Virgin Trains

[Geezertronic]

The only big issue I have with VT is their customer services which can be shocking at times. But that seems to be the norm over the Virgin brands I have used even though they are separate entities (VirginMedia being a prime example even)

 

[Johnny Lewis]

The only big issue I have with VT is their customer services which can be shocking at times. But that seems to be the norm over the Virgin brands I have used even though they are separate entities (VirginMedia being a prime example even)

Having just spent well over an hour on the phone to Virgin Media's so-called "customer services" department, to discuss an outstanding bill of around £40, then I agree most strongly with the above comment.

Virgin are all style and no substance - they rely far too heavily on their brand name, but when it comes down to it, they just don't deliver - on anything.

 

[MCR247]

They do for me! My free Virgin Atlantic flights are evident of that for me!

 

[WestCoast]

The only big issue I have with VT is their customer services which can be shocking at times. But that seems to be the norm over the Virgin brands I have used even though they are separate entities (VirginMedia being a prime example even)

Every time I have submitted a delay claim to Virgin they have responded quickly with travel vouchers. I have waited 3 months with Northern - who then gave me a day pass for Northern services - a breach of their own customer charter! I have also found Virgin Media (which is barely owned by Virgin) better than BT and Sky to deal with - the latter company keeps pestering me with salespeople at the door with false promises about internet prices :roll:.

 

[lm321412]

they just don't deliver - on anything.

Sounds like sour grapes to me...

 

[Nym]

I see them everyday & its so obvious. Of course other age groups do but its the usual skint students or groups who will do the best to avoid a visit to a ticket office even with bargains such as groupsave to be had.

Not all students are skint dear, I was earning 17k while studdying at Manchester...

Somthing more relevant to come

And here it is...

I use Virgin Media for my fixed line voice and data, and the're a hell of a lot better to deal with than the likes of BT or KCL, I actually get the download speed I pay for, but am dissapointed with the upload speeds somtimes, overall, better than Sky and BT. The customer services centre seem to be sorting themselves out, talked to an English person in Wythenshawe last time I phoned up.

Virgin Atlantic, they have some of the best staff and aircraft I have seen in a long time, and are commited to ideas to keep customers, for example, VS73, VS77, VS75, You name another UK Scheduled Airline that operates from MAN to the US? I get the feeling that when they get their 787s they may well be starting a Daily MAN - JFK route, on a codeshare with Continenal and United Airlines.

Virgin Rail Group have been dragged down by the DaFT and some sheite staff knackering up their reputation, (Londoners running the barriers at Euston for example).

Operation Princess for example, IIRC VRG wanted longer trains, but the DfT wouldn't let them, they wanted more pendos, the DfT wouldn't let them, they wanted a shed tonne of 11 car pendos, the DfT wouldn't let them. They bid for the ICEC Franchise with the promise of High Speed bypass lines to eliviate bottleknecks on the ECML, they wern't allowed the franchise. The list goes on.

Just think of everything they've done for the WCML Service Pattern, 3tph to Manchester and Birmingham is nothing short of amasing, although in the mid term, we could do with increasing service provision on the Chiltern Mainline with competative journey times, 3tph on each the Chiltern and WCML, plus some LM services.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

Sounds like sour grapes to me...

No, just months of shoddy and indifferent service (but I am talking about Virgin Media). I rarely travel with Virgin Trains, and I have to say that, compared to XC, Virgin did a far better job. So maybe they are not all bad. Just not as good as their media spin would have you believe.

I very occasionally book a First Class Advance ticket on Virgin (there are bargains to be had if you are not tied to a particular day / time / route), and I always look forward to the journey, but usually it fails to live up to expectation. It's the way the free food and drink are thrown at you within the first 30 minutes of the journey, so as to get it out of the way as quickly as possible, then you are ignored for the remainder of the journey, apart from being made to feel that you are in the way when they are clearing the tables.

I am sure that many people love Virgin and many people have good journeys with them, but I'm sad to say that the above always seems to be experience on the rare occasions that I travel with them.

In a way, East Coast are currently better because you know in advance that, apart from tea/coffee/water/biscuits, you are not going to get anything free, so you don't expect it. Come May, when free food becomes part of the deal, there will be a lot of disappointed travellers on the days when the free food is not offered, for whatever reason. And whatever your arguments are, if I'd paid almost £400 return for my Manchester to London First Anytime return, and was then told that the breakfast / dinner was not available, well I would be pretty annoyed.

 

[jon0844]

I'd hope that on any service that should have food, but doesn't, they'll give out vouchers as a goodwill gesture (i.e. over and above the call of duty).

As it is free, on any service that doesn't offer food - that's a choice for you to make when booking your ticket, or choosing which service to take.

The value of the food isn't obviously that much, so if you had to wait an hour or two for a train with 'free' food as against get home an hour or two earlier, you make up your own mind.

I hope that's how EC will do things. Technically they can say it was free and therefore there's no actual loss (or they hand you a cheque for £0.00!) but every TOC must know about good PR these days. As soon as the first person who doesn't get his or her meal goes ranting to the Daily Mail, EC will regret any decision to stick to the rules.

 

[Failed Unit]

I hate the term free food myself - we all know it isn't free. I got the difference in price between standard and first back of virgin when I joined at Warrington and it was all gone heading to Glasgow. I was very hungry as I couldnt that evening find anything to eat in the station at Warrington. I must admit the staff in the shop were not impressed either when a first class passenger turned up asking for something to eat and drink and were very sorry they had to charge. Never did get to sample the "prime" meal

Other times I know virgin have had hungry London - Glasgow passengers are when volcanos go off.

But GNER also ran out of food, I wouldnt risk it if I joined at York heading north and make sure I get something on the station. It does seem worse when it is included in the ticket price, you feel short changed. When you need to pay you are just hungry!

 

[IanXC]

its not nice when you have a 4 car 150 and no RPA on.

Presumably there is supposed to be an RPA on a 4 car diagram?! When there is would one of you start at the front and one at the back and meet in the middle or?

I think I forget how difficult it can be to get ticket checks done, on the Yorkshire Coast Line theres almost always a Guard and an RPA, and often the RPA will be stood by my seat before I've even managed to sit down and take my coat off, let alone the train having left the station yet! It'd be a 2car 158, and at peak times its usually moderately loaded.