Complaining to Managing Directors

[First class]

This PDF link (below) is a contact directory for many useful contacts for dealing with those complaints that the Customer Service Dept either loses, or still doesn't understand. This information is probably available in fragments already, but it is more useful to have one nice document available for reference.

It also lists some Recruitment and Training contacts which may be of some use to those wanting to get a job on the railway:

Anyway, hope this is useful:

http://www.railnews.co.uk/content/documents/2009_directory_lrv2.pdf

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Complaints?
I'm astonished that someone who finds a helpful list of the contact details for the UK's main rail transport providers and suppliers jumps to the conclusion that their purpose is to address complaints!

There are other, more constructive, purposes to which contact details can be put.
To send helpful suggestions, requests, expressions of thanks, letters of support, sending christmas cards, and of course the biggest single use of contact details, for marketing materials.

I know there are some posters on here who seem to like complaining, but I can't help thinking they might have a happier time if they tried other ways of engaging with other people.

 

[First class]

Complaints?
I'm astonished that someone who finds a helpful list of the contact details for the UK's main rail transport providers and suppliers jumps to the conclusion that their purpose is to address complaints!

There are other, more constructive, purposes to which contact details can be put.
To send helpful suggestions, requests, expressions of thanks, letters of support, sending christmas cards, and of course the biggest single use of contact details, for marketing materials.

I know there are some posters on here who seem to like complaining, but I can't help thinking they might have a happier time if they tried other ways of engaging with other people.

Hmm, I don't really see many posters on this site using the details to send Christmas Cards to their local MD?

I don't really care what people use these details for. A lot of people ask for them, here they are...

 

[Geezertronic]

Hmm, I don't really see many posters on this site using the details to send Christmas Cards to their local MD?

I don't really care what people use these details for. A lot of people ask for them, here they are...

I'm hoping Dave's post was an extraction of urine, I'd be worried if he was serious

 

[royaloak]

Because when things go well people tell their friends but when they go wrong they tell EVERYONE!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Yes, my post was made in good humour - I should have suggested "Valentines Cards" instead of Christmas Cards to make that clearer.

And I'm grateful to First Class for posting such useful information - I'm sure it will continue to be helpful.

BUT, I was also serious in my astonishment that the thread got the Title "Complaining to Managing Directors", for the reasons I mentioned.
I've been an MD of a few companies over the years, and only recall one un-solicited complaint, but lots and lots of unsolicited mail / email / phone calls.

I'm still puzzled, and dissapointed, as to why anyone makes the connection MD = Complaint above any other connection.

But despite that, thanks for posting the info First Class

 

[merlodlliw]

​

Contacting the M.D for a complaint should be the last port of call if all other procedures have failed, other Managers are paid to sort out problems, but I would be the first to agree, a lot of complaints are not passed on or sorted.

​

A good M.D. should have his ear to the ground, an excellent reputation takes time, a bad reputation can be gained in days if genuine complaints are left to fester, however we live in a complaining environment today.

Many comments from this website are picked by Management, who do read it.

​

M

 

[Oliver]

This PDF link (below) is a contact directory for many useful contacts for dealing with those complaints that the Customer Service Dept either loses, or still doesn't understand. This information is probably available in fragments already, but it is more useful to have one nice document available for reference.

It also lists some Recruitment and Training contacts which may be of some use to those wanting to get a job on the railway:

Anyway, hope this is useful:

http://www.railnews.co.uk/content/documents/2009_directory_lrv2.pdf

Complaining to the MD because your train is always late is unlikely to make much difference, because the MD will already know that kind of stuff. If you have a specific suggestion to make, the MD is more likely to be the right person to mention it to because he or she may be willing to implement it, whereas a person in customer services won't be able to.

 

[EMT Commuter]

The list is out of date, a number of the MDs have now changed including East Coast, SWT, London Midland, Northern .....

 

[TDK]

This PDF link (below) is a contact directory for many useful contacts for dealing with those complaints that the Customer Service Dept either loses, or still doesn't understand. This information is probably available in fragments already, but it is more useful to have one nice document available for reference.

It also lists some Recruitment and Training contacts which may be of some use to those wanting to get a job on the railway:

Anyway, hope this is useful:

http://www.railnews.co.uk/content/documents/2009_directory_lrv2.pdf

Most MD's will refer the details of amy communication back to their relevent departments so back to Square 1, waste of time I think, however there are some MD's who do reply but don't hold your breath.

 

[tbtc]

Most MD's will refer the details of amy communication back to their relevent departments so back to Square 1, waste of time I think

Spot on

I work in a complaint handling role, and there's no point in writing to the Chief Executive/ Managing Director - they don't read the complaint, all that happens is that their P.A. passes it down the food chain to the actual people who deal with complaints and that delays it

Any reputable company will have reports on complaints which means serious issues are escalated to the right people and dealt with

Anyone who thinks Richard Branson is going to read every letter addressed to him needs to think again

 

[87015]

Spot on

I work in a complaint handling role, and there's no point in writing to the Chief Executive/ Managing Director - they don't read the complaint, all that happens is that their P.A. passes it down the food chain to the actual people who deal with complaints and that delays it

Any reputable company will have reports on complaints which means serious issues are escalated to the right people and dealt with

Anyone who thinks Richard Branson is going to read every letter addressed to him needs to think again

Tends to get it to the top of the list at customer services though if it comes from the top.

 

[tbtc]

Tends to get it to the top of the list at customer services though if it comes from the top.

Not where I work, but I appreciate it may do elsewhere

Its a bit like claiming that you're copying your letter to your MP/ BBC Watchdog - some companies might treat it as a "highlighted" complaint, others will just treat all complaints fairly based on what has allegedly gone wrong

 

[DaveNewcastle]

This conversation reminds me of an actual complaint I made some years ago to BT.
I won't bore you with the details, but the point is, just when we got to the point where we'd identified the underlying cause of the problem, the BT person said "Ah, no. I'm sorry, but I can't change anything. I just deal with complaints."

 

[Greenback]

Spot on

I work in a complaint handling role, and there's no point in writing to the Chief Executive/ Managing Director - they don't read the complaint, all that happens is that their P.A. passes it down the food chain to the actual people who deal with complaints and that delays it

Any reputable company will have reports on complaints which means serious issues are escalated to the right people and dealt with

Anyone who thinks Richard Branson is going to read every letter addressed to him needs to think again

You are 100% correct of course. I too worked in a complaints handling role, and that was exactly what happened!

Tends to get it to the top of the list at customer services though if it comes from the top.

Not where I work, but I appreciate it may do elsewhere

Its a bit like claiming that you're copying your letter to your MP/ BBC Watchdog - some companies might treat it as a "highlighted" complaint, others will just treat all complaints fairly based on what has allegedly gone wrong

Not where I worked! Nobody got 'preferential treatment'! All complaints were logged the day they were received, in strict order, and were investigated in strict order. Some did take longer to provide a full reply to, if they were complex, long or historical issues requiring greater investigation.

This conversation reminds me of an actual complaint I made some years ago to BT.
I won't bore you with the details, but the point is, just when we got to the point where we'd identified the underlying cause of the problem, the BT person said "Ah, no. I'm sorry, but I can't change anything. I just deal with complaints."

That's BT for you! In my organisation, a complaints manager like myself had quite a lot of power to alter systems and procedures, especially if it would help to avoid a recurrence of a service failure!

 

[TDK]

This conversation reminds me of an actual complaint I made some years ago to BT.
I won't bore you with the details, but the point is, just when we got to the point where we'd identified the underlying cause of the problem, the BT person said "Ah, no. I'm sorry, but I can't change anything. I just deal with complaints."

I suppose it depends on your communications, I mailed the Comet Stores MD after being fobbed off by their complaints department, Comet had in fact broken the Data Protection Act on this occasion, they acted promptly by calling me by telephone from the MD's office. I managed to get the MD's direct email address (obvious to work out). I got a cheque in compensation. So, on occasiosn if you have evidence that could get the company into trouble contacting the person on top will reap benefits however if you contact an MD regarding a late train you will not get any joy, if you contacted an MD regarding something damning then it's a whole different story.

 

[jon0844]

Well, I've just emailed the MD of FCC about my incident on Monday (and Elaine Holt is no longer MD, so that's another error on that document).

I am not demanding compensation, but rather clarification and bringing a rather serious issue to his attention. I am quite happy for him to pass it over to someone else, as I am sure he will.

And, for what it's worth, I have emailed someone at the 'top' of an organisation to congratulate them before.

And on the recent FCC Q&A session, I posted a comment that was congratulating staff for keeping the trains clean, despite being trashed by passengers regularly. The post probably sounded incredibly sycophantic (which I said in the message) but I don't think these forums should only be about moaning about the price of parking, demanding compensation for delays and so on.

However, let's be honest. If something or someone riles you up enough, you'll take the time out to complain - but when things go well, will you still sit down and spend five or ten minutes to write a letter of thanks?

Many testimonials used by companies to show how good they are, are prompted by the company. They'll have to send out a comments form to their customers and invite comments, often with the offer of a prize for one lucky person 'drawn from a hat'. It seems that in today's society, people just haven't got time to say nice things.

 

[Greenback]

I have written to companies to compliment them, even Arriva Trains Wales, which may cause some on the forum to spontaneously combust! I think, though, that generally people do expect things to go well - my old boss used to say 'It's just doing the job properly' when someone got a nice thank you letter or compliment from customers!

 

[jon0844]

We have a director that says if you don't hear anything from him, you're doing a good job. However, it is nice to occasionally get a compliment!

 

[Greenback]

Yes, and a thank you for your help! I was well known for the speed and quality of my complaint responses in the department. Even if I had to defend the company I often got a thanks for dealing with things quickly!