This morning I went to Stratford International to purchase an Anytime Day Return to Calais using 16-25 R/C. No problem finding and issuing the tickets whatsoever and payment is made using my debit card. So far so good!
Printer then fails to print the tickets! Computer crashes! What happens next illustrates all that is wrong with customer service in general in this country and maybe TOCs specifically.
My train is at 09.49 and my ticket is paid for by 09.20. No attempt to issue the ticket using another terminal. Oh no that cannot be done sir! Staff member joined by colleague who wishes to stress that it's "Not our fault". Yes it's not PERSONALLY your fault but your are on duty as customer service representatives for SET and you already have taken my money!
Long story short is that the problem is not sorted until 10.29 by which time I have missed two trains. During this period I am told to buy a NEW TICKET and they will refund me at some unspecified time/date in the future when the computer works again! I make clear this is unacceptable; however, eventually I am refunded on the spot (after an hour of arguing) and thus purchase a new ticket. Refund will arrive in 2-3 days of course!
A few issues:-
1. No apparent fall back procedure for an IT failure of this sort.
2. Unreasonable expectation of customer to purchase a new ticket despite SET having a legal obligation to honour the contract formed when payment taken only minutes earlier.
3. Lack of understanding or willingness to just issue a cash ticket and balance their books later when customer has gone.
4. Expectation that customer should bare the inconvenience of the problem caused by SET; namely, paying again for a ticket and waiting 3 days for a refund.
Now just imagine your card was not accepted and you had no means of payment and states, "I'll pay in three days". You'd be laughed at and worse! Probably penalty fare or prosecution! However, mere customers must be "understanding" when SET staff want you to pay again for a ticket paid for only minutes earlier. No understanding of the fact a customer is now over 90 minutes late through a failure of SET to be able to print a ticket!
Staff expect respect; however, surely it's a two way process?
Printer then fails to print the tickets! Computer crashes! What happens next illustrates all that is wrong with customer service in general in this country and maybe TOCs specifically.
My train is at 09.49 and my ticket is paid for by 09.20. No attempt to issue the ticket using another terminal. Oh no that cannot be done sir! Staff member joined by colleague who wishes to stress that it's "Not our fault". Yes it's not PERSONALLY your fault but your are on duty as customer service representatives for SET and you already have taken my money!
Long story short is that the problem is not sorted until 10.29 by which time I have missed two trains. During this period I am told to buy a NEW TICKET and they will refund me at some unspecified time/date in the future when the computer works again! I make clear this is unacceptable; however, eventually I am refunded on the spot (after an hour of arguing) and thus purchase a new ticket. Refund will arrive in 2-3 days of course!
A few issues:-
1. No apparent fall back procedure for an IT failure of this sort.
2. Unreasonable expectation of customer to purchase a new ticket despite SET having a legal obligation to honour the contract formed when payment taken only minutes earlier.
3. Lack of understanding or willingness to just issue a cash ticket and balance their books later when customer has gone.
4. Expectation that customer should bare the inconvenience of the problem caused by SET; namely, paying again for a ticket and waiting 3 days for a refund.
Now just imagine your card was not accepted and you had no means of payment and states, "I'll pay in three days". You'd be laughed at and worse! Probably penalty fare or prosecution! However, mere customers must be "understanding" when SET staff want you to pay again for a ticket paid for only minutes earlier. No understanding of the fact a customer is now over 90 minutes late through a failure of SET to be able to print a ticket!
Staff expect respect; however, surely it's a two way process?
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. For a ticket to not be valid on HS1 it would need to be routed via an alternative route (e.g. Route: Tonbridge) or be routed via NOT HS1, if HS1 is a permitted route. HS1 is clearly a permitted route as it is the shortest route, and arguably the only route if your origin is Stratford Intl anyway.
