during the day.

That is rather unusual. Was there disruption? I cant remember the last time there was no catering when booked on my Norwich to London service.

 

[Sleepy]

That is rather unusual. Was there disruption? I cant remember the last time there was no catering when booked on my Norwich to London service.

The late nights were shown as uncovered on daily lists.

 

[ServerHoster]

Quite a few First Class Hosts have taken advantage of a company severance scheme and finished working at the end of March leaving a staffing shortfall.

That explains why the Train Manager was doing the FC catering on my train a couple weeks ago!

 

[dk1]

The late nights were shown as uncovered on daily lists.

Thanks I hadn't seen that. I know there where a couple of gripes on Twitter but they where from unfamiliar passengers on early morning trains which where not booked to have catering.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Quite a few First Class Hosts have taken advantage of a company severance scheme and finished working at the end of March leaving a staffing shortfall.

Now that's gross incompetence on XC's part, offering it to more people than they could afford to lose.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Now that's gross incompetence on XC's part, offering it to more people than they could afford to lose.

My understanding is that it was ultimately the DfT's decision as to who got voluntary severance, rather than the TOCs. But it had to be completed by the end of the railway financial year on 31st March.

 

[DarloRich]

Now that's gross incompetence on XC's part, offering it to more people than they could afford to lose.

the situation ( across all of the industry, not just XC) is not QUITE that straight forward.

 

[Ferret]

Now that's gross incompetence on XC's part, offering it to more people than they could afford to lose.

Not really; they were instructed to lower the wage bill and they have done so. Catering on XC is believed to be heavily loss-making, after all. The DfT/Treasury call the tune nowadays - and they really don’t care if Bert and Ada don’t get a cuppa/biscuit in First Class. Sad but true.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not really; they were instructed to lower the wage bill and they have done so. Catering on XC is believed to be heavily loss-making, after all. The DfT/Treasury call the tune nowadays - and they really don’t care if Bert and Ada don’t get a cuppa/biscuit in First Class. Sad but true.

The honest way to do that, though, is to withdraw the catering, or state clearly which trains it'll be available on, or introduce a cheaper variation of it such as the trolley bod putting out self service flasks of tea, coffee and a slab of bottled water before doing Standard, then coming back every now and then to give out prepackaged snack packs like Virgin used to do on weekends.

 

[Ferret]

The honest way to do that, though, is to withdraw the catering, or state clearly which trains it'll be available on, or introduce a cheaper variation of it such as the trolley bod putting out self service flasks of tea, coffee and a slab of bottled water before doing Standard, then coming back every now and then to give out prepackaged snack packs like Virgin used to do on weekends.

A member of catering crew who works there quoted the new XC Catering chief as saying ‘we’re not sure of the strategy for catering going forward as yet; we’ll see who we have left after Voluntary Severance and go from there’! Read into that what you will.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A member of catering crew who works there quoted the new XC Catering chief as saying ‘we’re not sure of the strategy for catering going forward as yet; we’ll see who we have left after Voluntary Severance and go from there’! Read into that what you will.

I reiterate my former statement, then, of "gross incompetence". Nothing like a bit of business planning, is there?

But then it is Arriva we are talking about...

 

[Ferret]

I reiterate my former statement, then, of "gross incompetence".

But then it is Arriva we are talking about...

That would imply an accidental cock-up, but one that could be foreseen. This is more of a deliberate act.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That would imply an accidental cock-up, but one that could be foreseen. This is more of a deliberate act.

OK, "wilful gross incompetence" then

Either way, this isn't the way to plan a staff reduction. You plan the service you are going to deliver going forward, then offer redundancies to the number of staff you no longer need, potentially with an "apply for the new jobs" type selection process if the jobs are to be substantially different, or possibly just a "first come first served" or lottery-based voluntary scheme if you just need fewer people in the same role.

 

[tc99]

The honest way to do that, though, is to withdraw the catering, or state clearly which trains it'll be available on, or introduce a cheaper variation of it such as the trolley bod putting out self service flasks of tea, coffee and a slab of bottled water before doing Standard, then coming back every now and then to give out prepackaged snack packs like Virgin used to do on weekends.

This. The "it might/might not be available in some guise or not at all" - especially when you're running the longest train route in the country - really doesn't help anyone. Just say it's no longer offered and the passenger can get a refund if that's a deal breaker, rather than having this unknown, which will presumably only serve to generate wastage. On a 60-90 minute journey it's not really a problem but we're looking at 4hrs door to door, a time frame where it's not unreasonable to think you might want a cup of coffee or a bottle of water.

 

[Nova1]

The honest way to do that, though, is to withdraw the catering, or state clearly which trains it'll be available on, or introduce a cheaper variation of it such as the trolley bod putting out self service flasks of tea, coffee and a slab of bottled water before doing Standard, then coming back every now and then to give out prepackaged snack packs like Virgin used to do on weekends.

I have been on XC in first class before where it has just been one catering person in the set, they came through first class occasionally offering food/crisps whatever then went and did the standard class trolly. Was pretty decent service tbh.

Although my pet peeve of XC services is sometimes they only have catering in one of two sets, so you don't actually know which set to get into if you fancy some food.

 

[station_road]

OK, "wilful gross incompetence" then

Either way, this isn't the way to plan a staff reduction. You plan the service you are going to deliver going forward, then offer redundancies to the number of staff you no longer need, potentially with an "apply for the new jobs" type selection process if the jobs are to be substantially different, or possibly just a "first come first served" or lottery-based voluntary scheme if you just need fewer people in the same role.

That isn't how the voluntary severance scheme (not redundancy) has been done, across the industry - it has been a knee kerk reaction to save costs by the end of the financial year, with only safety taken into account in many cases

 

[Bletchleyite]

That isn't how the voluntary severance scheme (not redundancy) has been done, across the industry - it has been a knee kerk reaction to save costs by the end of the financial year, with only safety taken into account in many cases

Add DaFT to the "incompetence" list then.

 

[Jimini]

I have been on XC in first class before where it has just been one catering person in the set, they came through first class occasionally offering food/crisps whatever then went and did the standard class trolly. Was pretty decent service tbh.

Although my pet peeve of XC services is sometimes they only have catering in one of two sets, so you don't actually know which set to get into if you fancy some food.

Yep been in this situation many a time. In a doubled up formation, they 99% of the time prioritise coach A, so I’ll always head there.

 

[Ridercross]

Yep been in this situation many a time. In a doubled up formation, they 99% of the time prioritise coach A, so I’ll always head there.

Yes, the XC website says that during the week you get a First Class Host in coach A, and my experience of weekend travel was that in Coach A the Train Manager would normally provide the service.

Personally, I prefer to travel First on XC on longer journeys to avoid the stress of crowded cramped Standard, the refreshments are a nice touch though and certainly if these are stopped permanently the price of First should be reduced.