Channel Four seeks Rail Complainers

[dragonfly1]

Mod Note - Please be advised that this poster has been granted permission by the forum staff team for this post.

Dear Railway Users,

We are looking for people who are currently pursuing an ongoing complaint or who regularly complain about their train journeys or travel experience for a Channel Four documentary. No complaint is too small and we would love to hear from people who can share their experiences and give them a platform to voice their grievances.

We’re currently producing a new prime-time documentary series for Channel 4 about the UK complaints and customer service industry and we are looking for people who may wish to tell us their stories.

I am writing from an award winning television production company called Dragonfly Film and Television, who are the makers of documentaries such as “One born every minute” and “The Family”.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us on 0207 033 2289 or email at ukcomplainers@dragonfly.tv

 

[Flamingo]

Another useful contribution to the cultural life of the nation :roll:

 

[Aictos]

Another useful contribution to the cultural life of the nation :roll:

Well said sir!!!!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I'd like to complain about the content of TV.

(I probably couldn't justify my complaint with examples as I haven't watched one for months - there isn't even a TV in the house now, though I pay an annual Direct Debit for a TV Licence - isn't that daft?)

 

[TheEdge]

I knew that the positive portrayal of the railways would only last so long. As if Twitter and FB wasn't enough of a stage for these types.

Oh, by the way oh production company, can I get named in the credits for predicting with almost total certainty of yet another recollection of the man who wrote to FGW with the length of his complaint linked to the length of his delay?

Thank you.

 

[Tracky]

I knew that the positive portrayal of the railways would only last so long. As if Twitter and FB wasn't enough of a stage for these types.

Oh, by the way oh production company, can I get named in the credits for predicting with almost total certainty of yet another recollection of the man who wrote to FGW with the length of his complaint linked to the length of his delay?

Thank you.

I never really understood that. He wrote to 'waste the same amount of FGWs time that they wasted of his' but surely the FGW staff were being paid to read and respond to his complaints - he could have used that time to read books, learn a language, or find a job closer to where he lived. But no. He complained...

Healthy.

 

[455driver]

With all the anti-rail posters on here you will be spoilt for choice.

You should get enough moaning gits to fill 50 one hour episodes with ease, most of the complaints will be unfounded but why let the truth get in the way of a good moan!

 

[VauxhallandI]

Any opportunity to highlight the fact the railway doesn't have a regulator should be grabbed with both hands.

 

[Tracky]

Any opportunity to highlight the fact the railway doesn't have a regulator should be grabbed with both hands.

Do you think this will be though....

Itl be like the moan fest presented by Meldrew (who generally goes First Class anyway)

 

[Deerfold]

I never really understood that. He wrote to 'waste the same amount of FGWs time that they wasted of his' but surely the FGW staff were being paid to read and respond to his complaints - he could have used that time to read books, learn a language, or find a job closer to where he lived. But no. He complained...

Healthy.

How long was he delayed for?!

 

[Nym]

How long was he delayed for?!

Well, it was FGW, he proberbly commuted an insane distance for no good reason...

 

[Chapeltom]

You could go on Twitter, look at all the abusive tweets to train companies, plenty of people on there willing to have a moan about nothing.

I've seen people complain and moan about announcements about 'having to wait for a platform' despite the train being several minutes early :roll:

I trust half the people will go on ill informed rants about Northern Rail being 'crap' or people in the South East moaning that a 10/15 minute frequency for trains isn't good enough.

 

[Deerfold]

Well, it was FGW, he proberbly commuted an insane distance for no good reason...

I do that with EC & Northern

 

[Nym]

I do that with EC & Northern

At last I'm only stuck with Southern, London Midland, and London Underground on a daily basis; sometimes London Overground...

Only really complain about operational stupidity though...

 

[maniacmartin]

What sort of complaints are you looking for?

Easy to understand complaints about straight-forward issues?
Ranty complaints that are blown out of proportion?
Or complaints about the structure and procedures at the heart of the franchises, how ticket prices and routes are set etc, that most the viewers will find boring, despite being the most important issues?

 

[sheff1]

With all the anti-rail posters on here you will be spoilt for choice.

I get the impression that virtually everyone on here travels by rail some/most of the times they wish to make a journey, so they are hardly against rail.

But, as you say, why let the truth get in the way of a good moan!

 

[Tracky]

Well, it was FGW, he proberbly commuted an insane distance for no good reason...

I think it was Oxford to London, passing through a small work site at Reading... His letters were very long.

 

[Realfish]

Do you think this will be though....

Itl be like the moan fest presented by Meldrew (who generally goes First Class anyway)

Mmm. I actually made a complaint to C4 (twice) about the sequence where Meldrew did his, 'I don't believe it', act when he shipped up at Euston and told us that his return ticket with Virgin to Manchester would cost more than a flight to the States.

But of course Wilson (as he'd previously told us) held a SNR railcard so could have travelled there and back on any train he wanted, peak or off peak, for about £39.

It's easy to see the point that they were trying to make, but the piece was misleading.

As for the complaints I made...I never heard a word from C4, not even decency of an acknowledgement.

'No complaint is too small and we would love to hear from people who can share their experiences and give them a platform to voice their grievances'.....Sounds like a bit of C4 hypocrisy.

 

[34D]

What sort of complaints are you looking for?

Easy to understand complaints about straight-forward issues?
Ranty complaints that are blown out of proportion?
Or complaints about the structure and procedures at the heart of the franchises, how ticket prices and routes are set etc, that most the viewers will find boring, despite being the most important issues?

I think we need the production company to respond to this vital question before we go any further.

 

[PG]

I think we need the production company to respond to this vital question before we go any further.

The way post #1 is written, I doubt they'll be checking back on this thread anytime soon :roll:

 

[soil]

Sounds like you might get 30 seconds and the **** taken out of you if you are lucky.

 

[harry42]

Ticket gates being left open...Whats the point?

 

[Aldaniti]

The way post #1 is written, I doubt they'll be checking back on this thread anytime soon :roll:

I suspect you're right. I have to deal with these production companies regularly in my line of work. Most of them demand information, produce poor or mediocre (dumbed down) or sensationalised content and rarely offer a credit to sources or much in the way of gratitude. In many cases they are simply on a fishing expedition, looking for possible content so that a broadcasting proposal can be put forward, never to see the light of day. As an earlier poster suggested, I imagine that this isn't going to be a quality contribution to television programming.

 

[Tetchytyke]

With all the anti-rail posters on here you will be spoilt for choice.

Anti-TOC =/= anti-rail, you know.

 

[GodAtum]

Lucky yesterday happened, there are a few million commuters out of London Bridge who must be dying to complain!

 

[island]

It's my normal commute but I'm on a business trip so I avoided it.

Was more than 10 minutes late inbound 5 out of 5 days last week though.

 

[Southwest]

Nothing from the OP in 2 days so it can't be that urgent.

C4 have probably changed their minds and decided to do a programme about a bloke who eats his own toenails.

On a serious note, as part of my every day existence, I get requests from TV and Radio researchers who want people for various shows only to find that once you've found them, they have changed their minds.

 

[David Barrett]

Television needs another Beeching, as in 1963 there are apparently too many stations for our modest needs.

 

[6Gman]

I'd like to complain about the content of TV.

(I probably couldn't justify my complaint with examples as I haven't watched one for months - there isn't even a TV in the house now, though I pay an annual Direct Debit for a TV Licence - isn't that daft?)

Sir,

I have noticed that television programmes on ITV are often 3-4 minutes late in starting. A BBC1 programme - possibly named The One Show - regularly starts up to 3 minutes EARLY.

Am I entitled to Delay Repay?

Sincerely,

etc etc etc

 

[table38]

Actually I'd like to complain about people who take up more than their quarter of the table. Where do I sign up?