Virgin Make It Up To Me

[Nigel Cliff]

So at 12.50 today I am sitting of the Voyager at Edinburggh Waverley waiting to head home to Wolverhampton when an announcement comes on that the train is delayed as it is going to be used to retrieve a broken down train and can we all get off.So off I get and nip into Smiths for a bottle of pop and return with the train still at the platform
5 minutes later off it goes and a few minutes after that I ask one of the station staff how long the delay will be,imagine my horror when he says that it was back in service and had left with other passengers,I therefore grab a Virgin representative and have a good moan that they did not make any annoiuncements in the 5 minutes before it left to ensure all passengers were aware of the change of circumstances.

So nearly 2 hours later I am waitiing for the next train to arrive and the same Virgin guy comes over and apologises for the cock up and gives me an upgrade to first class.

Now I am on the Pendolino heading home really enjoying the large comfy seats free wifi and endless supplies of free booze so a partial thumbs up to Branson's mob

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Cock ups happen, but you don't mind as much when they actually make an effort to ease the problem, top marks from Virgin.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Well Done Virgin. Problems occur, but its unsual for TOC's to go out of their way to please you once more.

 

[Geezertronic]

Well Done Virgin. Problems occur, but its unsual for TOC's to go out of their way to please you once more.

Usual or unusual?

I have found that Virgin Trains station staff and onboard staff are more than polite and courteous, customer services on the other hand are appauling (a trait shared by the rest of the Virgin brand even though they are separate)

Plus First Class on a 390 is a lot better than on a 221

 

[222007]

So at 12.50 today I am sitting of the Voyager at Edinburggh Waverley waiting to head home to Wolverhampton when an announcement comes on that the train is delayed as it is going to be used to retrieve a broken down train

I think that possibly might have been one of our voyagers as i got a messege to my companys phone telling of complete power failure on one heading to Edinburgh. But like you say Well done Virgin for the kind offer and actually caring about this chap

 

[Greenback]

That is the best way to deal with an aggrieved passenger! Rather than spouting the mantra of 'You shouldn;t have left the train' or ''you'll just have to catch the next one' give them an upgrade and turn an unhappy customer into a happy one!

Well done Virgin!

 

[route:oxford]

Sounds like they made a good-effort to tidy up a mistake.

For how much longer are the 390s on this diagram?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Sounds like they made a good-effort to tidy up a mistake.

For how much longer are the 390s on this diagram?

Edinburgh-Bhm? Summer I think, maybe another week or two, I'll find out

 

[YorkshireBear]

good to see that happen, its an investment for them as you no longer have a problem with them and will travel with them

 

[Philip Elliott]

Edinburgh-Bhm? Summer I think, maybe another week or two, I'll find out

Tomorrow is the last day...

 

[rail-britain]

So at 12.50 today I am sitting of the Voyager at Edinburggh Waverley waiting to head home to Wolverhampton
So nearly 2 hours late

You will also be entitled to make a claim for the delay, which should see you receive Rail Travel Vouchers equivalent to either the full value of the single fare you paid or 50% of the return fare

Strange they didn't issue passengers with delay notifications and allow passengers to travel to Glasgow Central and then on the next service from there

 

[ukrob]

You will also be entitled to make a claim for the delay, which should see you receive Rail Travel Vouchers equivalent to either the full value of the single fare you paid or 50% of the return fare

No he won't. He missed the train because he didn't get on it while stood on the platform. This however was not his fault.

He is not 'entitled' to anything other than what Virgin feel appropriate as a goodwill gesture - and I'm sure they would offer more than what they have already if he was to write in.

 

[rail-britain]

Yes he would, instructed to get off the train at Edinburgh, so in effect it was cancelled
Travelling on the next available service incurred the delay on the original travel plan

 

[ukrob]

Yes he would, instructed to get off the train at Edinburgh, so in effect it was cancelled
Travelling on the next available service incurred the delay on the original travel plan

It is a fair point.

However, everyone else managed to get the train apart from the OP, and they were told to get off it too. That is a communication breakdown, not 'cancelled in effect'.

 

[causton]

Yes he would, instructed to get off the train at Edinburgh, so in effect it was cancelled
Travelling on the next available service incurred the delay on the original travel plan

Indeed, I did misread it at first and thought he left of his own accord, but if instructed to get off a train because it is in essence not going where you want it to, then finding out it did go where he wanted to go, is not his fault. If the Smiths was inside the station it is by no means unreasonable to walk off!

Whether a claim will be made after the company upgrading him to first class I don't know. If the person who decided to give him an upgrade found out that they claimed the ticket back they may be less likely to give other people in similar situations that privilege!

 

[rail-britain]

Whether a claim will be made after the company upgrading him to first class I don't know

The delay repay claim is still valid, irrespective if a subsequent upgrade is offered

 

[causton]

The delay repay claim is still valid, irrespective if a subsequent upgrade is offered

I meant whether Nigel would! Of course it would still have to be accepted but he doesn't seem in the mood to be wanting more from them :P

 

[Nigel Cliff]

Guys as others have said the sttion staff were great and I have always found this with Virgin staff even when I m not travelling and just turn up at a sttion to spot and photograph

I did e-mail Virgin at the time but have not had a response as yet but I will take anything they offer although I make no demands as I think the upgrade was compensation for the delay

 

[rail-britain]

That is why companies laugh all the way to the bank, people just don't complain direct to them, instead just accepting the poor level of service

 

[Geezertronic]

That is why companies laugh all the way to the bank, people just don't complain direct to them, instead just accepting the poor level of service

What poor level of service are you on about in this instance?

 

[Sapphire Blue]

On an earlier thread when I suggested that a passenger be upgraded to 1st class, the howls of derision from some of you were almost audible.

Now do you agree that
a. It can be done when it does not need to have been,
and,
b. When done it brings about good will.

 

[Geezertronic]

On an earlier thread when I suggested that a passenger be upgraded to 1st class, the howls of derision from some of you were almost audible.

Now do you agree that
a. It can be done when it does not need to have been,
and,
b. When done it brings about good will.

If I remember correctly, in that thread you were suggesting that anyone who sat in priority seating or wheelchair spaces should be upgraded if they were asked to move for a disabled passenger despite the fact that priority seating or wheelchair spaces are clearly marked as such. That is totally different to this scenario since the TOC accepted a mistake had been made in this scenario and applied common sense.

As pointed out in the previous thread, why should people who sit in priority seating or wheelchair spaces expect an upgrade to First Class for sitting in seats they can expect to be asked to vacate?

 

[thefab444]

However, everyone else managed to get the train apart from the OP, and they were told to get off it too.

Yes, that's the curious point.

return with the train still at the platform
5 minutes later off it goes and a few minutes after that I ask one of the station staff how long the delay will be,imagine my horror when he says that it was back in service and had left with other passengers

Surely, if he returned to the platform with the train still there, he would have noticed that other passengers were onboard?

 

[Sapphire Blue]

If I remember correctly, in that thread you were suggesting that anyone who sat in priority seating or wheelchair spaces should be upgraded if they were asked to move for a disabled passenger despite the fact that priority seating or wheelchair spaces are clearly marked as such. That is totally different to this scenario since the TOC accepted a mistake had been made in this scenario and applied common sense.

As pointed out in the previous thread, why should people who sit in priority seating or wheelchair spaces expect an upgrade to First Class for sitting in seats they can expect to be asked to vacate?

Wrong, and wrong.

I was "suggesting" it may have been an option in that case, just as it was an option, that was taken up, in this one.

Anyhow, well done to the Virgin staff member who authorised it.
(BTW, by stating this I am not suggesting that anyone who misses a train should expect an upgrade)

 

[Greenback]

Wrong, and wrong.

I was "suggesting" it may have been an option in that case, just as it was an option, that was taken up, in this one.

Anyhow, well done to the Virgin staff member who authorised it.
(BTW, by stating this I am not suggesting that anyone who misses a train should expect an upgrade)

In this case the OP had been delayed by two hours due to an announcement that a train was going to be taken out of service which then wasn't.

I can still see no justification for giving an upgrade to soemone who has been asked to move out a seat that is meant to be used by someone else.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

deleted

 

[jon0844]

good to see that happen, its an investment for them as you no longer have a problem with them and will travel with them

And you told people on here, and no doubt friends and family, so that upgrade has almost certainly generated NEW business for them in the future.

I am certain that if I was in that situation, even if I could claim for the original cancellation, I wouldn't because I'd been given something better than a refund, or partial-refund.

 

[Anvil1984]

If a passenger is wronged and delayed due to miscommunication then a upgrade is good customer service and will go some way to mending goodwill as the incident will have a major affect on the passengers day, plans and possible onward arrangements. I also agree that the delay compensation should be payable in this case.

If it is merely a passenger or two losing out on a seat (especially from what it seems in Saphirre Blues case) then no an upgrade is not appropriate as the passenger could have avoided that case by sitting in a non priority seat or reserving a seat. If it is mass overcrowding then sure declass seats but if it is a case of telling someone to shift out of seats marked for others then no they shouldn't have sat there in first place.or should expect to move to a appropriate seat in the relevant seat in the accomadation they paid for or stand if needs be.

 

[jon0844]

If I was upgraded to first on the next train, I wouldn't claim even if I could becuase the TOC has done the 'right thing'. I have not lost out financially, so why claim?

This is a world apart from not claiming because you're too lazy to when you can genuinely claim for being put out. Delay repay does rely on people not bothering, but that's a whole different kettle of fish.

I firmly believe in doing the right thing, which is what ensures I don't feel guilty when I stick up for my rights when I have been 'wronged'.

You have to give credit where it's due.

 

[Nigel Cliff]

I had already sent a rather snotty e-mail to Virgin before I was offered the upgrade and they have now replied offering a refund in the form of Travel Vouchers that added to the upgrade is I think incredibly generous of them