RTV refusal

[VauxhallandI]

I have reverted with my thoughts...

I have received this response...


Dear Mr Gill,
Firstly, I would like to explain the reason for sending out a standard response with travel vouchers.
Over recent weeks, we have been dealing with an increased level of correspondence, and compensation claims in particular. This has resulted in a backlog and as a result, it has taken us a lot longer to reply to each individual than we would have liked. In order to deal with this issue we decided to send a standard response and offer compensation to a number of customers, including yourself.
While this response did not fully address your original complaint, I can assure you that all of the comments we’ve received have been recorded and distributed throughout the business.
However, as required, I am happy to offer a full response to your original correspondence.

Firstly, you are correct by saying that your Rail Travel Vouchers should have been accepted onboard to upgrade your ticket to First Class and I am sorry for any inconvenience this refusal would have caused.

Although we do work extremely hard to ensure that the level of knowledge and training amongst our staff is maintained at a consistently high level, I do appreciate that we have let you down on this occasion.

I have therefore referred your comments to our Retail Support team who are responsible for issuing new and updated retail briefs throughout the business. I have asked them that they re-brief frontline staff regarding the validity and methods of purchase available to passengers with Rail Travel vouchers.

In the meantime, please accept the Rail Travel Vouchers that you have already received to put towards a future rail journey with us.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We look forward to seeing you on Virgin Trains again soon.

Yours Sincerely

Luke Ferris
Customer Relations


How was our response? Let us know at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VirginTrains


It didn't mentioned the sarcasm..

 

[yorkie]

A good response from Virgin Trains.

 

[RJ]

The important thing is that an apology was offered and an effort has been made to deal with the problem by rebriefing staff. Well done to Virgin and hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Case closed m'lud.

 

[SephenWorceste]

Quite funny really. You could not use you rail travel vouchers so they give you more. This could be a farce without an end. Enter stage left with vouchers. Have them comically refused but be given some more. Exit stage right with vouchers. Enter stage left and again.

I did wonder what was going on at Virgin. I have just had some vouchers for delay repay. I was delayed an hour and five minutes. They have sent me a semi my random amount of vouchers for a bit more than my ticket cost. Not that I am complaining of course.

Best wishes, Stephen.




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[yorkie]

... They have sent me a semi my random amount of vouchers for a bit more than my ticket cost....

They don't have enough staff to calculate the correct amount, so they give you an amount that they believe will be sufficient to resolve your case.

I recall a couple of years ago, several of us were delayed on Virgin. One person sent a long letter and got £50 back as they didn't have time to read it. The rest of us sent a really concise letter with all the tickets in one claim. We got the absolute minimal amount possible (which was the difference between 1st & Std returns, divided by two for the outward portion being declassified, plus their then measly passengers charter delay compensation for the return portion being heavily delayed). We should have all sent long letters each! :roll:

 

[VauxhallandI]

I would say 80% over the two letters is telling about their troubles.

This is not good customer service in my eyes. I have little concern for their staffing issues or the variable nature of the demand on said resources.

It is washing your laundry in public

 

[Starmill]

Let's just say that customer relations culture at Virgin Trains could not be much more different from, say, Northern.

 

[SephenWorceste]

They must be struggling at Virgin if they cannot find the time to do the calculation. I got £45.30 vouchers on £38.30 of tickets.

I am not familiar with Northern. Are they particularly good? I generally find Virgin staff on the train very accommodating and friendly.

Best wishes, Stephen.




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[Starmill]

I am not familiar with Northern. Are they particularly good?

Nope.

 

[table38]

 

[RJ]

Nothing wrong with being bald!

 

[SephenWorceste]

I was bought up in Yorkshire. I use to buy my tickets from the office at Pontefract Baghill. It was all BR in those days. Pacers and HSTs were just being introduced. Both were going to revolutionise rail travel. Long before Northern of course.


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[Baxenden Bank]

Case closed m'lud.

Now, if you were the curious type, you could ask for a copy of the briefing subsequently issued to staff - to see if it actually exists or whether they just patted you on the head to get rid of you!

 

[bb21]

Chances are that you will then be told that it was confidential.

 

[yorkie]

I am not familiar with Northern. Are they particularly good?

No, I think what starmill was referring to is the fact that Virgin Trains may just send you more money than you'd be entitled to because they don't have time to fully investigate. But with Northern, they're constantly trying to get out of paying anything and denying that the problems exist.

 

[SephenWorceste]

Following the Nope link I can see what you mean. My vouchers from Virgin related to a (involuntary) split ticketing. I thought that might give them a get out. They probably did not even notice.

Surely RTVs are going to become more common as Delay Repay spreads across the network. I now have about £60 worth. I might put them towards a Settle to Carlisle trip from Worcester.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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[SephenWorceste]

Surely if it is to complicated to accept the RTVs on the train, then the train manager could consider using their discretion and upgrading you free of charge.

That way you have no complaint that's a legitimate payment has been refused. The train manager does not have to struggle to accept payment.

Best wishes, Stephen.




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[SephenWorceste]

I tried to use some of my RTVs this week on two journeys. Both from unstaffed station to unstaffed station. No ticket machines at the departure station either. I did not see the guard on either journey to try out my RTVs.

Best wishes, Stephen.


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[Starmill]

Good luck with that...

Yorkie has hit the nail on the head. Northern almost always weasel out of giving you compensation or a refudn when it's due and send you a free travel ticket instead.

 

[strowger]

To be fair to Northern, I've usually found the "free unlimited travel on Northern for a day" to be worth more than whatever Passengers Charter compensation I'd have been due.

And that's using it for commuting, completely ignoring the large distances you can cover in a day on Northern if inclined.