Description
Jonathan Kent
On October 25th last year my 4 year old son and I were turfed off a train by a guard who thought our saver return wasn't valid on the service. The National Rail website clearly said it was. On arriving in Victoria on a later train I complained at your office to a senior member of staff.
Enquiries to ATOC subsequently showed I was right and your employee acted incorrectly.
For weeks you denied it was your problem. Only after ATOC contacted you direct did you accept it was your fault. I spent quite some time pursuing the matter yet the email you eventually sent back apologised only for the fact that I was upset, not your manifest failure to deal with a passenger with a young child appropriately, your failure to be in command of your own fare structure, your failure to respond to a complaint and your failure to accept responsibilty. You offered me a £10 voucher. I replied in January and said what I wanted was a proper apology and a proper account of the measures you've instituted to stop such problems recurring. The response was that you'd escalate the complaint. I emailed gain in May to be told the matter was still being reviewed. I have heard nothing since.
Why in the name of tarnation does it take a rail company 11 months to issue a proper apology for its failures and a plan to address them rather than issuing a non-apology saying 'we're sorry you're upset'.
You spoiled our day out to London, you upset my son, you've wasted my time and now you're ignoring the matter.
I expect better and I would like a response within the week.
Jonathan Kent
Problem History
- 1 Jonathan Kent reported the issue on FixMyTransport. close 15:21 21 Sep 2012 #
-
2
Jonathan Kent wrote to Southern
close
15:21 21 Sep 2012
#
Here is the letter that Jonathan Kent wrote.
Your failure to deal with complaint 14790-1322762863
On October 25th last year my 4 year old son and I were turfed off a train by a guard who thought our saver return wasn't valid on the service. The National Rail website clearly said it was. On arriving in Victoria on a later train I complained at your office to a senior member of staff.
Enquiries to ATOC subsequently showed I was right and your employee acted incorrectly.
For weeks you denied it was your problem. Only after ATOC contacted you direct did you accept it was your fault. I spent quite some time pursuing the matter yet the email you eventually sent back apologised only for the fact that I was upset, not your manifest failure to deal with a passenger with a young child appropriately, your failure to be in command of your own fare structure, your failure to respond to a complaint and your failure to accept responsibilty. You offered me a £10 voucher. I replied in January and said what I wanted was a proper apology and a proper account of the measures you've instituted to stop such problems recurring. The response was that you'd escalate the complaint. I emailed gain in May to be told the matter was still being reviewed. I have heard nothing since.
Why in the name of tarnation does it take a rail company 11 months to issue a proper apology for its failures and a plan to address them rather than issuing a non-apology saying 'we're sorry you're upset'.
You spoiled our day out to London, you upset my son, you've wasted my time and now you're ignoring the matter.
I expect better and I would like a response within the week.
Jonathan Kent
-
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your email. Your reference number is
[66107-1348237536]
We appreciate you taking the time to contact us. We aim to
respond in full to your enquiry within 7 days. Please note that
if you have sent us a Delay Repay claim, our team will aim to
respond within 28 days. If you have sent us a Refund claim, our
team will aim to respond within 10 days.
Kind Regards,
Southern Customer Services
Reminder of your message:
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Southern,
On October 25th last year my 4 year old son and I were turfed
off a
train by a guard who thought our saver return wasn't valid on
the
service. The National Rail website clearly said it was. On
arriving
in Victoria on a later train I complained at your office to a
senior member of staff. Enquiries to ATOC subsequently showed I
was
right and your employee acted incorrectly. For weeks you denied
it
was your problem. Only after ATOC contacted you direct did you
accept it was your fault. I spent quite some time pursuing the
matter yet the email you eventually sent back apologised only
for
the fact that I was upset, not your manifest failure to deal
with a
passenger with a young child appropriately, your failure to be
in
command of your own fare structure, your failure to respond to a
complaint and your failure to accept responsibilty. You offered
me
a £10 voucher. I replied in January and said what I wanted was
a
proper apology and a proper account of the measures you've
instituted to stop such problems recurring. The response was
that
you'd escalate the complaint. I emailed gain in May to be told
the
matter was still being reviewed. I have heard nothing since. Why
in
the name of tarnation does it take a rail company 11 months to
issue a proper apology for its failures and a plan to address
them
rather than issuing a non-apology saying 'we're sorry you're
upset'. You spoiled our day out to London, you upset my son,
you've
wasted my time and now you're ignoring the matter. I expect
better
and I would like a response within the week. Jonathan Kent
------------------
Here is some information from FixMyTransport about the location
of
this issue:
Location name: Train route between Leigh (Kent) and London
Victoria
----------
To view a map of the precise location of this problem, or to
provide an update on the problem, please visit the following
link:
http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/...
[ PLEASE NOTE: Your replies to this problem report will be sent
to
Jonathan Kent and will be published online. This message was
sent
via FixMyTransport.com - a not-for-profit service dedicated to
helping people get public transport problems resolved. If there
is
a more appropriate email address for messages about this type of
problem, please let us know by visiting
. This will help improve
the service for people travelling. We also welcome any other
feedback you may have. ]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This e-mail message has been scanned and cleared by NetIQ
MailMarshal.
Southern Railway Ltd is registered in England No. 06574965.
Registered office: 3rd Floor, 41-51 Grey Street, Newcastle Upon
Tyne, NE1 6EE
This email is sent subject to our email disclaimer which can be
accessed here http://www.southernrailway.com/emaildisc...
Southern is the trading name of Southern Railway Ltd.
Registered in England under number: 06574965
Registered offices: 3rd Floor, 41-51 Grey Street, Newcastle upon
Tyne, NE1 6EE.
This email is sent subject to our email disclaimer which can be
accessed at: [1]www.southernrailway.com/emaildisclaimer
References
Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.southernrailway.com/emaildisclaimer -
4
Dave H commented
close
19:30 21 Sep 2012
#
This complaint should be passed to Passenger Focus as it has clearly not been resolved by the Customer Services department.
You might also want to note to the customer services team (some TOC's contract-out aspects of their customer service to service companies who rely on what their manual/computer database advises) that you also have the perogative to escalate the complaint, and I'd suggest sending a direct e-mail to the MD of Southern (CB) or Go-Ahead (DB)(user ceoemail website for details), noting that you have forwarded the correspondence history to Passenger Focus.
-
5
Peter Dixon commented
close
15:59 22 Sep 2012
#
Hello Jonathon
Following on from Dave H's comment, I am going to give you some contact details.
Passenger Focus are the Transport Watchdog for Rail services. The complaint form you should fill in is linked to below
http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/contact/passenger-help#complaint-form
I don't have any CEO details for Southern Rail's MD at the moment.
I hope you get a good response to this. Please keep us updated.
Kind regards
anorakadmin -
Dear Mr Kent
Thank you for your email.
I am sorry to hear that you do not feel that we have resolved
your complaint to your satisfaction. I am investigating what
existing correspondence we have with you based on the reference
you have provided us. We will be in touch again in due course.
If you wish to contact us further regarding your query, please
contact our Customer Service team directly at
[1][Southern problem reporting email], by phone on 08451 27 29 20 or
in writing to:
Southern Customer Services
PO Box 3021
Bristol
BS2 2BS
quoting ticket number [66107-1348237536] on all communication.
For the latest travel information, why not follow us on Twitter
@southernrailUK and @GatwickExpress
Kind regards
Timothy Fife-Schaw
Southern Customer Services
Your message :
Dear Southern,
On October 25th last year my 4 year old son and I were turfed
off a
train by a guard who thought our saver return wasn't valid on
the
service. The National Rail website clearly said it was. On
arriving
in Victoria on a later train I complained at your office to a
senior member of staff. Enquiries to ATOC subsequently showed I
was
right and your employee acted incorrectly. For weeks you denied
it
was your problem. Only after ATOC contacted you direct did you
accept it was your fault. I spent quite some time pursuing the
matter yet the email you eventually sent back apologised only
for
the fact that I was upset, not your manifest failure to deal
with a
passenger with a young child appropriately, your failure to be
in
command of your own fare structure, your failure to respond to a
complaint and your failure to accept responsibilty. You offered
me
a £10 voucher. I replied in January and said what I wanted was
a
proper apology and a proper account of the measures you've
instituted to stop such problems recurring. The response was
that
you'd escalate the complaint. I emailed gain in May to be told
the
matter was still being reviewed. I have heard nothing since. Why
in
the name of tarnation does it take a rail company 11 months to
issue a proper apology for its failures and a plan to address
them
rather than issuing a non-apology saying 'we're sorry you're
upset'. You spoiled our day out to London, you upset my son,
you've
wasted my time and now you're ignoring the matter. I expect
better
and I would like a response within the week. Jonathan Kent
------------------
Here is some information from FixMyTransport about the location
of
this issue:
Location name: Train route between Leigh (Kent) and London
Victoria
----------
To view a map of the precise location of this problem, or to
provide an update on the problem, please visit the following
link:
http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/...
[ PLEASE NOTE: Your replies to this problem report will be sent
to
Jonathan Kent and will be published online. This message was
sent
via FixMyTransport.com - a not-for-profit service dedicated to
helping people get public transport problems resolved. If there
is
a more appropriate email address for messages about this type of
problem, please let us know by visiting
. This will help improve
the service for people travelling. We also welcome any other
feedback you may have. ]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This e-mail message has been scanned and cleared by NetIQ
MailMarshal.
Southern Railway Ltd is registered in England No. 06574965.
Registered office: 3rd Floor, 41-51 Grey Street, Newcastle Upon
Tyne, NE1 6EE
This email is sent subject to our email disclaimer which can be
accessed here http://www.southernrailway.com/emaildisc...
Southern is the trading name of Southern Railway Ltd.
Registered in England under number: 06574965
Registered offices: 3rd Floor, 41-51 Grey Street, Newcastle upon
Tyne, NE1 6EE.
This email is sent subject to our email disclaimer which can be
accessed at: [2]www.southernrailway.com/emaildisclaimer
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Southern problem reporting email]
2. file:///tmp/www.southernrailway.com/emaildisclaimer
Problem Reporter
