FGW Customer Panel - vacancies / minutes (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

What a patronising reply that will only get the customers who this panel is supposed to be set up for rather annoyed. How do I know because I am a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer!

This is not a step forward its a step back to keeping customers informed which Andrew Haines put much effort into when he was MD which made such a refreshing change. FGW appear to be going back into their shell again when it comes to communicating with the people who use their services. When was the last 'news' item to appear on their website? Ah yes 22nd of November!

Gosh FGW hardly bother to update their website as it is with news items and press releases. The one thing that was good on it was the providing of the previously excellent minutes to let everyone know what was going on in FGW land. There was nothing in those minutes that I could see that was commercially sensitive. Its not as if FGW have competition when it comes to running trains in the West. The M4 is a road not a company.

Come on FGW you can do better than this.

[IanL]

Thanks John R for posting that. I had also emailed the CP asking about this.

[JayMac]

I too have emailed the panel with regard to the minutes (more like seconds!), but I note that it is impossible to contact my representative directly. All correspondence goes through FGW^▸ (First Great Western). As we have seen with the response JohnR got, FGW will reply directly if they so choose, effectively cutting contact with your panel member. So it would appear that Customer Panel members are not there as a conduit to FGW.

The latest minutes provide no useful information to customers whatsoever. The excuses given about commercial sensitivity don't wash - I've seen nothing in previous minutes that was of use to a competitor.

The CP is supposed to be there to represent passengers views, and if those views are going to be ignored or filtered out before they even get to the individual panel member then there is little point to the panel.

A representative body for customers should be independent of the service provider and not be their puppets.

I suggest that any FGW customer who has an issue that isn't resolved by Customer Services not to bother with the Customer Panel. Instead, raise your issue with Passenger Focus.

[eightf48544]

So they're not hiding anything, but 'a large amount of what is discussed..... is commercially sensitive'.

Why not just publish the minutes and redact the commercially sensitive bits?

"Commercially Sensitive" really bugs me. Most of what we are talking about is our money either paid directly through fares or indirectly by taxes.

What has happened to open Government? if we don't know how a heavily subsidised indusrty is spending our money how can we know they are not ripping us off?

[ChrisB]

Sorry, I have only just discovered this thread - usually, I get an email every time a thread is started. It didn't happen this time.

I too have emailed the panel with regard to the minutes (more like seconds!), but I note that it is impossible to contact my representative directly. All correspondence goes through FGW^▸ (First Great Western). As we have seen with the response JohnR got, FGW will reply directly if they so choose, effectively cutting contact with your panel member.

We do get advised of each contact made through the Panel inbox and the contents of the enquiry. FGW do then choose as to who answers it - but even if the Panel member doesn't get to answer it, we all see the FGW response. WE all get a monthly report, and if we get to answer / follow up a specific query, then it comes direct & pretty immediate. The Panel member can choose to answer it in their own words or via FGW Customer Services.

So it would appear that Customer Panel members are not there as a conduit to FGW.

Yes we are & we're fiercely independent too. I do believe that you can ask who you're Panel member is, and request your comminication be passed to them. Only if it refers to a staff issue will it be witheld for internal investigation - but we still get told it hass arrived.

The latest minutes provide no useful information to customers whatsoever.

I did make that submission.

The CP is supposed to be there to represent passengers views, and if those views are going to be ignored or filtered out before they even get to the individual panel member then there is little point to the panel.

See above. In my experience of other Panels, this is one of the best. We get pretty much unfettered direct access to the vast mahority of high-level management, as and when we want, to discuss matters that are customer-oriented. I regularly discuss matters as & when & how I want to. It represents the customer.

A representative body for customers should be independent of the service provider and not be their puppets.

I am happy that I am no puppet. I wouldn't waste my time with FGW otherwise.

I suggest that any FGW customer who has an issue that isn't resolved by Customer Services not to bother with the Customer Panel. Instead, raise your issue with Passenger Focus.

And unless it's major, or a regular complaint, you'll get far better attention coming to us. That's a guarantee. And yes, we've been known to involve PF^▸ (Penalty Fare) if we feel it's serios enough.

[IndustryInsider]

Thanks for those detailed replies, Chris.  I'm sure many of us would like to thank you and your fellow panel members for the hard work you no doubt put in.  The minutes were clearly very useful to many on here though, so hopefully your submission will be heard.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, thanks indeed, ChrisB.

In view of the interest that has been shown in this particular subject, I've taken the opportunity to merge some historic topics with this one - purely for completeness and continuity.

I hope this helps.

Chris. 

[IanL]

Thanks ChrisB for the response.

No email acknowledgement or response from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) as yet.

Ian

[IanL]

Having not read the CP minutes for a while since the revamp of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website, I strayed into its depths this morning and notice that while the Sept 2011 minutes are still useless, the Jan 2012 minutes are back to the more detailed information, I wonder if this is a real change of policy or somebody simply put up the wrong version (previous doc files were labelled website version)?

[ChrisB]

Panel members requested more meaningful minutes be placed on the web....we do lusten to our fellow customers!

[Timmer]

Panel members requested more meaningful minutes be placed on the web....we do lusten to our fellow customers!

And it's very much appreciated Chris.

[IanL]

Thanks Chris, Seeing the questions and replies does make a difference.

However it is a year since I emailed FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (as mentioned in the post dated March 2011) and have still had no reply!

Ian

[JayMac]

Panel members requested more meaningful minutes be placed on the web....we do lusten to our fellow customers!

Progress, of sorts, at last. It's taken a fair while for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and the CP to address the issue of the minutes. Thanks for your update ChrisB.

Personally, I feel that more could still be included. I'm not party to these meetings and have no idea how long they last, but two pages of A4 still seems a little sparse. And why the lack of names? Customer Panel member (who?) asks. FGW/Network Rail/DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) (who?) responds....

Still not easy to find on the FGW website, so for the benefit of all, here's the links to the most recent minutes:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/~/media/PDF/About%20us/customer%20panel/Customer%20Panel%20London%20%20Cotsworld%20meeting%20minutes%2018%20January%202012.pdf

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/~/media/PDF/About%20us/customer%20panel/Customer%20Panel%20West%20meeting%20minutes%2025%20January%202012.pdf

[ChrisB]

And the May minutes ought to go up soon - I'll mention it....

[JayMac]

Two months since the last Customer Panel meetings. No minutes posted on the website yet......