Great Western Coffee Shop

Been posting sporadically but just realised i'd not had the manners to introduce me!

I'm a regular commuter from worcester to paddington.  Do the journey 3-5 days a week.  Usually have a monthly first class season ticket - I'm an IT contractor so its not practical to get more than one month at a time.

Been doing the journey for 4-5 years (since the days when the season ticket was <^700 a month).

From where I live (near kidderminster) I have the choice of three operators.

FGW from shrub hill
Chiltern from kiddie
Virgin from birmingham

I use FGW because in general I prefer them.  Chilterns trains are not fit for purpose for a 3.5 hour journey (which is what it is end to end) and there is no buffet service or first class.  Although they are better suited than a turbo!  Virgin trains make me travel sick with all that tilting.

Why did I look for the coffe shop?  Because of the increasing shoddy levels of service given my some of the newer staff.

I'm lucky in thr fact that my route used to be staffed by a small subset of customer hosts and train managers.

But with the increasing use of agency staff, especially from the pad depot, the level of service is getting worse.  Even down to the trolleys not having beer/wine or anything you to pay for on them - yet if you go to the buffet car you have to queue.  I know this probably sounds like sour grapes to some of you who have to stand and have cancelled trains etc but it is a poor reflection on the level of customer service you now get compared to other operators.

So here I am.

And its an equally belated welcome to the forum from me and the team :)

FGW don't use any agency staff for traincrew, as the training would be too expensive and extensive for temporary staff (Train managers anyway).
I know what you mean about Virgin Voyagers, bloody awful contraptions!

Well when I have complained that the trolley is only a half trolley as it doesnt have on it half of what it used to - the response I get is........ "agency staff arnt allowed to handle money so they can only staff a trolley with free stuff"

Maybe they're just extra assistants or something, I thought you were on about train managers! Have done some digging on your season tickets and you are right that braking the ticket at Oxford is the cheapest way and you can travel on those tickets without having to buy a london underground add on, the guard on your train was talking tripe! Hope this helps you.