New FGW Customer Charter

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

attached to this post. Too long to quote.

Well it would be but it's loo big (just) to be allowed - can we up the allowance just slightly? Need 630Kb...

[grahame]

attached to this post. Too long to quote.

Well it would be but it's loo big (just) to be allowed - can we up the allowance just slightly? Need 630Kb...

Good grief ... how long is it going to take to read 630kb!

Limit increased for you, Chris 

[ChrisB]

Thanks - it's not that many pages.....attached to this post

Would have thought harmonisation across old operating units in terms of compensation could have been achieved. Possibly awaiting Delay-Repay in new 'proper' franchise, if it ever comes.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

If you search the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) web site under Passenger Charter it takes you to here:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Customer-services/Passenger-Charter

The only reference I can find for a pdf of the charter gives you the 2010 edition. Not very helpful as I received a complaint about a disabled person not being able to get one of the seats identifed for disabled travellers. They were travelling on last Friday's ultra over crowded 15.51 to Hanborough and the disaable person had to sit on the floor from Reading to Oxford and relied on their spouse to help them get up. Apparantly a young traveller occupying o0ne of these seats refused to give it up fopr the disabled traveller. The new charter identified specifically mentions by Chris specifically mentions a card that disabled people can carry, something that I was unaware of until reading this.

[bobm]

Hmmmm.. if you download the 2013 version it quotes the customer service number in more than one place as 03457 000 125 rather than 08457 000 125.  Certainly from my phone the 0345 number doesn't work.

[ChrisB]

Hope that's not a typo. It'll be an expensive reprint!

Andrew - you can get the application form for the disabled card has been around a while now - it's one of the customer wins that the Customer Panel obtained. You can also apply for a disabled scooter permit on the same form that is used to show Train Managers that your scooter is of a size that they can carry.

[JayMac]

One would've hoped that the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) insisted on Delay Repay for this franchise extension. I wonder why it wasn't included?

Virgin Trains moved over to Delay Repay after their franchise was extended.

[John R]

I was fearing they would, so am happy they haven't.  I'm likely to get a 5% discount at the year end, which I was expecting to disappear if they had switched. Does anyone know how the transition has worked at other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)?

[bobm]

The discussion which developed into changes to 0845/0870 numbers has been moved here - http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13054.0

It seems likely that the 0345 number quoted in the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Customer Charter is/will be correct shortly.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

I am glad that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is using an 0345 number and not as some businesses are doing and changing to an 0344 or o844 number. Many home phone suppliers now included 0845 and 0345 numbers in their inclusive calls package whereas 0844 is an expensive extra on top of your call package.

[Ian01]

I am glad that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is using an 0345 number and not as some businesses are doing and changing to an 0344 or 0844 number.

0344 and 0345 numbers are equally cheap. All 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers. It is 0844 and 0845 that are expensive.

Many home phone suppliers now included 0845 and 0345 numbers in their inclusive calls package whereas 0844 is an expensive extra on top of your call package.

All mobiles and landlines with inclusive calls always include at least calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

A very small number of landline packages include 0845 calls and the number is set to reduce to zero once users have to declare the Service Charge. The call price for all 084 and 087 numbers will be clearly seen as being expensive when compared to the call price for normal 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

It is 03 numbers that are universally cheap. This will become ever more obvious as time goes on.

[Ian01]

If FGW^▸ (First Great Western) had made a public announcement at any time before the end of last week about their forthcoming new 0345 telephone number, they would have been seen to be pro-actively reducing the cost incurred by customers in calling them for help. They failed to take that opportunity.

On 13th December 2013, BIS^▸ (Battery Isolating Switch) published the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Payments) Regulations 2013 which bans the use of 084, 087 and 09 numbers for customer service helplines for advice, complaints, refunds, renewals and cancellations from 12 June 2014.

Even if FGW become the first major transport company to get a press release out stating their intentions, they'll now only be seen as "just another company that reduced the cost of calling them only when forced to do so by legislation". I don't think they realise how great a PR^▸ (Public Relations) opportunity they have missed.

[thetrout]

Well on the 10th of December this is how Twitter Team Responded when I queried an 0844 Number...

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

The "saynoto0870" web site gives the following advice:

First Great Western        0844 556 5605   - 01752 675640    -    ONLINE TICKET CUSTOMER SERVICES - tell operator you are calling from abroad and cannot dial 08 numbers from abroad - they will transfer you IF YOU ASK NICELY! If not ask to spk to a manager!

[thetrout]

Yes I am familiar with the saynoto0870 website. A most excellent one at that

The other excuse that works is some phone systems in offices block all outbound 08 number calls including 0800 and 0808 numbers (Free from a Landline). A company I used to work for had such a restriction in place which was enabled in error when a technician tried to stop an inbound 0845 number and accidentally enabled this annoying restriction.