Northern Rail 'Customer Service' auto-reply.

[ChorleyGeoff]

Today I raised a query with Northern Rail Customer Relations about their current (time-limited) '£10 anywhere' offer using their online contact form. Their auto response promises me a reply within 20 (twenty) working days! Is that APP_ALL_ING or what?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has any reason ever been given by Northern Rail why a 20-day response period is considered necessary to attend to such matters?

 

[bb21]

Could you not tweet them? It seems to be all the rage these days and you will get a faster response that way.

 

[185143]

They've always been late with me as well. TPE can and usually do reply in 5 days.
I've had extra RTVs before from TPE when the response took over a month.

Northern took over 3 months and still had to be referred to passenger focus as what they said was a load of s***!

 

[cf111]

Has any reason ever been given by Northern Rail why a 20-day response period is considered necessary to attend to such matters?

The last two times I have contacted First ScotRail I have waited just over six weeks for a reply. I even signed up for a Twitter account to ask if there was an issue and was told 'they're busy'.

East Coast, on the other hand, have replied in a matter of days.

 

[anti-pacer]

Ring them!

 

[Llanigraham]

Today I raised a query with Northern Rail Customer Relations about their current (time-limited) '£10 anywhere' offer using their online contact form. Their auto response promises me a reply within 20 (twenty) working days! Is that APP_ALL_ING or what?

No.
But too many people expect an answer NOW!!

 

[SPADTrap]

What if they got back to you tomorrow...? You haven't given them half a chance.

 

[30907]

Some queries might take time to sort out. 28 days or 20 working days is quoted by all sorts of businesses as a guaranteed response time for deliveries, complaints etc.

 

[fowler9]

Some queries might take time to sort out. 28 days or 20 working days is quoted by all sorts of businesses as a guaranteed response time for deliveries, complaints etc.

Blimey, where I work it is within 24 hours, or within one hour if you don't have your complaint taken by a complaint manager and the call centre have to do it. I chose the wrong complaints department.

 

[ChorleyGeoff]

Ring them!

Yes I could ring them. It would be interesting to know what your experience of phoning these conglomerates is: I haven't got 30 -50 minutes to spare just waiting to talk to someone.
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Could you not tweet them? It seems to be all the rage these days and you will get a faster response that way.

I have, but my actual query could not be fitted into 140 characters. The short message I sent has not been answered.

 

[bb21]

What sort of query is it? Maybe you could get your answer here.

 

[Greenback]

I don't know what all the fuss is about, really. There are several ways to contact them, of which the online form is only one. All companies, inside and outside the railway industry, have targets for this sort of thing. These are often exceeded and simple questions could be answered in well under 24 hours as they have been a number of times when I've contacted ATW and FGW electronically.

At least give them a chance to reply before you complain about how bad they are.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No.
But too many people expect an answer NOW!!

Why should I not expect an answer to a query about a journey today *now*?

They could do with "triaging" e-mail questions to give an initial "we've read it, we'll take this long for this type of query" within a few hours.

Neil

 

[Darandio]

Why should I not expect an answer to a query about a journey today *now*?

Neil

If you did want such an answer, then you would surely be more proactive than to fill in an online form and hope for the best?

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you did want such an answer, then you would surely be more proactive than to fill in an online form and hope for the best?

I'd use Twitter, but I shouldn't have to.

And when I use an online form, I don't "hope for the best". I expect a ticket to be logged in a proper ticketing system, me notified of the SLA, and to get regular and appropriate updates.

Phoning is a faff and so 20th century. We can use IT much better, and well-run companies do.

Did I mention that I really hate it when you raise a ticket with a company and they phone you? The telephone is such an intrusive method of communication.

Neil

 

[RAPC]

Could you not tweet them? It seems to be all the rage these days and you will get a faster response that way.

The Twitter team are pretty quick to respond and will direct people to an appropriate contact (email or telephone) should more help be needed.

That said, I understand why many people wouldn't use Twitter if they don't have an account / don't use social media.

As for the response time, it is a backside covering message to allow enough time to cover pretty much all eventualities and I am sure that a real response would be a lot quicker than 20 days.

Ultimately, it is about using the route that is best within your control and most likely to yield a response in your desired time. If a more immediate response was required, then I would be on the phone or at a station. If it isn't as pressing, then the contact form route would suffice.
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We can use IT much better, and well-run companies do.

An email response system and the process for responding is not really an IT issue, but more one of business priority and process. I suspect that the amount of resource they put behind it is in line with customer demand. Northern have put a lot more focus on to customer service via the likes of social media as that is where the volume of queries are. It is also more public and the old adage of 'the squeaky wheel gets the oil' rings true, rightly or wrongly.

I agree that there should be a good SLA in place and so far I have seen no evidence either way that there is or isn't one at Northern. A number of companies I deal with have the large disclaimer auto-response, but then action things much more quickly. People are making assumptions that it will take 20 days. It may take 20 minutes or 20 hours, so I will be interested to hear back from the OP when he has heard back from Northern. At that point we may be able to critique their performance based upon some proper data.

 

[Greenback]

Why should I not expect an answer to a query about a journey today *now*?

They could do with "triaging" e-mail questions to give an initial "we've read it, we'll take this long for this type of query" within a few hours.

Neil

I expect they do triage electronic enquiries. We have everywhere I've worked. I do think, however, that with the range of options available an electronic contact form probably isn't the best way to proceed if you want an answer straight away.

Expectations have certainly increased, but I don't think it's at all realistic to expect any organisation to be able to provide an answer immediately.

As to Twitter, I've no interest in using it myself, but I understand that it would be relatively simple and easy to create an account, ask a question, get a reply and the delete that account again.

 

[40Mick]

First post from me...

I recently contacted Northern and got the same automated response, that "Although our target is to respond to you within 20 working days our aim will be to respond to you much sooner."

They replied the next day and answered my query. I agree with others here that it appear the 20 days is some sort of SLA that they are bound to as a MAXIMUM time.

 

[Flamingo]

Today I raised a query with Northern Rail Customer Relations about their current (time-limited) '£10 anywhere' offer using their online contact form. Their auto response promises me a reply within 20 (twenty) working days! Is that APP_ALL_ING or what?

Do let us know how long it actually takes to get a reply...

 

[Deerfold]

Today I raised a query with Northern Rail Customer Relations about their current (time-limited) '£10 anywhere' offer using their online contact form. Their auto response promises me a reply within 20 (twenty) working days! Is that APP_ALL_ING or what?

Was it so APP_ALL_ING as to be worth joining an online forum just to be able to complain?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Was it so APP_ALL_ING as to be worth joining an online forum just to be able to complain?

Would have been easier to email a complaint.......

 

[bb21]

The Twitter team are pretty quick to respond and will direct people to an appropriate contact (email or telephone) should more help be needed.

That said, I understand why many people wouldn't use Twitter if they don't have an account / don't use social media.

As for the response time, it is a backside covering message to allow enough time to cover pretty much all eventualities and I am sure that a real response would be a lot quicker than 20 days.

Ultimately, it is about using the route that is best within your control and most likely to yield a response in your desired time. If a more immediate response was required, then I would be on the phone or at a station. If it isn't as pressing, then the contact form route would suffice.

I can understand people's reluctance, but twitter really are useful these days as most TOCs will have a presence and you can get pretty fast responses.

Technology unfortunately is moving on, and if one does not move on with it, one gets left behind. I, too, was very reluctant to sign up initially, as I have no other use for it, but I had to give up the fight one day because it was the only means which would almost guarantee me a fast response. I still struggle sometimes with the twitter app on my phone because it is a PITA to figure out how to send a company a message from their homepage, but I still stick with it, because no other communication method gets you a faster response these days.

 

[TUC]

If you did want such an answer, then you would surely be more proactive than to fill in an online form and hope for the best?

Part of the problem is that the system does not allow the customer to identify that something is a simple query for an equally simple quick response and so does not enable the auto response to vary its message dependant upon the type of query identified.

I do not think it unreasonable for someone to use online forms or email when seeking a quick response. After all, even if overtaken by Twitter, it is still intrinsically meant to be a fast communication system. A default 20 day response message sounds more appropriate to the days of snail mail.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It shows how badly behind the railway have got with this kind of thing that any query that can be answered directly by first line support takes so long to process. From most businesses I expect a reply within 24-48 hours at worst, unless it is something complicated. And railway delay compensation is not complicated in the majority of cases.

Neil

 

[TUC]

I can understand people's reluctance, but twitter really are useful these days as most TOCs will have a presence and you can get pretty fast responses.

Technology unfortunately is moving on, and if one does not move on with it, one gets left behind. I, too, was very reluctant to sign up initially, as I have no other use for it, but I had to give up the fight one day because it was the only means which would almost guarantee me a fast response. I still struggle sometimes with the twitter app on my phone because it is a PITA to figure out how to send a company a message from their homepage, but I still stick with it, because no other communication method gets you a faster response these days.

The problem is that one can have genuinely simple queries for which the query or the response do not neatly fit into 140 characters.

 

[ADRboy]

The response is clearly a catch all incase the complaint is in depth. Will receive an answer quicker than that.

 

[bb21]

The problem is that one can have genuinely simple queries for which the query or the response do not neatly fit into 140 characters.

Then do a "1/3, 2/3, 3/3" split as some of the responses I received from TOCs tend to show.

 

[TUC]

Then do a "1/3, 2/3, 3/3" split as some of the responses I received from TOCs tend to show.

But that is making the customer's ability to make their query dependent upon how savvy they are in using Twitter. Not a customer-friendly approach.

 

[Greenback]

But that is making the customer's ability to make their query dependent upon how savvy they are in using Twitter. Not a customer-friendly approach.

I don't understand what point you're making, I'm sorry. The limitation of characters is a limitation of Twitter, not the TOC. There are other options to communicate with them if Twitter isn't something the person is happy with.

What do you expect Northern or any company to do that is more customer friendly? Develop their own Twitter like system without the 140 character limitation? Train everyone who may want to travel with them on how to be Twitter savvy?