Peshwari Naan
Peshwari Naan shows that Salsabil is not on her own. National Express does not operate as well as the company wants the public to believe. In this blog Salsabil republishes material that she has found on the internet to demonstrate that she is not the only one who knows just how badly National Express operates it's coach services in the UK.Friday, March 30, 2007
A Modern Nomad writes on 27th March 2007...
The south of England doesn’t have any comprehensive bus service so I had to go back to London from Canterbury to go to Brighton, my next destination. Upon arrival in London, I grabbed a quick snack at a café because I was starving and ran to board the bus. When I got there the driver said with a sneer, “No hot food on National Express buses,” and walked away from me, not bothering to load my backpack on the bus. I had just heard him yelling at two other people so I figured he was just mean to everyone. I still had a few minutes before the scheduled departure so I stood outside the doors and shoved my food into my mouth, burning my tongue in the process. When it was still two minutes to 1pm, the driver looked at me and said rudely, “Any time you’re ready there sweetheart. Don’t rush yourself.” I could have hit him – I still had two minutes left! I tossed the last remnants into my mouth and went to board the bus, but the driver first made me walk all the way back to the terminal to throw out the paper the pastry had been in, as if it would contaminate the garbage bag on board. We ended up not leaving on time anyway. The two people who the driver had been yelling at came back and he grudgingly accompanied them to the office to sort out the problem. He kept grumbling about how he had to leave on time and we were putting him behind. I wanted to point out that National Express buses usually run about ten minutes late anyway, but I thought he might actually hit me.
The south of England doesn’t have any comprehensive bus service so I had to go back to London from Canterbury to go to Brighton, my next destination. Upon arrival in London, I grabbed a quick snack at a café because I was starving and ran to board the bus. When I got there the driver said with a sneer, “No hot food on National Express buses,” and walked away from me, not bothering to load my backpack on the bus. I had just heard him yelling at two other people so I figured he was just mean to everyone. I still had a few minutes before the scheduled departure so I stood outside the doors and shoved my food into my mouth, burning my tongue in the process. When it was still two minutes to 1pm, the driver looked at me and said rudely, “Any time you’re ready there sweetheart. Don’t rush yourself.” I could have hit him – I still had two minutes left! I tossed the last remnants into my mouth and went to board the bus, but the driver first made me walk all the way back to the terminal to throw out the paper the pastry had been in, as if it would contaminate the garbage bag on board. We ended up not leaving on time anyway. The two people who the driver had been yelling at came back and he grudgingly accompanied them to the office to sort out the problem. He kept grumbling about how he had to leave on time and we were putting him behind. I wanted to point out that National Express buses usually run about ten minutes late anyway, but I thought he might actually hit me.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sincas on Tour writes on 25th March 2007...
On Sunday I went and watched Rhian's nephews play soccer and then spent the afternoon with them before making my way back to London. My luck with buses to and from Cardiff is not good. Megabus let me down with a trip that took an extra 1.5 hours one night, and then left me stuck at the bus stop waiting 1.5 hours for a return trip so I took my business to National Express this time. An hour into my journey I was woken up and told everyone had to evacuate as there was a fuel leak. So we stood by the motorway for an hour before a replacement bus scooped us. All's well that ends well but I think trains will be my future choice!
On Sunday I went and watched Rhian's nephews play soccer and then spent the afternoon with them before making my way back to London. My luck with buses to and from Cardiff is not good. Megabus let me down with a trip that took an extra 1.5 hours one night, and then left me stuck at the bus stop waiting 1.5 hours for a return trip so I took my business to National Express this time. An hour into my journey I was woken up and told everyone had to evacuate as there was a fuel leak. So we stood by the motorway for an hour before a replacement bus scooped us. All's well that ends well but I think trains will be my future choice!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Raji writes on 21st March 2007...
I ought to be waiting at London Victoria Coach Station for my connecting coach to Nottingham now. In fact, my connecting coach leaves in just about five minutes. In reality, however, I am at the University of Southampton, Law School's Computer Room blogging. Why?
Because the coach that was supposed to take us from the University to London Victoria arrived and left before the time it was supposed to. Yes, I could have taken a train to London Victoria & made it in time for my 3.30pm coach to Nottingham, but when i called National Express' customer services, I was told that the coach had not yet arrived & was undergoing a half hour delay. So I waited about. For another forty-five minutes, during which time I called up customer services twice more, got put on hold twice more & the calls being cut twice. Fourth time lucky, I managed to get through to customer services & was told that the coach had indeed already left at the stipulated time & that the earlier information we were given was wrong.
By this time, we could not have caught our Nottingham coach even if we had taken a train up to London Victoria. Hence, S & I are now camped out in the Law School's computer room, surrounded by bags. We have eaten the lunch we packed from hostel & are pretending we are backpacking through the Law School on holiday. We've even taken some pictures to commemorate this glorious *ahem* holiday.
We've rebooked tickets to London Victoria & to Nottingham one way, since we can still use our return tickets.We leave on the 5pm bus to London Victoria, from where we shall take the Tube to Shm's place, stay there overnight & head on off to Nottingham on the 8.30am bus tomorrow. Sadly we miss Sang's birthday Dinner tonight (Happy Birthday Sweetie!).
Thus, begin's our little holiday! With missed coaches, annoyed e-mails to Customer Relations at National Express & a mini-camp-out in the Law School's Computer Room.
Hey, at least no one can claim they've have a holiday like this before.
Love to all!
I ought to be waiting at London Victoria Coach Station for my connecting coach to Nottingham now. In fact, my connecting coach leaves in just about five minutes. In reality, however, I am at the University of Southampton, Law School's Computer Room blogging. Why?
Because the coach that was supposed to take us from the University to London Victoria arrived and left before the time it was supposed to. Yes, I could have taken a train to London Victoria & made it in time for my 3.30pm coach to Nottingham, but when i called National Express' customer services, I was told that the coach had not yet arrived & was undergoing a half hour delay. So I waited about. For another forty-five minutes, during which time I called up customer services twice more, got put on hold twice more & the calls being cut twice. Fourth time lucky, I managed to get through to customer services & was told that the coach had indeed already left at the stipulated time & that the earlier information we were given was wrong.
By this time, we could not have caught our Nottingham coach even if we had taken a train up to London Victoria. Hence, S & I are now camped out in the Law School's computer room, surrounded by bags. We have eaten the lunch we packed from hostel & are pretending we are backpacking through the Law School on holiday. We've even taken some pictures to commemorate this glorious *ahem* holiday.
We've rebooked tickets to London Victoria & to Nottingham one way, since we can still use our return tickets.We leave on the 5pm bus to London Victoria, from where we shall take the Tube to Shm's place, stay there overnight & head on off to Nottingham on the 8.30am bus tomorrow. Sadly we miss Sang's birthday Dinner tonight (Happy Birthday Sweetie!).
Thus, begin's our little holiday! With missed coaches, annoyed e-mails to Customer Relations at National Express & a mini-camp-out in the Law School's Computer Room.
Hey, at least no one can claim they've have a holiday like this before.
Love to all!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Grace writes on 18th March 2007...
I was in Brighton visiting Michelle last weekend. That place is lovely! I would want to go shopping there soon. OH. And i have to mention that en route from london to bristol, the national express bus driver didn't know how to get onto the M4 from london and we circled south london for an hour when we could have got on the motorway in fifteen minutes. Thereafter, there was serious traffic between junctions 1 and 3 on the M4. two and a half hour congestion resulted in a stopover at the service station. The worst thing was he fell asleep on the wheel and headed straight to the hard road shoulder, knocked over some cones before he decided to wake up. Reached bristol at half 3 in the morning instead of half 11. driver refused to send us to bristol university. thankfully somebody made friends with me and we walked to goldney together (: i wasn't exactly in fear for my life then but criminal law sprung to my head. automatism. grr.
Fiona Pendlebury writes on 16th March 2007...
A WOMAN says she and other passengers on a National Express coach were forced to endure a stench from toilets during a nightmare journey.
Carol Rose of Jewell Road Bournemouth says that during the two and-a-half-hour ordeal passengers stuffed T-shirts into their faces in an effort to escape the smell and even started a petition in protest.
The coach was baking hot and passengers were unable to open windows because they were sealed, she added.
Mrs Rose had travelled to London to see a friend but it was on the return journey there was a problem she claimed. She said: "People had T-shirts wrapped round their faces because of the smell. We could hardly breathe. I still feel nauseous.
"The moment I got on I noticed the smell and it just got worse. I just thought someone had not flushed it. But one of the passengers had a look and it didn't need flushing.
"When we got to Ringwood I showed the driver this petition that had gone around. He showed me a piece of paper where three drivers had reported this three times and nothing had been done.
"This chap in front of me said this happened when he was coming back on a different journey and he had got a petition going round and everyone had signed it.
"I wonder how long this has been going on and what diseases we were subjected to. I have a bladder problem and I was unable to use the toilet."
Gerry Price, head of engineering, National Express, said, "The coach was taken out of service for a thorough clean. An investigation into the cause will be carried out. I would like to apologise to the customers and ensure daily Echo readers we are committed to providing a comfortable travelling environment, and this situation was not acceptable."
I was in Brighton visiting Michelle last weekend. That place is lovely! I would want to go shopping there soon. OH. And i have to mention that en route from london to bristol, the national express bus driver didn't know how to get onto the M4 from london and we circled south london for an hour when we could have got on the motorway in fifteen minutes. Thereafter, there was serious traffic between junctions 1 and 3 on the M4. two and a half hour congestion resulted in a stopover at the service station. The worst thing was he fell asleep on the wheel and headed straight to the hard road shoulder, knocked over some cones before he decided to wake up. Reached bristol at half 3 in the morning instead of half 11. driver refused to send us to bristol university. thankfully somebody made friends with me and we walked to goldney together (: i wasn't exactly in fear for my life then but criminal law sprung to my head. automatism. grr.
Fiona Pendlebury writes on 16th March 2007...
A WOMAN says she and other passengers on a National Express coach were forced to endure a stench from toilets during a nightmare journey.
Carol Rose of Jewell Road Bournemouth says that during the two and-a-half-hour ordeal passengers stuffed T-shirts into their faces in an effort to escape the smell and even started a petition in protest.
The coach was baking hot and passengers were unable to open windows because they were sealed, she added.
Mrs Rose had travelled to London to see a friend but it was on the return journey there was a problem she claimed. She said: "People had T-shirts wrapped round their faces because of the smell. We could hardly breathe. I still feel nauseous.
"The moment I got on I noticed the smell and it just got worse. I just thought someone had not flushed it. But one of the passengers had a look and it didn't need flushing.
"When we got to Ringwood I showed the driver this petition that had gone around. He showed me a piece of paper where three drivers had reported this three times and nothing had been done.
"This chap in front of me said this happened when he was coming back on a different journey and he had got a petition going round and everyone had signed it.
"I wonder how long this has been going on and what diseases we were subjected to. I have a bladder problem and I was unable to use the toilet."
Gerry Price, head of engineering, National Express, said, "The coach was taken out of service for a thorough clean. An investigation into the cause will be carried out. I would like to apologise to the customers and ensure daily Echo readers we are committed to providing a comfortable travelling environment, and this situation was not acceptable."
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Pete Barr-Watson writes on 5th March 2007...
The BBC reports that National Express coaches want their particular form of transport to be viewed as cool - even as a suitable form of business travel...
National Express chief executive Richard Bowker wants coach travel in Britain to be like Spain, where the company's subsidiary, Alsa, carries business people between cities. In Spain, coach travel is "cool and acceptable" says Mr Bowker.
A very noble ambition, but I can only assume that Spain's equivalent coach system hasn't suffered from years of neglect like ours here in the UK. Nor do they have the rudest, sometimes simply nasty staff like we do in the UK.
As someone who lives in Brighton and travels from Heathrow a lot, I'm sometimes left with no choice but to use the coaches of the 'National Express' company. Believe me, when I say 'no choice', it's exactly that. If there was a sensible choice then I wouldn't go near them at all.
The coaches are dirty, smelly, filthy and tatty inside. I even go as far as to not rest my head against the headrest because of the sticky residue on every part of the seat. The toilets are disgusting and the smell inside is vomit-inducing in all but the strongest of stomached people. I've ridden great distances in the back of an army Bedford truck in my time and even that is pleasant compared to one of these coaches.
The worst part however, are the staff. I don't want to paint everyone with the same appalling brush, but it's hard not to when the examples I've had the misfortune to come across must simply be the very worst of their breed. I get the impression that the National Express is where people go to work when even the normal bus system is too high class for them. They are rude, unhelpful and often appear to be aggressive to people who's native language is not English. In fact, National Express staff have demonstrated the very worst behaviour I have ever seen in people who supposedly work in a service industry on several sorry times when I've had the misfortune to have to use their system.
I pity the management if they are truly going to try and change how things are there. The attitude that the staff display seems to be endemic and I imagine it will be very hard to eradicate. I've maintained, for years, that is someone who knew how to run a successful public transport service (Mr Branson are you listening?) came along and went into competition, they would kill National Express in months.
I have also maintained that we should force National Express to change their name to National Disgrace to be more representative of their true nature.
The BBC reports that National Express coaches want their particular form of transport to be viewed as cool - even as a suitable form of business travel...
National Express chief executive Richard Bowker wants coach travel in Britain to be like Spain, where the company's subsidiary, Alsa, carries business people between cities. In Spain, coach travel is "cool and acceptable" says Mr Bowker.
A very noble ambition, but I can only assume that Spain's equivalent coach system hasn't suffered from years of neglect like ours here in the UK. Nor do they have the rudest, sometimes simply nasty staff like we do in the UK.
As someone who lives in Brighton and travels from Heathrow a lot, I'm sometimes left with no choice but to use the coaches of the 'National Express' company. Believe me, when I say 'no choice', it's exactly that. If there was a sensible choice then I wouldn't go near them at all.
The coaches are dirty, smelly, filthy and tatty inside. I even go as far as to not rest my head against the headrest because of the sticky residue on every part of the seat. The toilets are disgusting and the smell inside is vomit-inducing in all but the strongest of stomached people. I've ridden great distances in the back of an army Bedford truck in my time and even that is pleasant compared to one of these coaches.
The worst part however, are the staff. I don't want to paint everyone with the same appalling brush, but it's hard not to when the examples I've had the misfortune to come across must simply be the very worst of their breed. I get the impression that the National Express is where people go to work when even the normal bus system is too high class for them. They are rude, unhelpful and often appear to be aggressive to people who's native language is not English. In fact, National Express staff have demonstrated the very worst behaviour I have ever seen in people who supposedly work in a service industry on several sorry times when I've had the misfortune to have to use their system.
I pity the management if they are truly going to try and change how things are there. The attitude that the staff display seems to be endemic and I imagine it will be very hard to eradicate. I've maintained, for years, that is someone who knew how to run a successful public transport service (Mr Branson are you listening?) came along and went into competition, they would kill National Express in months.
I have also maintained that we should force National Express to change their name to National Disgrace to be more representative of their true nature.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Andrew Taylor writes on 28th February 2007...
Some time ago, you may remember, I was somewhat stranded in Manchester by a combination of a tree, a deadly storm, and an impressive display of incompetence from the good people at the National Express. If you haven’t read the previous account then you can either do so now and come back, or you can simply read the version I sent to the National Express here:
I usually travel between Leeds and Manchester by train. On Thursday said train was not running, because an entire tree had blown onto the rails. Network Rail said perhaps I could phone you. So I did. I phoned you (I think it was on 08705 808080) at about quarter to five in the afternoon, and was reassured several times on the phone that there was “a regular service” running with “no dignificant delays”. So I booked a ticket, number FFY97447, for the 18:20 coach from Manchester Central to Leeds. I arrived at the coach station at about ten past six, waited for forty minutes or so, and then the coach that was supposed to arrive at five past three pulled in, somewhere in the region of four hours late. I later found out the motorways had been closed since mid-afternoon.
I don’t know if you lied to me or if you’re just incompetent, but the fact is that I was then stranded in Manchester overnight. Had I been told initially that the coaches were not running reliably then I would have been able to make other plans and been less stranded.
This is the reply I got back:
Jan 31, 2007 1:43 PM
Dear Mr Taylor
Thank you for your email.
I was sorry to hear of the delay on your service with us to Leeds recently.
On that day in question we did experience exceptionally severe weather conditions with gale force winds and driving rain. As a direct result many rail and coach services were cancelled and those that did run were subjected to strict speed restrictions for safety reasons.
I am sorry if you received any incorrect information from our staff, I hope you’ll appreciate that National Express is unable to accept liability for delays caused by severe weather conditions.
In situations of this nature, we do advise passengers to contact the 24 hour control centre emergency number which is printed with the tickets. The control centre can then advise the passenger on the most appropriate action to take or arrange for alternative means of transportation to their ticketed destination.
Once again, thank you for taking the trouble to contact us, as customer comments are used as a basis to improve our standard of service and provides us with invaluable feedback. I do hope that this will not deter you from travelling with us again in the future.
If you have any other queries regarding this matter please don’t hesitate to contact me directly on 0121 XXX XXXX and I will be happy to talk to you.
Yours sincerely
N
Customer Liaison Executive
That wasn’t really satisfactory to me. You know, because he basically didn’t do anything. Hell, he didn’t even apologise.
Jan 31, 2007 2:47 PM
So let me get this straight so there’s no confusion. You’re saying that as my delay was caused by bad weather I’m not eligible even for a refund of the ticket price?
Only when I phoned up to check on the service levels available the storms had been raging for two hours and your coaches were already running at least an hour and a half late, and I was explicitly and repeatedly told that the service was running as normal.
I don’t blame you for the delays themselves, because obviously I don’t expect you to be able to see into the future, but I DO blame you for the huge discrepancy between what I was told was happening and what was in actual fact happening and what had in actual fact been happening for at least an hour. I DO expect you to be able to see into the PRESENT.
You lied to me and took my money under false pretences. That is an act of fraud.
Is my £4 really that important to you?
Andrew Taylor
I may have perhaps overstated the culpability of the National Express there, but I was trying to make a point. Apparently it didn’t take, because about a week later I got this:
Feb 7, 2007 2:06 PM
Dear Mr Taylor
Thank you for your email.
I am very sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with my previous response.
Having reviewed our past correspondence, I find there is little I can usefully add to my previous comments about the disruptions you experienced when travelling with us recently. Please though allow me to reiterate my earlier apologies, as well as offer my reassurance that we do appreciate the difficulties caused in such situations. We really make every effort to ensure our service operates as planned.
It is always a concern to us when our customers remain dissatisfied. Having noted your comments, I feel that a further gesture on our part would be appropriate.
I have pleasure in enclosing an E Coach Travel Voucher to the value of £ 5.00 which I hope will go some way towards restoring your confidence in the service we provide.
To use your voucher, simply visit www.nationalexpress.com/book (don’t forget to log in or register)
Voucher Number:XXXX-XXXXX-XX
Security Code:XXXXXXXXXX
If you do not have access to the Internet, please call 0121 XXX XXXX and one of our Customer Relations Advisors will be pleased to help you.
Once again, my apologies. Here at National Express, we value your custom and hope that, despite your present sentiments, you will choose to travel with us again in the future.
Yours sincerely
N
Customer Liaison Executive
He says “once again, my apologies”, but he doesn’t actually say what he’s apologising for and in any case him apologising “again” is like me travelling by National Express “again” — impossible. And furthermore, I’m not going to sit here and accept a £5 voucher from him. That is an insult to my intelligence.
Feb 7, 2007 3:21 PM
Thankyou for the e-voucher, but it doesn’t really help me unless I choose to travel with National Express in the future, which I currently don’t plan to. I also notice that it probably costs you practically nothing to give away such a voucher and that it would be very hard for me to use it without giving you more of my money. In fact, since you have kept £4 of my money in exchange for this voucher, what I effectively have here is a £1 discount — which is pretty useless, you must admit. What I would like would be a cash refund of the money I paid you, and some reason to believe that you will fix whatever system caused this problem in the first place. Any “gestures” you choose to make should be on top of that refund, not instead of it.
Andrew Taylor
Perhaps abraisive, but I think fair and, in the circumstances, polite. N (obviously I’ve trimmed most of his name, which is a shame because it’s brilliant) was in many ways less polite as he didn’t reply. About a fortnight later I sent him this:
Feb 20, 2007 12:25 AM
It’s been a week now, and you’ve failed to reply to my email.
I really don’t want to have to take this further for the sake of four measly little pounds, but please don’t imagine that will stop me.
You lied to me and now you’re refusing to refund my money, or even to admit guilt. I’m not going to stand for it and if you think you can make me go away by ignoring me then you are sorely mistaken.
Andrew
Perhaps less polite than the last one, but again, given the circumstances I think more than civil.
Feb 21, 2007 9:41 AM
Dear Mr Taylor
Thank you for your most recent E-mail.
I’m sorry that you are still disappointed with the way in which I’ve responded to your complaint. I have reviewed your file with my manager.
As it states in the terms and conditions we are not liable for exceptional weather conditions. Therefore I cannot agree that we should offer any further reimbursement.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us again. We welcome all feedback, good and bad, and your views will help us to make some real improvements for the future.
Yours sincerely
N
Customer Liaison Executive
The thing that really pisses me off about this email is that this means that two of these monkeys have read my emails now and apparently neither of them have understood my complaint. Christ, it’s like dealing with Verizon trying to have a conversation with these people…
Feb 21, 2007 10:52 AM
I do not expect you to take responsibility for adverse weather conditions. I know that the storms that day came as a big surprise and I would not expect a full service to be running. That’s why I phoned up to check first.
I am not complaining about the cancellation itself. My complaint is that when I phoned your information line specifically to ask what services were running I was categorically, explicitly, and repeatedly told that the service was running as normal. It was purely based on this misinformation that I purchased a ticket. Later on I learned that when I phoned up the coaches were already at least an hour behind schedule.
Had your customer service representative bothered to check the information I had asked for then he would have known that the service was severely disrupted and told me this, and had he told me this then I would not have bought the ticket in the first place.
Your information line misinformed me when the correct information was readily available. How can you possibly think that is acceptable?
Andrew
I haven’t heard from them since. I’ve just sent this:
Feb 28, 2007 9:23 PM
I can’t help but notice another week has passed in which you have not bothered to reply to me, even to reiterate your well-rehearsed but irrelevant little spiel about how you don’t accept liability for exceptional weather conditions or to confirm that my emails are getting through to you.
I’m not going to type it out again, so please read the message below and reply to me.
Thankyou,
Andrew Taylor
I’m getting less polite now. I fully appreciate that. This is because my respect for N and his cabal of morons is diminishing with every passing day. Honestly, I can see no good reason to be polite other than as a selfish means of increasing my odds of getting a useful response out of them.
I’ll keep you posted whenever I get a reply, or when I send them something, or when I contact newspapers or Watchdog, both of whom will naturally be very interested in running a story about a battle for stakes so high they could buy two beers.
To me, the fact the stakes are so low makes it more interesting. If they were higher I could understand them being very reluctant to pay out, but for the sake of four pounds, surely my custom in the future is worth more? I only have to travel with them once and they earn that back. They’re being petty and, well, stupid, and it’s all in the name of keeping me from having £4. I bet N has earned more than that just by typing replies to me and chatting with his apparently equally dim manager.
That should be my money. Hell, that is my money. It will become their money the day they travel backwards in time and deliver me safely and promptly to Leeds a month ago.
I think it’s safe to assume that’s not going to happen.
Some time ago, you may remember, I was somewhat stranded in Manchester by a combination of a tree, a deadly storm, and an impressive display of incompetence from the good people at the National Express. If you haven’t read the previous account then you can either do so now and come back, or you can simply read the version I sent to the National Express here:
I usually travel between Leeds and Manchester by train. On Thursday said train was not running, because an entire tree had blown onto the rails. Network Rail said perhaps I could phone you. So I did. I phoned you (I think it was on 08705 808080) at about quarter to five in the afternoon, and was reassured several times on the phone that there was “a regular service” running with “no dignificant delays”. So I booked a ticket, number FFY97447, for the 18:20 coach from Manchester Central to Leeds. I arrived at the coach station at about ten past six, waited for forty minutes or so, and then the coach that was supposed to arrive at five past three pulled in, somewhere in the region of four hours late. I later found out the motorways had been closed since mid-afternoon.
I don’t know if you lied to me or if you’re just incompetent, but the fact is that I was then stranded in Manchester overnight. Had I been told initially that the coaches were not running reliably then I would have been able to make other plans and been less stranded.
This is the reply I got back:
Jan 31, 2007 1:43 PM
Dear Mr Taylor
Thank you for your email.
I was sorry to hear of the delay on your service with us to Leeds recently.
On that day in question we did experience exceptionally severe weather conditions with gale force winds and driving rain. As a direct result many rail and coach services were cancelled and those that did run were subjected to strict speed restrictions for safety reasons.
I am sorry if you received any incorrect information from our staff, I hope you’ll appreciate that National Express is unable to accept liability for delays caused by severe weather conditions.
In situations of this nature, we do advise passengers to contact the 24 hour control centre emergency number which is printed with the tickets. The control centre can then advise the passenger on the most appropriate action to take or arrange for alternative means of transportation to their ticketed destination.
Once again, thank you for taking the trouble to contact us, as customer comments are used as a basis to improve our standard of service and provides us with invaluable feedback. I do hope that this will not deter you from travelling with us again in the future.
If you have any other queries regarding this matter please don’t hesitate to contact me directly on 0121 XXX XXXX and I will be happy to talk to you.
Yours sincerely
N
Customer Liaison Executive
That wasn’t really satisfactory to me. You know, because he basically didn’t do anything. Hell, he didn’t even apologise.
Jan 31, 2007 2:47 PM
So let me get this straight so there’s no confusion. You’re saying that as my delay was caused by bad weather I’m not eligible even for a refund of the ticket price?
Only when I phoned up to check on the service levels available the storms had been raging for two hours and your coaches were already running at least an hour and a half late, and I was explicitly and repeatedly told that the service was running as normal.
I don’t blame you for the delays themselves, because obviously I don’t expect you to be able to see into the future, but I DO blame you for the huge discrepancy between what I was told was happening and what was in actual fact happening and what had in actual fact been happening for at least an hour. I DO expect you to be able to see into the PRESENT.
You lied to me and took my money under false pretences. That is an act of fraud.
Is my £4 really that important to you?
Andrew Taylor
I may have perhaps overstated the culpability of the National Express there, but I was trying to make a point. Apparently it didn’t take, because about a week later I got this:
Feb 7, 2007 2:06 PM
Dear Mr Taylor
Thank you for your email.
I am very sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with my previous response.
Having reviewed our past correspondence, I find there is little I can usefully add to my previous comments about the disruptions you experienced when travelling with us recently. Please though allow me to reiterate my earlier apologies, as well as offer my reassurance that we do appreciate the difficulties caused in such situations. We really make every effort to ensure our service operates as planned.
It is always a concern to us when our customers remain dissatisfied. Having noted your comments, I feel that a further gesture on our part would be appropriate.
I have pleasure in enclosing an E Coach Travel Voucher to the value of £ 5.00 which I hope will go some way towards restoring your confidence in the service we provide.
To use your voucher, simply visit www.nationalexpress.com/book (don’t forget to log in or register)
Voucher Number:XXXX-XXXXX-XX
Security Code:XXXXXXXXXX
If you do not have access to the Internet, please call 0121 XXX XXXX and one of our Customer Relations Advisors will be pleased to help you.
Once again, my apologies. Here at National Express, we value your custom and hope that, despite your present sentiments, you will choose to travel with us again in the future.
Yours sincerely
N
Customer Liaison Executive
He says “once again, my apologies”, but he doesn’t actually say what he’s apologising for and in any case him apologising “again” is like me travelling by National Express “again” — impossible. And furthermore, I’m not going to sit here and accept a £5 voucher from him. That is an insult to my intelligence.
Feb 7, 2007 3:21 PM
Thankyou for the e-voucher, but it doesn’t really help me unless I choose to travel with National Express in the future, which I currently don’t plan to. I also notice that it probably costs you practically nothing to give away such a voucher and that it would be very hard for me to use it without giving you more of my money. In fact, since you have kept £4 of my money in exchange for this voucher, what I effectively have here is a £1 discount — which is pretty useless, you must admit. What I would like would be a cash refund of the money I paid you, and some reason to believe that you will fix whatever system caused this problem in the first place. Any “gestures” you choose to make should be on top of that refund, not instead of it.
Andrew Taylor
Perhaps abraisive, but I think fair and, in the circumstances, polite. N (obviously I’ve trimmed most of his name, which is a shame because it’s brilliant) was in many ways less polite as he didn’t reply. About a fortnight later I sent him this:
Feb 20, 2007 12:25 AM
It’s been a week now, and you’ve failed to reply to my email.
I really don’t want to have to take this further for the sake of four measly little pounds, but please don’t imagine that will stop me.
You lied to me and now you’re refusing to refund my money, or even to admit guilt. I’m not going to stand for it and if you think you can make me go away by ignoring me then you are sorely mistaken.
Andrew
Perhaps less polite than the last one, but again, given the circumstances I think more than civil.
Feb 21, 2007 9:41 AM
Dear Mr Taylor
Thank you for your most recent E-mail.
I’m sorry that you are still disappointed with the way in which I’ve responded to your complaint. I have reviewed your file with my manager.
As it states in the terms and conditions we are not liable for exceptional weather conditions. Therefore I cannot agree that we should offer any further reimbursement.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us again. We welcome all feedback, good and bad, and your views will help us to make some real improvements for the future.
Yours sincerely
N
Customer Liaison Executive
The thing that really pisses me off about this email is that this means that two of these monkeys have read my emails now and apparently neither of them have understood my complaint. Christ, it’s like dealing with Verizon trying to have a conversation with these people…
Feb 21, 2007 10:52 AM
I do not expect you to take responsibility for adverse weather conditions. I know that the storms that day came as a big surprise and I would not expect a full service to be running. That’s why I phoned up to check first.
I am not complaining about the cancellation itself. My complaint is that when I phoned your information line specifically to ask what services were running I was categorically, explicitly, and repeatedly told that the service was running as normal. It was purely based on this misinformation that I purchased a ticket. Later on I learned that when I phoned up the coaches were already at least an hour behind schedule.
Had your customer service representative bothered to check the information I had asked for then he would have known that the service was severely disrupted and told me this, and had he told me this then I would not have bought the ticket in the first place.
Your information line misinformed me when the correct information was readily available. How can you possibly think that is acceptable?
Andrew
I haven’t heard from them since. I’ve just sent this:
Feb 28, 2007 9:23 PM
I can’t help but notice another week has passed in which you have not bothered to reply to me, even to reiterate your well-rehearsed but irrelevant little spiel about how you don’t accept liability for exceptional weather conditions or to confirm that my emails are getting through to you.
I’m not going to type it out again, so please read the message below and reply to me.
Thankyou,
Andrew Taylor
I’m getting less polite now. I fully appreciate that. This is because my respect for N and his cabal of morons is diminishing with every passing day. Honestly, I can see no good reason to be polite other than as a selfish means of increasing my odds of getting a useful response out of them.
I’ll keep you posted whenever I get a reply, or when I send them something, or when I contact newspapers or Watchdog, both of whom will naturally be very interested in running a story about a battle for stakes so high they could buy two beers.
To me, the fact the stakes are so low makes it more interesting. If they were higher I could understand them being very reluctant to pay out, but for the sake of four pounds, surely my custom in the future is worth more? I only have to travel with them once and they earn that back. They’re being petty and, well, stupid, and it’s all in the name of keeping me from having £4. I bet N has earned more than that just by typing replies to me and chatting with his apparently equally dim manager.
That should be my money. Hell, that is my money. It will become their money the day they travel backwards in time and deliver me safely and promptly to Leeds a month ago.
I think it’s safe to assume that’s not going to happen.
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