Passengers moaning on social media

[matt_world2004]

If the public rant about a product on social media, it is usually because they have been disatisfied with either the price they have paid or the level of service they have received, It may not be directly the thought of the TOC involved (Ie it could be network rail, or another contractor) but the TOC is the public serving face of the railway and they should be looking to address the concerns of the public involved. Including meeting with network rail and other bodies,

An analogy might be , you buy some tescos own branded vegetarian sausages, you discover they contain meat inadvertantly. That is not the fault of tesco's It is the fault of the factory who was contracted to make the sausages in tescos behalf. Tescos still deal with the customer issues arising out of this problem and then meets with the factory to try and prevent it happening again.

The TOC's should take a more proactive response to solving customer service issues,even when they have been caused by third party contractors working on their behalf.

 

[AlanFry1]

London Overground are the worst at twitter operations by far.

 

[HH]

Everyone has an opinion and cant wait to put their drivel on the internet. (like me here)

As the saying goes, "Opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one and they all stink."

 

[LowLevel]

I once had a social media complaint that happily my TOC was sensible to ask questions first about rather than shoot me on first impressions. It was well over an A4 page about how I'd said someone couldn't travel with their push chair, how I'd been rude, they'd had to walk miles to the bus station instead etc.

The true content of our conversation was actually 'I'm sorry, I have no room on board for unfolded pushchairs, but if you would like to go to the rear of the train, as I'm changing ends with my bags, I'll help you board and I'll help you off again when you need it'.

'When's that been a rule, I'm not folding it'.

'Well madam, there's a poster just there explaining why....'

To be cut off with '**** the train' and said scummy mummy storming off the station at 100 mph.

I'd happily carry a bodycam if there was a new offence allowing defamed staff to sue social media liars.

 

[PHILIPE]

I often see rants on ATW Twitter from people who really slag the TOC off, but when ATW asks them which trains they are referring to you, you hear nothing more. Just use it for some vague rant.
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In the event of a staff complaint GWR Twitter request you post to a Feedback
@GWR

GWR often say that there is an agreement with the Unions not to discuss staff matters on Twitter.

 

[Sprinter153]

The most distasteful moaning comes from the obligatory serial moaners, the ones who seem to make a career from being abusive to staff, and coming out with the same tired clichés when really everyone is trying their best to keep them moving. And then there's the issue that it takes staff time that could be better spent on people that genuinely need help.

You know, stuff like GWR Kicked My Cat, and @alancrosbyuk on the GWR feed. It's bandwagon froth often perpetuated by people who don't know excrement from pudding. Have these people really got nothing better to do?

 

[Antman]

The most distasteful moaning comes from the obligatory serial moaners, the ones who seem to make a career from being abusive to staff, and coming out with the same tired clichés when really everyone is trying their best to keep them moving. And then there's the issue that it takes staff time that could be better spent on people that genuinely need help.

You know, stuff like GWR Kicked My Cat, and @alancrosbyuk on the GWR feed. It's bandwagon froth often perpetuated by people who don't know excrement from pudding. Have these people really got nothing better to do?

Oddly enough I've never seen any such complaints on twitter, yes some of the comments on there are ridiculous but most are fine, just as in real life really?
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I wouldn't say that all passengers are idiots - some give a good impression - but I reckon an increasing number of our fellow citizens don't possess a sufficient level of awareness and common sense required to get through life today, whether that is whilst on the railway, or anywhere else for that matter. I've seen some buffoon walk into a station lamp post because he was moving around the platform like someone with Saint Vitus Dance, at the same time as looking at his smartphone - quite possible reporting a life-changing ten minute delay on Twitter!

And I've seen a train driver hurtle straight through a station that he should have stopped at so would you put him in the same category? He apologised over the PA and most people saw the funny side of it all, after all none of us are perfect are we?

 

[Ianno87]

I occasionally tweet at Greater Anglia, advising them of minor faults such as wheel flats, non-working plug sockets, etc, just to genuinely try and be helpful.

Unfortunately, @greaterangliacompliants insist on retweeting my tweets, when I never intend them to be complaints in the first place. Whoever runs it enjoys just throwing muck, whilst never actually offering anything constructive...

 

[the101]

You know, stuff like GWR Kicked My Cat, and @alancrosbyuk on the GWR feed. It's bandwagon froth often perpetuated by people who don't know excrement from pudding. Have these people really got nothing better to do?

I checked that guy's Twitter feed out. What an angry, over-opinionated little man he is. 'Mark Hopwood is the kind of guy who probably enjoys kicking puppies' or some such similar, and then in another tweet he has the nerve to accuse the Evening Standard of stirring the proverbial!

 

[sduob]

I occasionally tweet at Greater Anglia, advising them of minor faults such as wheel flats, non-working plug sockets, etc, just to genuinely try and be helpful.

Unfortunately, @greaterangliacompliants insist on retweeting my tweets, when I never intend them to be complaints in the first place. Whoever runs it enjoys just throwing muck, whilst never actually offering anything constructive...

If you dont want that account to retweet you, block them - it removes the functionality from their side to do so, or even to view your profile.

 

[randyrippley]

of course rail staff never ever complain about passengers on social media sites (such as this one....)

 

[IKB]

A big issue I see everyday on twitter is TOCs taking a repetitional hit for Network Rail's problems.

Broken rails, signalling problems and other infrastructure issues - whenever these happen TOC twitter timelines are full of the usual rants - "your service is sh*t" or "usual excuses from company X" etc etc.

I'm no defender of TOCs, but I think NR get off very lightly. Is there an industry wide agreement that TOCs won't publicly highlight where blame lies? Seldom do I see TOC twitter teams laying the blame squarely with NR. All you'll often read is "signal failure" and an apology for lack of service from the TOC, who then are inundated will a deluge or cr*p from people who have no idea how the railway operates/is run.

And before the smart alec's dive in, I'm well aware the passenger pays the TOC for a service which they are contractually obliged to provide. But in terms of repetitional damage, a lot of TOCs incur endless criticism and rants for things totally out of their control.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Are you sure @greaterangliacomplaints is the genuine account? They could well be retweeting the posts so other linked accounts can see them. There are many spoof accounts such as @southworsttrains and @david_camoron that can easily mislead people

 

[90sWereBetter]

It seems that the famous "Delayed_Again" anti-Abellio Greater Anglia account has been deleted, which is just as well, because the people/person who ran it was the absolute worst, to the point of obsession. He kept replying to my queries on Twitter until I told him to s**t off and blocked it. I remember when a bunch of anti-AGA people even set up a ridiculous thread on this forum.

All the more reason for non-democratic dictatorships, I say.

 

[randyrippley]

Are you sure @greaterangliacomplaints is the genuine account? They could well be retweeting the posts so other linked accounts can see them. There are many spoof accounts such as @southworsttrains and @david_camoron that can easily mislead people

according to his post its "@greaterangliacompliants"
enough said really......

 

[VP185]

Several of the serial GWR complainers are thought to be/known to be ex-members of staff

 

[Jona26]

I'm no defender of TOCs, but I think NR get off very lightly. Is there an industry wide agreement that TOCs won't publicly highlight where blame lies?

If there is then the guard on a Chiltern service on Friday isn't aware of it. He made several announcements making it quite clear that the delay to the train was due to "a late running London Midland service" ahead of us.

As an aside we were 2 minutes late at Moor Street, 9 late at Dorridge, still 9 late at Bicester North but only 1 late at Marylebone. Any suggestions of padding maybe?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

If there is then the guard on a Chiltern service on Friday isn't aware of it. He made several announcements making it quite clear that the delay to the train was due to "a late running London Midland service" ahead of us....

There is such a guideline, but that Chiltern Guard isn't the only one still telling it how it is, TPE Guards and announcers are quite good at it too.

 

[PHILIPE]

Saw a new one on ATW Twitter today. Late train waiting driver due to being stuck in traffic on his way to work.
Also the usual daily flood complaining about overcrowding and ATW s usual reply saying stock allocation is the responsibility of the DFT. Passengers don't need that sort of standard reply as they expect action (don't know how !!!) to be taken.

 

[14sutton]

https://twitter.com/Virgin_TrainsEC/status/736957925042884608

oh dear!!!

 

[stut]

https://twitter.com/Virgin_TrainsEC/status/736957925042884608

oh dear!!!

I know, I hate twee Americanisms too. What's wrong with poo?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find Twitter is a faster way of reporting problems than emails, which tend to be about as quick as written letters when it comes to getting a response.

It's good as a means of reporting problems for immediate solution. It's poor for most other stuff.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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The most distasteful moaning comes from the obligatory serial moaners, the ones who seem to make a career from being abusive to staff, and coming out with the same tired clichés when really everyone is trying their best to keep them moving. And then there's the issue that it takes staff time that could be better spent on people that genuinely need help.

You know, stuff like GWR Kicked My Cat, and @alancrosbyuk on the GWR feed. It's bandwagon froth often perpetuated by people who don't know excrement from pudding. Have these people really got nothing better to do?

I find GWR Kicked My Cat very amusing. An extremely British piece of complaint entertainment. Don't take it too seriously.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ScouserGirl]

What makes me laugh is when people say their train is delayed and they don't give the details of what train they are on how are the twitter teams meant to know what service they are on!

 

[gimmea50anyday]

It's human nature to pigeon hole and stereotype. Naturally people cannot help themselves but behave in a manner to be expected from those stereotypes!

Lad on my train two weeks ago, got on at Dewsbury. Soon as I saw him I thought he looked like a can't pay/wont pay type. Straight away locked himself in the toilet as soon as he boarded. Train stops at Huddersfield out he comes, I challenge him, lo and behold no ticket no money. So I pointed out to him that his look and behaviour were predicted when I saw him board.

"that's a bit judgemental" he moaned

"ah, but that judgement proved to be correct didn't it..." I answered.

"err, well, yes, but..." Didn't know where to put himself as I releases the doors to a welcoming committee of revenue staff who by fortune just happened to be there!

 

[talldave]

Twitter is just another means for companies to show how little they know about their own services. I read the GTR ones for entertainment as they spout utter crap at times.

Over on Southeastern's feed, they could halve their twitter load just by heating/cooling their trains appropriately - why, a decade into the 21st century, they can't do this is brain numbing. The remaining tweets appear to be about train & signalling faults; both of which must be solvable by preventative maintenence?

 

[PHILIPE]

Saw a case on ATW Twitter yesterday where somebody was slightly delayed but at the end said that he was really complaining, but just wanted to have a rant for the sake of it.

 

[Andrewlong]

Twitter increasingly is a lazy way for journalists to knock up a story without having to do any real investigation. Find a trending transport story eg bank holiday travel problems, write a paragraph about it and then quote loads of tweets which back up the story.

Especially common on Facebook too.

 

[Hellfire]

Twitter, like most areas of human activity, has its good and bad points. I have to say that the VTWC Twitter team are brilliant, have a sense of humour and don't mind a bit of banter. They also react far more quickly on Twitter than they do to e mails. I remember once waiting ten days for a reply to an e mail with a query about Delay Repay which was sorted within 24 hours when I Tweeted them.

When travelling I've Tweeted them about things like dodgy air conditioning, or the odd minor problems on board like damaged seats. I think that's more useful than telling the Train Manager who has plenty of other things to worry about.

I would never use Twitter to complain about a staff member, it's too public but, I've never had occasion to.

Of course you will have the serial moaners. But if you look at VTWC Twitter feed a lot of people are praising staff and thanking them for going the extra mile in a particular situation or praising them for resolving delays on route, which are not necessarily their fault.

 

[LowLevel]

I'd much rather you told me about dodgy seats or air-con as a guard as 1) I might be able to sort them out and 2) They might not be in a great condition and I can prevent them from hurting someone. It's quite irritating to be walking the train then have to battle poor phone signal to get a message from control that someone has tweeted something in that's quite important, just after I've walked past them.

Defects on board the train are quite high up my list of priorities

 

[Hellfire]

I'd much rather you told me about dodgy seats or air-con as a guard as 1) I might be able to sort them out and 2) They might not be in a great condition and I can prevent them from hurting someone. It's quite irritating to be walking the train then have to battle poor phone signal to get a message from control that someone has tweeted something in that's quite important, just after I've walked past them.

Defects on board the train are quite high up my list of priorities

Fair point