Passenger Assistance enquiry

[Pemberton]

I recently had an issue with booked Passenger Assistance not being provided on arrival at a station. The assistance was for help getting our suitcases on and off the luggage racks on the train.

For clarity, the departure station and the arrival station are both GWR managed stations. The train service though, was an XC service.

GWR have admitted their failure at the arrival station, given an explanation as to why it happened, staffing issues, and as a 'Gesture of Goodwill' offered a 50% refund of the tickets, which cost around £30.

They then say that although it was their error, the responsibility lies with XC as the service operator and they quote the 'National Policy set by the Office for Road and Rail'. Consequently, they are passing the matter back to XC.

I would add that on the day of the issue, I did initially ring XC Customer Services for advice and they were adamant that it was not their issue as it occurred at a GWR Station.

I am just somewhat confused.

 

[30907]

Tentative reply:
did you originally book assistance with XC?
if so I wonder if GW are referring it to them in case the failure to notify was due to them?

I assume their goodwill gesture remains should you wish to accept it

 

[Haywain]

They then say that although it was their error, the responsibility lies with XC as the service operator and they quote the 'National Policy set by the Office for Road and Rail'. Consequently, they are passing the matter back to XC.

I would add that on the day of the issue, I did initially ring XC Customer Services for advice and they were adamant that it was not their issue as it occurred at a GWR Station.

I am just somewhat confused.

I don't really see what there is to be confused about. GWR have accepted that they were at fault but feel that CrossCountry should be commenting or apologising. GWR have offered compensation, at a very reasonable level. The fcat that CrossCountry directed you to GWR initially is neither here nor there.

 

[transportphoto]

Tentative reply:
did you originally book assistance with XC?
if so I wonder if GW are referring it to them in case the failure to notify was due to them?

Passenger assistance is managed via one database shared between all TOCs - the interface most commonly being via a mobile phone app, stations also receive emails, daily summaries of bookings at that station, etc. Whilst you could phone a specific TOC, the booking would be visible regardless of which TOC created it.

 

[alistairlees]

It’s up to the operator of the first service that you get to arrange passenger assistance for the whole journey for all stations and all operators. This is to ensure just one line of responsibility and one contact point for the customer. As your journey was on xc (assuming it was only on them) then it’s their responsibility to sort out.

 

[Pemberton]

I don't really see what there is to be confused about. GWR have accepted that they were at fault but feel that CrossCountry should be commenting or apologising. GWR have offered compensation, at a very reasonable level. The fcat that CrossCountry directed you to GWR initially is neither here nor there.

I hadn't realised that despite booking Passenger Assistance through GWR staff at one of their stations, and travelling between 2 of their stations, that the service operator, was the TOC who were responsible if things went wrong.

If XC are telling me, as they did, that the failure to provide the booked Passenger Assistance is not their responsibility and that I need to contact GWR, there does appear to be confusion. If, as I now know, the National Policy for Road and Rail states that "Failed assistance must be owned by the train operator of the service the passenger was travelling on or intended to travel on", I would suggest that they should have taken on the complaint themselves and not asked me to contact GWR.

 

[Haywain]

I would suggest that they should have taken on the complaint themselves and not asked me to contact GWR.

Almost certainly a simple case of them not understanding the nature of the failure.

 

[redreni]

Almost certainly a simple case of them not understanding the nature of the failure.

How would the nature of the failure affect who's responsible for dealing with the customer?

The ORR's rule is plainly saying it doesn't matter who's fault it was, there has to be a clear line of accountability to the customer. Precisely so that customers don't experience any ping pong.

Which means if XC thought it was GWR's fault they should still have looked into the OP's complaint and dealt with it as if they were responsible, then taken it up with GWR behind the scenes if they wished.

GBR isn't designed to be, isn't and at this rate will never be perfect, but I'd like to think it will at least see an end to this sort of thing once it's bedded in. Provided the passenger isn't using a combination of GBR and an open access operator, of course...

 

[Haywain]

How would the nature of the failure affect who's responsible for dealing with the customer?

It doesn't, it's just the likely explanation for what happened initially.