Virgin Customer Services

[harz99]

Hi, does anyone have an email address for Virgin Customer Services that they actually answer, please?

 

[Geezertronic]

Best thing to do is to ring Customer Relations and speak to them depending on what your enquiry is.

 

[eos]

Try:-

http://feedback.virgintrains.co.uk/default.aspx

 

[MKB]

Do NOT use the online customer service. It will just leave you very very frustrated. Replies will be cut-and-paste paragraphs that bear little relation to what you are writing about. Follow-ups are usually ignored, but, if not, they come back with more of the same rubbish.

The people writing these replies, in my experience, have virtually zero knowledge of anything to do with British railways.

 

[bengolding]

Another point of interest is that the telephone number for Virgin Customer Relations is non geo number. I think it is 0870 or 0845, which means it does not come out of your inclusive mobile minutes.

If you go to the SayNoTo0870 website, and put in Virgin Trains, you will get a geo 0121 (Birmingham) number for them, and it takes you straight to Customer Relations instead of to a main menu.

Just thought that may be of interest! This applies to other train operators too - many use 0870 or 0845 numbers but the wbsite lists geo numbers for these, e.g. CrossCountry is also an 0121 number and East Midlands Trains is an 0115 Nottingham number.

 

[Geezertronic]

That's some good general info, thanks mate

 

[jopsuk]

Sometimes the info from there can be out of date though.

Also, if you're on BT for your phone line, and plan on staying with them, if you commit for twelve months you get non-geo numbers added into whatever "free" calls package you have. Or, phone from work!

 

[harz99]

Thanks for the replies; personally I dislike taking up customer service issues on the phone, and prefer to have some written evidence of any response provided by the company concerned either via email or snail mail.

It appears from comments in your replies that Virgin Trains CS are on a par with Virgin Holidays, who also either don't answer emails at all, or give brief answers that don't cover the original query!

I think i'll just have to avoid anything large, red and with a "V" anywhere on it in future.

 

[Greenback]

Thanks for the replies; personally I dislike taking up customer service issues on the phone, and prefer to have some written evidence of any response provided by the company concerned either via email or snail mail.

It appears from comments in your replies that Virgin Trains CS are on a par with Virgin Holidays, who also either don't answer emails at all, or give brief answers that don't cover the original query!

I think i'll just have to avoid anything large, red and with a "V" anywhere on it in future.

I also prefer to put things in writing. Having worked in Custome Services (the organisation shall remain nameless!) it's much easier for a company to ignore anything raised on the phone and unless you recor the conversation yourself, you won;t be able to remember exactly what you aid or how you phrased it!

In my experience, TOC's can be somewht chaotic when it comes to replyiong to emails, though whether this is intentional I wouldn;t like to say! They may just need better systmes for recordin and allocating emails to the staff!

 

[Hornby APT]

I have always found in the past that when dealing with poor Customer Services and you are getting nowhere to go straight to the top and miraculously the problem is resolved straight away. This has worked for me with Orange, Comet, GNER and BT. You have to guess at the email address for the head person and sometimes it bounces back, but generally it follows the format of firstname.surname@domain. The head honchos are all listed on the Virgin Trains website.
I would not advocate contacting them with trivial matters, but sometimes you are banging your head against a brick wall and resolution is nowhere in sight.

 

[Trains06]

Virgin Trains web Customer Support are *okay* and take too long to reply. If your still looking for it Ive ahad replies from; customerrelations@virgintrains.co.uk

 

[rail-britain]

I have found sending a complaint in writing by postal method gets the best response from most TOCs
Ironically, it takes about the same time as email, by the time you take into account their initial response and having to email back that they may have misread and misunderstood the points raised

So far the best response by email is from Arriva Trains Wales
They went out of their way and even met me at Cardiff Central station whilst on my ALR to discuss the content of my email

First TransPennine Express would probably be next
Their first email was a little vague, but they responded to my second with the exact information I required, including an attached copy of the replacement seat reservation

Virgin Trains did respond by email, but advised me to contact someone
Sadly that email didn't include that persons email address, it assumed I knew what it would be!

 

[tony_mac]

First TransPennine Express would probably be next

My experience last year was horrendous, but it looks like they were being answered by staff at thetrainline. I wonder how many other TOCs have their emails answered by a (clueless) third party.

They now appear to be replying to emails themselves, and although a bit slow, have improved massively.

 

[Trains06]

I read your thread earlier, Tony. That Terry bloke hadn't a clue