TPE Customer Relations Problem

[gray1404]

I always thought that TPE Customer Relations were quite good but having had a problem with a ticket I booked with them recently, I was advised by web support to complain to Customer Relations. This was a complaint in relation to the Consumer Rights Act. Having done so I received a poor reply back which didn't address the issues and even went against their own policy on a matter.

I replied to this email clearly stating in the opening line that I would like for their Customer Relations Manager to review my complaint. I then stated very clearly why I was unhappy with the reply and why I felt it went against their policies. I then received a reply in which this request was ignored but they answered another different question and said I need to contact a different train company ( a TOC totally unrelated to my complaint, journey or any of the stations I had been using or who I had booked my ticket with.)

I then decided to phone up their customer relations number to ask that my complaint be looked at by a Manager as I understood this to be the next step before I can take the complaint to the Railway Ombudsman. I directed the lady to my first complaint and the email explaining why I was unhappy once she had be details up on screen. She came back to me having spoken to a Supervisor taking the line of their second reply still. So I ended the call still in the same situation. I am convinced that their Customer Relations Team is now being handelled by the same outsourced company, Capita, that deals with all the First Group Telesales and this is partly to blame for the poor service. I asked the lady where they were based and she said Runcorn and I am positive I called Customer Relations and selected this option.

I then tried Tweeting TPE briefly explaining I was having problems getting my complaint looked at again and they just refereed be back to customer relations.

I have written a further email to TPE this evening stating again very concisely and clearly my request. This is all very frustrating indeed and I really would like to resolve any complaint before going to the Railway Ombudsman. I feel that TPE are actually preventing me from getting to this point though as I don't have a Deadlock Letter from them.

Is there any way of getting a complaint with TPE looked at by someone who knows what they are doing?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I always thought that TPE Customer Relations were quite good but having had a problem with a ticket I booked with them recently, I was advised by web support to complain to Customer Relations. This was a complaint in relation to the Consumer Rights Act. Having done so I received a poor reply back which didn't address the issues and even went against their own policy on a matter.

I replied to this email clearly stating in the opening line that I would like for their Customer Relations Manager to review my complaint. I then stated very clearly why I was unhappy with the reply and why I felt it went against their policies. I then received a reply in which this request was ignored but they answered another different question and said I need to contact a different train company ( a TOC totally unrelated to my complaint, journey or any of the stations I had been using or who I had booked my ticket with.)

I then decided to phone up their customer relations number to ask that my complaint be looked at by a Manager as I understood this to be the next step before I can take the complaint to the Railway Ombudsman. I directed the lady to my first complaint and the email explaining why I was unhappy once she had be details up on screen. She came back to me having spoken to a Supervisor taking the line of their second reply still. So I ended the call still in the same situation. I am convinced that their Customer Relations Team is now being handelled by the same outsourced company, Capita, that deals with all the First Group Telesales and this is partly to blame for the poor service. I asked the lady where they were based and she said Runcorn and I am positive I called Customer Relations and selected this option.

I then tried Tweeting TPE briefly explaining I was having problems getting my complaint looked at again and they just refereed be back to customer relations.

I have written a further email to TPE this evening stating again very concisely and clearly my request. This is all very frustrating indeed and I really would like to resolve any complaint before going to the Railway Ombudsman. I feel that TPE are actually preventing me from getting to this point though as I don't have a Deadlock Letter from them.

Is there any way of getting a complaint with TPE looked at by someone who knows what they are doing?

It sounds very unfortunate indeed - luckily, to prevent obstructive TOCs from stopping you going to the Rail Ombudsman, you are allowed to take your case up with the Ombudsman, without a letter of deadlock, if you have waited at least 40 working days - i.e. approximately 2 months - for them to resolve your complaint, from having first raised it.

 

[gray1404]

Well its 5 days since I first contacted TPE so have to wait another 35. If their next reply is not from a Manager I might send a simple: Please send me a dead lock letter so I can appeal this case to the railway ombudsman . Or maybe just: Please can you let me know if I can now take my complaint to the railway ombudsman.

Then I will hopefully have some sort of "permission". I am VERY INTERESTED to see how the RO applies the Consumer Rights Act to a TOC retailer. It will be an interesting case.

 

[_toommm_]

Well its 5 days since I first contacted TPE so have to wait another 35. If their next reply is not from a Manager I might send a simple: Please send me a dead lock letter so I can appeal this case to the railway ombudsman . Or maybe just: Please can you let me know if I can now take my complaint to the railway ombudsman.

Then I will hopefully have some sort of "permission". I am VERY INTERESTED to see how the RO applies the Consumer Rights Act to a TOC retailer. It will be an interesting case.

It took 5 and a half months for my case to be resolved from TPE. A very simple delay repay claim where I was delayed by 11 or 12 hours overnight, plus justified compensation. The manager was great, and agreed a good amount of compensation fairly early on, but the call centre was the problem continually spelling my name wrong (which has two syllables) and getting my address wrong (how hard is it to spell Glossop?). I eventually sent a deadlock and after more farce they paid up 3x as much as they agreed originally.

Definitely persevere - it's just unfortunate how poorly managed the call centre is...

 

[gray1404]

What did you have to do to get through to their Manager in Customer Relations? Do you happen to have a name or email, perhaps from your correspondence, you could PM to me? Thanks.

 

[_toommm_]

What did you have to do to get through to their Manager in Customer Relations? Do you happen to have a name or email, perhaps from your correspondence, you could PM to me? Thanks.

I originally spoke to a manager on the phone after much perseverance - took about a month because they were always 'busy'. Compensation was agreed a week later to the tune of £80 plus my full ticket cost back (quite nice with it being a rover ticket), and notes were put on my file.

The organisation of the compensation afterwards was the worst bit as I mentioned earlier, and the disorganization was rather apparent when they 'didn't know what I was talking about', or 'we can't do BACS payments it has to be cheques' or 'we don't know where your cheque is, give it a week'.

The promise of a cheque coming the week I phoned up happened every week. Every week I'd phone up to be told they'll cancel the cheque and a new one will reach you in three days. The problem is is that every time you phone up, I creates a new 'case', so you could have hundreds of cases the call centre have to read through to find what you're on about...

 

[gray1404]

Thankfully I've had a very understanding email back from a lady at First Group HQ today. She said Customer Relations had passed my case on, she had read all the correspondence concerned and provided a solution to my issue. She has also arranged a goodwill gesture as it was clear I had to ask a few times for my complaint to be looked at again. Good outcome.

 

[_toommm_]

Thankfully I've had a very understanding email back from a lady at First Group HQ today. She said Customer Relations had passed my case on, she had read all the correspondence concerned and provided a solution to my issue. She has also arranged a goodwill gesture as it was clear I had to ask a few times for my complaint to be looked at again. Good outcome.

Make sure to keep that email incase the goodwill gesture never comes to fruition...

 

[gray1404]

Will do. Thanks!