Poor customer service on Greater Anglia

[TurbostarFan]

About 18 months ago I had the displeasure of GA failing to provide any rail replacement transport from Wymondham station (which is unstaffed) to get me to either Cambridge or Norwich for a journey to London Liverpool Street. To add insult to injury my ticket was even booked and paid for in advance! As the only thing the information boards were saying was that the train was cancelled and the help point staff (which GA outsourced to RDG who in turn outsourced it to a call centre somewhere in India) were of no use whatsoever and beyond a joke. On top of that I asked how I was meant to get to London if no trains were running only to be told that they would be running a rail replacement bus. The woman on the other end disconnected the call for no reason. So my Dad then called back, got a little bit annoyed and made it quite clear that he needed to know when the next rail replacement bus was running. He was again given a lukewarm response and was simply told that the bus would turn up when it turns up and that they did not know when it would. Therefore I decided to ask Dad to drop me off (he reluctantly agreed) at Norwich station (which is staffed) so that we could get the direct train from there to London Liverpool Street, the staff at the customer information desk made it clear that I was OK to board the train with my ticket (which was an advance fare valid on a specific train from Cambridge to London Liverpool Street and requiring connecting services only) and so I got the gateline staff to let me through the barriers. I then boarded the train and went to London that way instead.

I would like to know if anyone on here has had similar experiences with GA at unstaffed stations when trains have been cancelled? Does anyone have any experiences with the help point staff being as useful as a chocolate teapot or disconnecting calls for no reason? If so then please share them in this thread.

 

[robbeech]

They’ve always been quite helpful and have accepted tickets off route when there has been disruption. Can’t really fault them. You must have had some bad luck on the day.

 

[Sleepy]

In future I would use help facility on ticket machines which have popped up all over rural stations, as this connects to GA staff.

 

[TurbostarFan]

In future I would use help facility on ticket machines which have popped up all over rural stations, as this connects to GA staff.

What if that facility is (as per usual) broken so you can't use it?

 

[dk1]

What if that facility is (as per usual) broken so you can't use it?

There's always that risk with anything to fail or get vandalised, these things happen. It is also not possible to track or really estimate the arrival time of RR buses especially if they are not pre-planned.

 

[TurbostarFan]

There's always that risk with anything to fail or get vandalised, these things happen. It is also not possible to track or really estimate the arrival time of RR buses especially if they are not pre-planned.

Fair point. However my point is that this particular facility doesn't work most of the time.

How hard can it be for an RDG employee (even if based in India) to at least give you the opportunity to ask when they will be running and tell you that they don't know rather than hanging up on you?

 

[357]

Does the "Emergency" button on help points still connect you to the TOC control room, instead of the call centre?

 

[TurbostarFan]

Does the "Emergency" button on help points still connect you to the TOC control room, instead of the call centre?

I believe you are wrong and that it actually connects straight to 999. This is the impression that I get from the words "Penalty for improper use £200" wording on the help point and (at large stations) a sign stating that this connects you to the Operator who will ask you which service you require, that being: Police, Fire or Ambulance. I think that the Coastguard is omitted due to them seldom being relevant at a train station.

 

[185143]

I got a taxi arranged through a ScotRail help point last year when a cancellation would have made me miss the last Anglo-Scottish train of the night.

The difference there of course, is that unlike their Anglian counterparts, ScotRail's help points go to the control room.

The last few times I've spoken to someone on the Sub-continent I've been asked if I required information or am reporting an incident, so the emergency button on the help point may well connect to them also.

 

[robbeech]

What if that facility is (as per usual) broken so you can't use it?

I’ve only known help points broken a handful of times and they’ve been fixed pretty quickly when they get reported. one at my local station was broken once due to vandalism (it’s not normally a bad village) but the one on the other platform worked so I used that one to report the other one. It was fixed the same day. This is EMT not GA but the same applies. To say broken ‘as per usual’ implies that they’re broken more often than not which isn’t accurate. If you do come across one that’s broken (the same applies to a ticket machine or other station facilities particularly at unstaffed stations like lighting, heating, automatic doors, or broken glass etc) then it is really important to report it to the toc as soon as possible then they can get it fixed. If they don’t know about it they can’t fix it.

 

[TurbostarFan]

I got a taxi arranged through a ScotRail help point last year when a cancellation would have made me miss the last Anglo-Scottish train of the night.

The difference there of course, is that unlike their Anglian counterparts, ScotRail's help points go to the control room.

The last few times I've spoken to someone on the Sub-continent I've been asked if I required information or am reporting an incident, so the emergency button on the help point may well connect to them also.

Fair point. That is very good. That said even if the same situation had occurred on Scotrail there is no guarantee they would pay a taxi (on the spot) rather than just leave you to await a rail replacement bus. After all you can always call your own taxi and claim the money back later. Or just abandon your journey, make your way there yourself (if really that important) and claim a refund of the ticket.

 

[robbeech]

I believe you are wrong and that it actually connects straight to 999. This is the impression that I get from the words "Penalty for improper use £200" wording on the help point and (at large stations) a sign stating that this connects you to the Operator who will ask you which service you require, that being: Police, Fire or Ambulance. I think that the Coastguard is omitted due to them seldom being relevant at a train station.

I’m not sure if they all do or not. It’s possible that it attempts to connect to the control room but may revert to the emergency services if it cannot connect. You are right in saying that at least some connect to the emergency services. At my local station a small child pressed the button (unintentionally) and it connected. The child’s parent/guardian ignored the person asking which service was required so I had to speak to them to tell them the location and that no action was required. The issue here (slightly off topic) is that they’re no allowed to end the call under most circumstances incase the person calling cannot speak. This can potentially cause issues when used inappropriately in this manner.

 

[TurbostarFan]

I’ve only known help points broken a handful of times and they’ve been fixed pretty quickly when they get reported. one at my local station was broken once due to vandalism (it’s not normally a bad village) but the one on the other platform worked so I used that one to report the other one. It was fixed the same day. This is EMT not GA but the same applies. To say broken ‘as per usual’ implies that they’re broken more often than not which isn’t accurate. If you do come across one that’s broken (the same applies to a ticket machine or other station facilities particularly at unstaffed stations like lighting, heating, automatic doors, or broken glass etc) then it is really important to report it to the toc as soon as possible then they can get it fixed. If they don’t know about it they can’t fix it.

The ticket machine is fine but the facility to speak to a member of GA staff is broken. As for the help point, it is funnily enough working perfectly fine just like it did back in the days of the "One" franchise.

 

[robbeech]

The ticket machine is fine but the facility to speak to a member of GA staff is broken. As for the help point, it is funnily enough working perfectly fine just like it did back in the days of the "One" franchise.

Ah so the help point and the facility to speak to GA are different pieces of technology? Sorry I misunderstood that. Generally the help points are well maintained (primarily for their emergency facility, one would assume that it is a priority to have at least one working on each station incase it is required for this)

 

[357]

I believe you are wrong and that it actually connects straight to 999. This is the impression that I get from the words "Penalty for improper use £200" wording on the help point and (at large stations) a sign stating that this connects you to the Operator who will ask you which service you require, that being: Police, Fire or Ambulance. I think that the Coastguard is omitted due to them seldom being relevant at a train station.

Interesting, in my previous job I would test help points (including emergency call) and this went through to control, so this must be a rather recent change.

However, I'm not sure how much use a 999 call centre would be at getting trains stopped quickly.

 

[TurbostarFan]

I’m not sure if they all do or not. It’s possible that it attempts to connect to the control room but may revert to the emergency services if it cannot connect. You are right in saying that at least some connect to the emergency services. At my local station a small child pressed the button (unintentionally) and it connected. The child’s parent/guardian ignored the person asking which service was required so I had to speak to them to tell them the location and that no action was required. The issue here (slightly off topic) is that they’re no allowed to end the call under most circumstances incase the person calling cannot speak. This can potentially cause issues when used inappropriately in this manner.

Who is the TOC in charge of your local station by the way?

 

[TurbostarFan]

Ah so the help point and the facility to speak to GA are different pieces of technology? Sorry I misunderstood that. Generally the help points are well maintained (primarily for their emergency facility, one would assume that it is a priority to have at least one working on each station incase it is required for this)

Correct. The facility to speak to GA is integrated into the TVMs. Every station has either a help point or customer service staff but not every station has a TVM as well!

 

[TurbostarFan]

Interesting, in my previous job I would test help points (including emergency call) and this went through to control, so this must be a rather recent change.

However, I'm not sure how much use a 999 call centre would be at getting trains stopped quickly.

I'm not sure either. My view is that you make a good point, it should go directly through to control so that they can stop trains quickly should the need arise whilst also being able to make a 999 call should the need arise.

 

[tsr]

Does the "Emergency" button on help points still connect you to the TOC control room, instead of the call centre?

I believe you are wrong and that it actually connects straight to 999. This is the impression that I get from the words "Penalty for improper use £200" wording on the help point and (at large stations) a sign stating that this connects you to the Operator who will ask you which service you require, that being: Police, Fire or Ambulance. I think that the Coastguard is omitted due to them seldom being relevant at a train station.

Where it connects depends on which TOC runs the station. Also, some TOCs do (or have been known to) get their controllers to use a very similar script to the 999 operators when answering Help Point calls. This has now been changed in some places to make Help Points more approachable for those with mental health conditions.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Isn't the Coastguard called by asking for the Police first in the same manner as the Mountain Rescue?

 

[ComUtoR]

Does the "Emergency" button on help points still connect you to the TOC control room, instead of the call centre?

I've pressed emergency twice on my local TOC and both times it went through to control.

 

[transportphoto]

Isn't the Coastguard called by asking for the Police first in the same manner as the Mountain Rescue?

This is slightly off topic but no, CG is one of the four options available directly via 999.

 

[TurbostarFan]

Where it connects depends on which TOC runs the station. Also, some TOCs do (or have been known to) get their controllers to use a very similar script to the 999 operators when answering Help Point calls. This has now been changed in some places to make Help Points more approachable for those with mental health conditions.

Correct. This is a good thing and I think this is the way things should be done.

 

[dk1]

Only thing that bemuses me is why something that happened 18 months ago still resonates with you now.

 

[TurbostarFan]

Only thing that bemuses me is why something that happened 18 months ago still resonates with you now.

I have a good long term memory and this represents GA's attitude to customer service in general, that being "the station's unstaffed so it's not our problem".

 

[dk1]

I have a good long term memory and this represents GA's attitude to customer service in general, that being "the station's unstaffed so it's not our problem".

That's not the case at all. It's just not an easy resolve sometimes. You'll find this an issue at unmanned stations throughout the country.

 

[TurbostarFan]

That's not the case at all. It's just not an easy resolve sometimes. You'll find this an issue at unmanned stations throughout the country.

At least on other franchises the help point connects to a call centre employed by the TOC rather than subcontracted to RDG which in my opinion is an example of a "not our problem" attitude. If a TOC is going to sell advance tickets at a discount price then the very least they can do is offer proper customer service when things go wrong and services can't be run, not connect the customer to an Indian call centre who can't even be bothered to help much like First Sam!

 

[Firestarter]

Only thing that bemuses me is why something that happened 18 months ago still resonates with you now.

A simple look at his YouTube videos would answer your question

 

[Mojo]

Interesting, in my previous job I would test help points (including emergency call) and this went through to control, so this must be a rather recent change.

However, I'm not sure how much use a 999 call centre would be at getting trains stopped quickly.

I think it depends on the arrangements of the station operator; I overheard a help point being improperly operated at a major station, which is staffed by multiple staff members from first train to last, at some point between 2006-2009 and the person that answered was the 999 operator.