Advice who to complain to about Railway Station Member of Staff

crazychatter

Hi,
I have no idea if this is the best place for this post but I really want to make a formal complaint about a particularly bad member of staff at a Railway station, I have phoned Rail customer services and spoke to the supervisor but ideally I want to write to someone high up to get it investigated properly.

I always hear people say the best way to complain is to send a letter registered post to a high up manager of the company but have no idea who that would be in this case.

Please understand that I am not being horrible, the person in question really needs to be retrained quickly to stop them causing problems and overcharging more people.

Any advise would be gratefully received

Thank you

uktim29

Customers often make mistakes and write/say things like you have.

I'd be interested in more detail (as I imagine others would) that would suggest otherwise.

iNath

It wasn't Bedford station on Monday morning was it? I only ask as there was a woman shouting at the man on the gates then asking him for a pen to write his down down so she could complain...

PBA

Go on the website of the train operating company that runs that station. You should be able to find the complaint dept details on there.

crazychatter

No it was in Scotland. Basically my brother went to the station to buy a family railcard and tickets for him and his two children to london for later in the week. The children are seven months and four years old so they should travel free without any tickets but he wanted to buy seats for each of them as it's a long journey. The staff member said that there was no such thing as a family railcard and made him buy two normal children (over five) tickets, she also put them in the quiet coach, hardly a good idea with a seven month old baby! When he told me this I called rail customer services and spoke to a nice man who said that my brother could go back and return the tickets so I could buy the correct ones online, the customer services man called the station while I waited on hold and told them what would be happening so that the supervisor was expecting my brother. But when my brother went back there was only the first member of staff who refused to refund the ticket, he called me on his mobile and passed the phone to her, she then shouted at me that she had reccommended a family railcard but that my brother had refused it, clearly a lie. She said that noone from customer services had called that morning and that she was the supervisor, the man from customer services had given me the name of the supervisor he had spoken to but she said there was noone there with that name. Finally she agreed to do the refund but while I was still talking she hang up on me!
I find it hard to believe that the customer services man spoke to the wrong station so she must have been lying about that aswell. I hope this all makes sense and you understand why I want this person to be retrained so that other people are not forced into buying the wrong tickets and disiplined for being so rude to my brother and I.

Sssssss

give it up, nothing will be done.
Employees seem to have more rights then us lowly customers.

maninthestreet

Oooooooohhhh wrote: »

Ahh so because staffmember no2 said what you wanted to hear they must be right?

Your attitude stinks, act like a !!!! and you get treated like one

Also how old is your brother? why did he come crying to you? can he not act like an adult and sort it himself

Also the bit about tickets etc, your brother seems to have had special requirements, seat of there own, maybe they do not qualify for the ticket ? I reckon the rail company know better than you on that

As for quiet coach, maybe they thought children would sleep and needed peace, unless your brother specifically said different they did nothing wrong

For all you know Staffmember no2 did phone wrong place or simply told you what you wanted to hear

You taking an attitude at the frontline staff gets you nowhere

I think it's you with attitude problem, not the OP.
Since when was having a seat to youself on a train a 'special requirement' ?

crazychatter

I'm sorry to have riled you so much, I was only asking for advice. I'm a bit shocked at the aggression in your reply.

I think anyone would be unhappy if they were told there was no such thing as a family railcard and asked to pay £90 instead.

I was a Customer Service assistant for a large department store for five years and know how horrible it is to be shouted at when you're just doing your job so I would never do that, contrary to your assumptions I did not have an attitude when talking to the staff members but this woman was bullying and lied to me so I think I have the right to complain.

If you disagree that is only your opinion.

I do not appriecate your comments about my brother, as you know neither of us I think it is rude to make judgements.

Violetta_2

Hi crazychatter I think Scottish Stations are run by Scotrail their customer relations contact details are on this page and if you don't get things dealt with to your satisfaction head of Customer service is Nichola Grant according to this page right down at the bottom. Think your brother is V brave on making such a long journey with 2 wee ones , respect. Also have pm'd you

Debt_Free_Chick

crazychatter wrote: »

The children are seven months and four years old so they should travel free without any tickets but he wanted to buy seats for each of them as it's a long journey. The staff member said that there was no such thing as a family railcard and made him buy two normal children (over five) tickets

As I understand it, the reason that under-5s normally go free is that they do not get their own seat. So if you insist on a seat, then than has to be paid for - otherwise, the kids are occupying a seat that would otherwise have been sold to a paying customer.

she then shouted at me that she had reccommended a family railcard but that my brother had refused it, clearly a lie

Sounds like a misunderstanding to me. It appears as though your brother specifically wanted to pay for seats and therefore the family railcard would not be appropriate

I think you should drop it - life really is too short. there are all sorts of misunderstandings and miscommunication.

Even if you complain, I very much doubt that any member of staff will be singled out and that, at best, the standard training might (but only "might") be revised.

Sometimes these things are six of one, and half-a-dozen of the other - so unless the complaint is very, very specific about conduct, then nothing will happen.

Just move on.

nellytheelephant

I always thought you had to specifically request the quiet zone? I didn't think they just put you in there?

Also, just having a quick look at the terms and conditions for a family rail card

To use your Family & Friends Railcard, your group must contain at least one named cardholder and at least one child aged between 5 and 15 years. The maximum group size is up to four adults (aged 16 years and over) including the named cardholder(s), and four children (aged 5-15 years). Don’t forget children under five travel free and each adult may take up to two “under fives” with them.

Perhaps that's why he coudn't have one? As both children were under 5.
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