Well done FGW

[crewmeal]

After the fiasco on Monday night when the Penzance sleeper was cancelled, when my friend got home there was a full refund and a free First Class ticket waiting for him.

Well done FGW for excellent Customer Service.

 

[merlodlliw]

Do I get the impression some one works for FGW

Well done FGW for excellent Customer Service.

I wonder if the passengers on the night agreed with the comment.

 

[Jordy]

Threads merged and moved into NR General Discussion

 

[crewmeal]

I haven't yet learnt how to delete a thread and no I live and work in the Middle East and FGW aren't running services here in Jordan.

Well done FGW for excellent Customer Service.

I wonder if the passengers on the night agreed with the comment.

The idea was to well done for responding so quickly without having to wait months for replies/money back - of course it was a disappointment for my friend not been able to travel on the sleeper

 

[merlodlliw]

I haven't yet learnt how to delete a thread and no I live and work in the Middle East and FGW aren't running services here in Jordan.



OK, its just that some employees of TOCs, priase themselves on other sites.
I agree to spend the night on a HST is miserable, even more so if in seats
used on bucket flights. I also agree the refund was fast compared to other
TOCs especially ATW, who would say it was the passengers fault for using the train.

 

[mrcheek]

could be worse, there was one site where some guys who worked for the short haul airline industry kept posting anti-rail diatribes! They were posting journey time differences, until somebody came along and pointed out that you have to arrive an hour early at airports, and suddenly their sums didnt look so good.

 

[fgwrich]

Ive always found FGW's custemer service very very good...and before anyone asks...im a art & design student here in basingstoke... so i dont yet work for FGW...

Speaking of FGW...has anyone seen the new First Class lounge at paddington...WOW First Great Western really have done one heck of a very very smart job - 1 part is modern & contempory with heritage fetures retained, yet the other half is far more heritage than modern, but with the hint of modern - theyve even gone af far as putting proper leather seats in...

And compared to other TOC's lounges, it really is very smart - being from basingstoke, SWT dosent have a first class lounge but the waiting rooms/lounges that were recently refurbished are already looking bad...including Platform four were damp hs got in and so the plasters peeling off...

*note i, as said above, dont work for FGW but depending on the situation later this year/beginning of next year i might...but ive certainly got quite a god few freinds who work for them...

 

[merlodlliw]

Speaking of FGW...has anyone seen the new First Class lounge at paddington...WOW First Great Western really have done one heck of a very very smart job - 1 part is modern & contempory with heritage fetures retained, yet the other half is far more heritage than modern, but with the hint of modern - theyve even gone af far as putting proper leather seats in...


Untill W/S came to Wrexham, we had no,lounge,waiting room,toilets,cafe under ATW. Now we have the lot,clean station with W/S staff here
round the clock.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

especially ATW, who would say it was the passengers fault for using the train.

Why in your postings do you have such a negative view of ATW? We're certainly not the best TOC in the world, but no one TOC is perfect. In fact last year we were the most reliable TOC in the country and thats fact. A damn sight more of our trains run punctually than FGW's for example and tbf we have the congested welsh marches to compete with.

 

[devon_metro]

Why in your postings do you have such a negative view of ATW? We're certainly not the best TOC in the world, but no one TOC is perfect. In fact last year we were the most reliable TOC in the country and thats fact. A damn sight more of our trains run punctually than FGW's for example and tbf we have the congested welsh marches to compete with.

I don't think at all that it is fair for ATW to be stacked against an Intercity operator who are far more prone to delay!

 

[Daimler]

Ive always found FGW's custemer service very very good...and before anyone asks...im a art & design student here in basingstoke... so i dont yet work for FGW...

Speaking of FGW...has anyone seen the new First Class lounge at paddington...WOW First Great Western really have done one heck of a very very smart job - 1 part is modern & contempory with heritage fetures retained, yet the other half is far more heritage than modern, but with the hint of modern - theyve even gone af far as putting proper leather seats in...

Yes, it would appear that FGW is attempting to widen the gulf between first & standard class as much as possible - lovely reclining leather seats in first class, and (from what you say) magnificent lounges, and awful upright 'tombstones' in second.

Interesting then, that weekend first has shot up. I wonder if they're trying to get more and more people to actually buy first class tickets in the first place...

 

[me123]

You say it like it's not what any company would want to do. Encouraging First Class sales and upgrades gives them more money, it's as simple as that.

And don't say you or BR would do things differently; let's face it, neither would.

 

[westcoaster]

In fact last year we were the most reliable TOC in the country and thats fact. QUOTE]

not suprissing seeing as ATW are the main operator in wales.

 

[merlodlliw]

Why in your postings do you have such a negative view of ATW? We're certainly not the best TOC in the world, but no one TOC is perfect. In fact last year we were the most reliable TOC in the country and thats fact. A damn sight more of our trains run punctually than FGW's for example and tbf we have the congested welsh marches to compete with.

The most reliable you say, well that was easy, you run the trains slower to try and get past the worst TOC for reliability which you held. Even under
Wales & Borders I could board a clean direct service at 7.35a.m. to cardiff and arrive at 1000a.m now add another 20 MINUTES.

As for my negative view of ATW, when your TOC cleans up its 158s,has water in the toilets then I might be positive, Wrexham General two years ago serving the largest town in North Wales, under ATW was a scruffy, dirty,unsafe, station with decaying bays, ATW did everything to stop W/S
as you well know, now we have a station with real trains, no thanks to ATW.


I agree with you on the point,You are not the best TOC. Even Central ran
brand new trains to Birmingham from Wrexham, now we have clapped out
unreliable two coach DMUs thanks to Arrivas franchise.

 

[asylumxl]

Why in your postings do you have such a negative view of ATW? We're certainly not the best TOC in the world, but no one TOC is perfect. In fact last year we were the most reliable TOC in the country and thats fact. A damn sight more of our trains run punctually than FGW's for example and tbf we have the congested welsh marches to compete with.

That's not what the live statistic boards in Network Rail offices say...

 

[devon_metro]

What do they say

 

[furryfeet]

please explain !

just how is putting the price up, by up to 150% going to increase sales ?

the evidence of other threads indicates anything but, judging by the actual take up last Sunday - over 90% of the 1st class seats were unoccupied !

 

[Daimler]

You say it like it's not what any company would want to do. Encouraging First Class sales and upgrades gives them more money, it's as simple as that.

And don't say you or BR would do things differently; let's face it, neither would.

That certainly wasn't the impression I was attempting to create!

I'm sure they want to do it - I was just passing a commentary on it, as they seem to be doing it more overtly than others. I can't say that they're encouraging upgrades, though. I would argue that they're discouraging upgrades with the new fare structure - many will, I assume, go for standard at reservation, before perhaps deciding to upgrade once on the train - £25 is perhaps too much to encourage this...

What is interesting, though, is that FGW's first advance fares are excellent value compared to many others - it would appear they'd like more people to book in advance first class...

 

[devon_metro]

Indeed. I've booked nearly 175 miles of First class travel for £16 YP and I got £5 off courtesy of FGW. £11. Bargain.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I've used the FC lounge at Bristol Temple Meads many times before, and have never once been disapointed by the levels of service recieved in it.

Although i've not been back there for around a year or so, i was frequently met there by an incredibly friendly gentleman from FGW, who even remembered one or two things about me, despite the fact that i only travel towards the South West a few times a year now.

The lounge itself is quite small, but i think it adds to the comfort, as it gives it a very nice cosy feel.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I think Temple Meads is a lovely station - very old but very beautiful and very well run. Think the Paddington First Class lounge is fantastic too, the one at Liverpool Streeet however is crap.

 

[Mojo]

Is the First class lounge at Temple Meads still open?

When I passed a few weeks ago it was being used for a staff briefing.

 

[devon_metro]

No, its closed.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I don't think at all that it is fair for ATW to be stacked against an Intercity operator who are far more prone to delay!

I was basing it more on the wessex side than HST tbh... As soon as anything happens over Bristol side of the river that affects normal running, FGW don't give a s**t about passengers this side of the tunnel as happened yesterday with the fatality near bradford, leaving pax from cardiff and newport stranded this side, whilst they restarted from BTM which seems to be the typical way to do things as it happens all the time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The most reliable you say, well that was easy, you run the trains slower to try and get past the worst TOC for reliability which you held. Even under
Wales & Borders I could board a clean direct service at 7.35a.m. to cardiff and arrive at 1000a.m now add another 20 MINUTES.

As for my negative view of ATW, when your TOC cleans up its 158s,has water in the toilets then I might be positive, Wrexham General two years ago serving the largest town in North Wales, under ATW was a scruffy, dirty,unsafe, station with decaying bays, ATW did everything to stop W/S
as you well know, now we have a station with real trains, no thanks to ATW.


I agree with you on the point,You are not the best TOC. Even Central ran
brand new trains to Birmingham from Wrexham, now we have clapped out
unreliable two coach DMUs thanks to Arrivas franchise.

Network Rail does the pathing though, not ATW so you can't really blame them for adding 20mins to the journey.

Machy depot earlier this year reported increased reliability of the 158 fleet and to top it off refurbing will be starting shortly if not already underway.
And yes ATW did try and stop W/S I agree, but its all good competition at the end of the day! I can't comment on ATW's london plans as I know very little about them.
I personally think ATW have done a damned good job of picking up the franchise from what it was when they first took over and looking at arrivas profits over the last year can't have been doing too badly.
With relation to real trains, yeah fantastic if you're a spotter/enthusiast etc. etc. at the end of the day thats not what the general travelling public want and we all know that.