Jonsysmum
New Member
I recently had a very challenging experience where my Passenger Assist Service failed miserably and I would like to know of other passengers experiences in order to ascertain how this service could be improved.
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Passenger Assistance
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Welcome to the Forum! Is it possible for you to give us an idea of how the service failed you? This information might help others to tell of their experiences as well so we get a better picture of where the problem(s) are occurring.
Jonsysmum
New Member
Yes of course I am very happy to tell you about my experience and the fact that I have reported it through Avanti although they are currently appearing quite aggressive in their email replies to me. In a nutshell I booked Passenger Assist at the same time as booking my tickets and seats for a return journey from Preston, Lancashire to London Euston departing on 8th December 2023 and returning on 11th December 2023. I booked Passenger Assistance 2 months prior to travel and hardly any of it materialised even though I gave all the prior information explaining the help I needed. This was a failure of Passenger Assistance which has left me far too anxious to travel in the future and spoiled both my journeys causing me a great deal of distress. I have raised a complaint with Avanti who I understand are the responsible organisation providing the assistance I should have received. I would be interested to learn of other people's experiences with Passenger Assistance on the rail network.
I'm not a user of Passenger Assist but used to be the one arranging it (including for Avanti West Coast services).
As a whole, these issues happen because of communication problems or staffing numbers.
You should be told where to go on arrival and how long before your train leaves. Equally, at the other end, the staff should know where you are and whether to meet you at your seat or on the platform.
I know that this can take time at Euston - especially if multiple people need assistance and there's only one member of staff to help per service.
If you booked through the app, Passenger Assist website or over the phone with Avanti West Coast, it'll be one of their agents, so it'll be easier to investigate what's happened - in other words, was it agent error or an issue on the ground.
Rest assured - the complaints are taken seriously and you'll be due a refund of your tickets on each affected journey (so everything if it failed both ways). The contact centre will chase the stations for an explanation - but sometimes this explanation just doesn't materialise. I've had to do it myself and it is immensely frustrating.
As a whole, it is a great service but the consistency is where it lacks. Every operator seems to have a slightly different policy and way of working. There needs to be a consistent way of marking people as on board a service (it exists - but usage is patchy) and ensuring that staff are properly assigned on the system so that there's accountability.
It's been quite a while since I had any involvement with Passenger Assist - but I hope this explains a little about what goes on behind the scenes.
As a whole, these issues happen because of communication problems or staffing numbers.
You should be told where to go on arrival and how long before your train leaves. Equally, at the other end, the staff should know where you are and whether to meet you at your seat or on the platform.
I know that this can take time at Euston - especially if multiple people need assistance and there's only one member of staff to help per service.
If you booked through the app, Passenger Assist website or over the phone with Avanti West Coast, it'll be one of their agents, so it'll be easier to investigate what's happened - in other words, was it agent error or an issue on the ground.
Rest assured - the complaints are taken seriously and you'll be due a refund of your tickets on each affected journey (so everything if it failed both ways). The contact centre will chase the stations for an explanation - but sometimes this explanation just doesn't materialise. I've had to do it myself and it is immensely frustrating.
As a whole, it is a great service but the consistency is where it lacks. Every operator seems to have a slightly different policy and way of working. There needs to be a consistent way of marking people as on board a service (it exists - but usage is patchy) and ensuring that staff are properly assigned on the system so that there's accountability.
It's been quite a while since I had any involvement with Passenger Assist - but I hope this explains a little about what goes on behind the scenes.
Jonsysmum
New Member
Thank you very much for your reply and it really has explained what should happen and the possible reasons why this time it didn't. In my case there was a total lack of communication throughout both my journeys even though I had provided comprehensive information about my journey and my assistance requirements at every stage. My seat and carriage numbers had been provided and the fact that it was Priority seating. I wear a lanyard which also states my difficulties and requirements with contact phone number of close relative if required. I checked in at both stations at the start of each journey in plenty of time. There was no evidence of train management or ticket inspection on either train so nobody to ask or check with.
At Preston there is no longer an Assistance Office just a bunch of rail workers standing outside the waiting room chatting. This is where I checked in and my name was on a list. Told to wait in waiting room and someone would come to see me. Nobody turned up when the train arrived so I waited. Still nobody turned up so fearing I would miss the train I had to search for a railway worker who assisted me onto the train. I asked them to phone ahead to alert Euston that I was on the train and where to board to assist me off with my small case where I would need a buggy and take me to taxi rank. They confirmed they would but as no help arrived at Euston I presume no phone call was made.
A passenger helped me off the train and hailed down a buggy which was full. It contained a passenger who did not need assistance so they got off and I was helped on. Driver had no knowledge of me needing collection. He said that he could only take me as far as waiting room so had to make my own way to taxi rank with help from people who saw I was struggling. Thank goodness for helpful black cab driver who got me to my final destination and had to listen to my full description of how badly I had been failed by Passenger Assistance. It seems he had heard the same story more times than he could count!!
Return journey was similar except this time I was taken to wrong carriage but did have priority seating with same numbers just carriage next to one I should have been in but I didn't realise as partially sighted. Found out was in wrong carriage from other passengers during journey. No train management or anyone to ask so I phoned passenger assist who assured me they would contact Preston and they would be waiting when train arrived. Nobody there at Preston so assisted off by kind passenger. Passengers at Preston who saw me struggling helped me via lifts to my next platform where once again I was assisted by passengers to board my final train to my home where thank goodness a family member was waiting to assist me off the train and to drive me home.
I can't tell you how anxious both these journeys have made me and 2 days since my return I am still traumatised and even having flashbacks of the experience. I am not going to give up on the investigation as I did the same journey back in the Summer and everything worked perfectly. I even had a train manager visit me at my seat on the train to assure me that he had phoned ahead to Preston to ensure that a wheelchair would be available to take me to my homeward Norther Rail train on another platform. So it can work but not this time.
Compensation would be good but my priority is to ensure that everyone is respected and can travel safely without anxiety, even us oldies!! Please watch this space for further updates.
At Preston there is no longer an Assistance Office just a bunch of rail workers standing outside the waiting room chatting. This is where I checked in and my name was on a list. Told to wait in waiting room and someone would come to see me. Nobody turned up when the train arrived so I waited. Still nobody turned up so fearing I would miss the train I had to search for a railway worker who assisted me onto the train. I asked them to phone ahead to alert Euston that I was on the train and where to board to assist me off with my small case where I would need a buggy and take me to taxi rank. They confirmed they would but as no help arrived at Euston I presume no phone call was made.
A passenger helped me off the train and hailed down a buggy which was full. It contained a passenger who did not need assistance so they got off and I was helped on. Driver had no knowledge of me needing collection. He said that he could only take me as far as waiting room so had to make my own way to taxi rank with help from people who saw I was struggling. Thank goodness for helpful black cab driver who got me to my final destination and had to listen to my full description of how badly I had been failed by Passenger Assistance. It seems he had heard the same story more times than he could count!!
Return journey was similar except this time I was taken to wrong carriage but did have priority seating with same numbers just carriage next to one I should have been in but I didn't realise as partially sighted. Found out was in wrong carriage from other passengers during journey. No train management or anyone to ask so I phoned passenger assist who assured me they would contact Preston and they would be waiting when train arrived. Nobody there at Preston so assisted off by kind passenger. Passengers at Preston who saw me struggling helped me via lifts to my next platform where once again I was assisted by passengers to board my final train to my home where thank goodness a family member was waiting to assist me off the train and to drive me home.
I can't tell you how anxious both these journeys have made me and 2 days since my return I am still traumatised and even having flashbacks of the experience. I am not going to give up on the investigation as I did the same journey back in the Summer and everything worked perfectly. I even had a train manager visit me at my seat on the train to assure me that he had phoned ahead to Preston to ensure that a wheelchair would be available to take me to my homeward Norther Rail train on another platform. So it can work but not this time.
Compensation would be good but my priority is to ensure that everyone is respected and can travel safely without anxiety, even us oldies!! Please watch this space for further updates.
Thank you for providing that detail.
As you say, Preston essentially hasn't done its job. Without going into too much detail - I will say that I've struggled to get in touch with them many times. Shall we say that they seemed to always have a phobia of picking up the phone - so it may well be that they were contacted on your return journey, but nobody picked up. Hopefully they don't display this behaviour when the complaint is investigated.
I hope that you get a satisfactory resolution and that your next journey, should you feel confident again enough to entrust Passenger Assist, is a lot smoother.
As you say, Preston essentially hasn't done its job. Without going into too much detail - I will say that I've struggled to get in touch with them many times. Shall we say that they seemed to always have a phobia of picking up the phone - so it may well be that they were contacted on your return journey, but nobody picked up. Hopefully they don't display this behaviour when the complaint is investigated.
I hope that you get a satisfactory resolution and that your next journey, should you feel confident again enough to entrust Passenger Assist, is a lot smoother.
Jonsysmum
New Member
Thank you for your reply and I will post on here once I receive the outcome of the enquiries. If there is anyone out there who has also had problems with Passenger Assistance it would really be interesting and helpful to learn about your experience.
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