Tuesday, June 12, 2007

south west trains

dear south west trains,
I hope you've got your google alerts on cos I'd like you to read this.
This morning I tried to renew my weekly ticket (in the same manner Ive done for the past 2 and a half years that ive been commuting with them) only to be told by the guard on the train that they will no longer renew tickets on the train and I am liable for a penalty fare plus a non-refundable single journey ticket to get to Waterloo, where I then had to q for 20mins to get my weekly ticket at the desk.
After a great debate I had togive in, and endeavoured to get a refund upon arrival.
I pulled up one of the managers at Waterloo to try and get him to see sense - and heres the funny bit - he pointed me to the swt website where I could make an appeal but told me there was no point as no-one reads them. ha!
Anyway, this is where all the pr, marketing and advertising fluff you like falls over.
At the point where the consumer (ie me) actually, physically interfaces with the brand the experience is shocking. This got me thinking as I listened to the station announcements 'anyone verbally or physically assaulting our staff will be prosecuted' 'dont talke your eye off your bags or we'll take them away and blow them up' etc etc - negative, negative.
Now SWT have a monopoly situation. I have NO CHOICE but to use their service. But, and its a big one (we like big butts) they are fostering some serious ill-will towards their brand by doing everything in their power to make things more difficult and annoying for their consumer. I have NO CHOICE at the moment but if in the future I get any opportunity to stick one on them I will be taking it. And theres 1000's others who will no doubt feel the same. B'STARDS.
This is Thatcher's legacy - public services SOLD OFF to the private sector. For what? To improve service by creating competition? where is the competition?
Ive come up with a new line for their marketing.
'South West Trains - Fuck you and give us your money'
They should use it - at least it's transparent.
Great start to the day.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where do you travel from? I would use those dirty bastards when I was living in Esher and jumped the train for the best part of 2 years. Well, I bought a zone 1/2 pass (£89 per month) and when checked no one would question it as they are so brain dead and looking to get through the train they just check the valid date. There are no barriers at Esher you see and you can easily get in and out of the barriers at Waterloo

Anton

Eaon Pritchard said...

Alton.
the train empties at Farnham
so thats where you start to get hassle. Like you at Esher I serously doubt if many of the hordes that get on at Woking (you can skip the barrier there) ever get their tickets checked

Anonymous said...

Amen. I'm a SWT victim too. The best bit was that on my route on the same day they introduced that stupid rule they put the fairs up by 14%...I could rant all day about that one...

Eaon Pritchard said...

neil,
Theres a movement growing...;)
another thing i found out and twittered was - the last price hike didn't apply on stations where there are other providers!
Theres a big job for a clued up marketing director in there for sure.
cheers
E