So I sent a link to the blog to Arthur Leathley, Director of Communications at Virgin Trains. He quickly replied by email and arranged to speak by phone a few days later.
Arthur agreed the situation was far from ideal, and explained how most of the maintenance work has to happen at the weekends.
Customers accept this, but it's how the train operators respond to disruption that counts.
In this case, an announcement of how to claim refunds and some complimentary refreshments (since there was no hope of reaching the buffet car) would have been a good start. In the longer-term, they need to think about how to incentivise people to use less crowded services, perhaps in the same way airlines offer air miles or cash to people who opt out of an overbooked flight.
Arthur took all this on board, and gave me details of how to claim a refund for this trip. So a decent, if belated, resolution.
Next time this happens, I hope the staff on the train will show the same initiative in improving the travellers' lot.
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