I made a complaint about not able to buy a ticket online, and got an unhelpful reply which simply repeated the fact.

[miklcct]

Previously, I sent a complaint to Thameslink about the inability to buy a train / bus through ticket online (specifically, a line2line ticket), due to the lack of schedule data, and quoted examples of train / bus through tickets priced by other train companies which can be bought online.

The reply I got simply repeated the fact that these tickets are only available to buy at stations and are not available online, as quoted from the National Rail website.

These tickets are only available to buy at our stations, they're not available to buy online.

I am amazed that when they run publicity promoting their apps and e-tickets they are still refusing to sell some of their tickets online.

 

[TUC]

I am amazed at the lack of intelligence shown in some responses to enquiries and complaints. They really do look like they haven't even bothered to read the question, just seen a couple of references to what the kind of issue is and selected the stock answer that roughly fits.

 

[duncombec]

Perhaps there is a reason why they cannot be sold online (e.g. acceptance on bus ticket machines), and the likely small takeup of such an offer means there is little benefit (but much cost) to making it happen? As they are explicitly not available for bus journeys alone, perhaps ensuring you buy them at a station along the line means there is by default a train journey included, stopping people from using them for bus alone? (Not knowing the fares, buying one with a railcard, for example, could make it cheaper than a full price, uncapped bus fare).

Really, I'm not quite sure why you made a "complaint" here, given it is very clear that you can only purchase them at stations. Perhaps you would have got a clearer answer had you merely enquired why, rather than "quoting examples priced by other companies", which Thameslink will generally have considered irrelevant?

Perhaps you could share the full text of your "complaint", and their response? Perhaps it was your outgoing message that caused confusion, rather than the responder not being "bothered" to read the question?

 

[miklcct]

Perhaps there is a reason why they cannot be sold online (e.g. acceptance on bus ticket machines), and the likely small takeup of such an offer means there is little benefit (but much cost) to making it happen? As they are explicitly not available for bus journeys alone, perhaps ensuring you buy them at a station along the line means there is by default a train journey included, stopping people from using them for bus alone? (Not knowing the fares, buying one with a railcard, for example, could make it cheaper than a full price, uncapped bus fare).

Really, I'm not quite sure why you made a "complaint" here, given it is very clear that you can only purchase them at stations. Perhaps you would have got a clearer answer had you merely enquired why, rather than "quoting examples priced by other companies", which Thameslink will generally have considered irrelevant?

Perhaps you could share the full text of your "complaint", and their response? Perhaps it was your outgoing message that caused confusion, rather than the responder not being "bothered" to read the question?

I filled in the form on the Thameslink website so I didn't have a copy of the original text, and I mentioned the lack of the schedule data of bus links in the retailing system and asked them to put them in, so the tickets could be sold online. I quoted examples of bus links for other train companies which were in the schedule data.

 

[duncombec]

I filled in the form on the Thameslink website so I didn't have a copy of the original text, and I mentioned the lack of the schedule data of bus links in the retailing system and asked them to put them in, so the tickets could be sold online. I quoted examples of bus links for other train companies which were in the schedule data.

This seems to me that rather than them not being bothered to read the question, or just repeating back the fact, what has actually happened is something along the lines of:

You: You need to add the schedule data so I can buy this ticket online [as I think I ought to be able to].

Thameslink: You cannot buy this ticket online [... so there is no need for the schedule data to be uploaded... what happens at other companies doesn't affect the validity of this ticket].


It sounds like you've over-complicated it by quoting other examples and using "terminology". If you remain interested, your next step may perhaps be to respond along the lines of "I understand that the ticket is not currently available for purchase online, as you have confirmed. Would you be able to tell me the reason for that?" [you could continue by exemplifying, e.g. "is it, for example, because the ticket machines on the bus cannot automatically read the ticket", or "is it to ensure that the mandatory train journeys are taken, whereas online purchase may enable that to be circumvented."].

The reason it is not available online is evidently not purely the absence of schedule data, but something deeper seated.

 

[Watershed]

The reason it is not available online is evidently not purely the absence of schedule data, but something deeper seated.

The absence of schedule data is, as far as I can tell, the only reason these fares cannot be sold by journey-planner based booking sites (i.e. most of them).

GTR already have several bus links whose schedules they add to the Network Rail data feed; there's no reason they couldn't do so for this bus link. I guess it has just slipped through the cracks because of low usage.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I am amazed at the lack of intelligence shown in some responses to enquiries and complaints. They really do look like they haven't even bothered to read the question, just seen a couple of references to what the kind of issue is and selected the stock answer that roughly fits.

In my experience (in a non-rail industry), the two main KPIs customer service people and teams are measured on are:

1 - average time to reply

2 - number of replies per hour (or similar)

Customer happiness with the reply given doesn't feature high on the list

 

[duncombec]

The absence of schedule data is, as far as I can tell, the only reason these fares cannot be sold by journey-planner based booking sites (i.e. most of them).

GTR already have several bus links whose schedules they add to the Network Rail data feed; there's no reason they couldn't do so for this bus link. I guess it has just slipped through the cracks because of low usage.

Ah, ok, fair point. I assume those are the links listed here:

https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/tickets/bus

In addition to PlusBus, we also offer a combined rail and bus ticket, from stations across our network, to several towns that don't have a railway station. These tickets can be bought at our station ticket offices. We offer through-tickets to the following towns which have bus connections from stations on our network.
Alfreston - via Polegate or Seaford railway stations Burnham Market - via Kings Lynn railway station Dersingham - via Kings Lynn railway station Fakenham - via Kings Lynn railway station	Hunstanton - via Kings Lynn railway station Sandringham - via Kings Lynn railway station St Ives (Cambridgeshire) - via Cambridge or Huntingdon railway stations Wells-next-the Sea - via Kings Lynn railway station
We also offer a combined rail and bus ticket for through-journeys between selected stations on the Midland Mainline and the East Coast Mainline, such as between Luton and Stevenage, which allow you to avoid travelling via central London and instead travel via bus between St Albans City and Hatfield railway stations. For bus routes and times, please visit www.traveline.info. For further information and prices, please visit one of our ticket offices.

I notice none of those are operated by Arriva or Uno, nor are they line-to-line tickets, just extensions.

 

[redreni]

I am a great believer in answering the question.

I'm afraid "you can't book this ticket online" is not an answer to "why can't I book this ticket online?" or "could you please fix the data so that I (and others) can buy this ticket online".

If the answer is "we don't have to and don't want to sell these tickets online, here's where they're available to buy" then that should be stated.

 

[The exile]

In my experience (in a non-rail industry), the two main KPIs customer service people and teams are measured on are:

1 - average time to reply

2 - number of replies per hour (or similar)

Customer happiness with the reply given doesn't feature high on the list

Though complaints about responses to complaints will do - eventually (especially if justified - ie hasn’t addressed the point, is rude etc as opposed to “I don’t like the answer”)

 

[pelli]

perhaps ensuring you buy them at a station along the line means there is by default a train journey included, stopping people from using them for bus alone? (Not knowing the fares, buying one with a railcard, for example, could make it cheaper than a full price, uncapped bus fare).

The validity map on the National Rail website, part reproduced here, shows that the bus service links St Albans (SAC) and Hatfield (HAT).

According to BRFares, the fares are implemented as standard point-to-point train tickets but routed "HATFLD/ALBNS BUS", with no such ticket available for just SAC-HAT since that would not involve any train. You can "circumvent" this by buying a ticket for SAC to Welwyn Garden City or Welham Green and breaking your journey at HAT, for £6.50 single or £9.30/8.50 anytime/off-peak day return (with railcard discounts available). I don't know what the bus would cost without the cap, but even with the cap a £6 return can be undercut by some, using a £5.65 railcard-discounted off-peak day return!

 

[simonw]

Previously, I sent a complaint to Thameslink about the inability to buy a train / bus through ticket online (specifically, a line2line ticket), due to the lack of schedule data, and quoted examples of train / bus through tickets priced by other train companies which can be bought online.

The reply I got simply repeated the fact that these tickets are only available to buy at stations and are not available online, as quoted from the National Rail website.



I am amazed that when they run publicity promoting their apps and e-tickets they are still refusing to sell some of their tickets online.

What wording did you use in your complaint?

 

[Sonic1234]

I assume GTR customer relations is outsourced, the postal address is Derby - no where near GTR land.

 

[TUC]

Perhaps there is a reason why they cannot be sold online (e.g. acceptance on bus ticket machines), and the likely small takeup of such an offer means there is little benefit (but much cost) to making it happen? As they are explicitly not available for bus journeys alone, perhaps ensuring you buy them at a station along the line means there is by default a train journey included, stopping people from using them for bus alone? (Not knowing the fares, buying one with a railcard, for example, could make it cheaper than a full price, uncapped bus fare).

Really, I'm not quite sure why you made a "complaint" here, given it is very clear that you can only purchase them at stations. Perhaps you would have got a clearer answer had you merely enquired why, rather than "quoting examples priced by other companies", which Thameslink will generally have considered irrelevant?

Perhaps you could share the full text of your "complaint", and their response? Perhaps it was your outgoing message that caused confusion, rather than the responder not being "bothered" to read the question?

It is very reasonable to argue that, as so many rail and bus tickets can be bought online, why is this not also sold there, rather than passengers having to go to the inconvenience of buying from a station in advance of their journey?

 

[londonbridge]

I am a great believer in answering the question.

I'm afraid "you can't book this ticket online" is not an answer to "why can't I book this ticket online?" or "could you please fix the data so that I (and others) can buy this ticket online".

If the answer is "we don't have to and don't want to sell these tickets online, here's where they're available to buy" then that should be stated.

We do not/cannot/are unable to accept cheques/fifty pound notes/luncheon vouchers etc equals we can but we don’t want/can’t be bothered/choose not to.

 

[The exile]

I am amazed at the lack of intelligence shown in some responses to enquiries and complaints. They really do look like they haven't even bothered to read the question, just seen a couple of references to what the kind of issue is and selected the stock answer that roughly fits.

Unfortunately so much company policy is now in the hands of box-tickers terrified that someone might actually reveal an awkward truth.