Re: Countrylink GM Sacked

[Tony Gatt <baulko@tig.com.au>]

Dave Proctor wrote:

>
> > Probably because he would have been one of the people to have the final
> say
> > on the matter ("make or break"). A person of such position, should do
> > everything in their customers interests. This should include keeping
> > customers informed on such issues as timetable changes BEFORE the day they
> > turn up to Strathfield only to find their train went through Bankstown or
> > wherever 15 minutes earlier, due to trackwork that has been planned for
> > months.
>
> That is not supposed to happen. When the trains are diverted via another
> route, the computer will not allow reservations to be made from affected
> stations. So when southern trains travel via East Hills, the computer will
> not allow bookings to or from Strathfield.
>
> The problem is that people often book from "Sydney" and then decide to board
> at Strathfield. Whos job is it to advise them that the train will not be
> stopping at Strathfield? Should Countrylink advise every single customer
> ticketed to board at SSydney that the train will not be stopping at
> Strathfield?

What you say David is fair enough, but I understand what Michael is saying as
well. He wasn't having a go at the booking system, he was picking at the
customer service content of it all. For example:

The last time we travelled to Melbourne and return on the XPT, we booked at
Parramatta. We were told that the return journey would be via East Hills due to
trackwork between Strathfield and Redfern.
We had arranged before that to be picked up at Strathfield when we returned, but
because of the trackwork, we re-arranged for pickup at Westmead.

The idea was to catch a train from Central via Canterbury, Enfield Yard, and to
Westmead after XPT to central via East Hills.

We got a lovely view of Strathfield as the XPT stopped there and then continued
to Central. Once we realised we were not turning off to East Hills, it was too
late to make alternative arrangements.. and there was no way we were lugging our
bags off the train, onto a bus to Lidcombe, then transferring to a train to
Westmead..

By the way, the trackwork was on.. it was overhead work.. no suburbans or
interurbans.. but XPT's were running..

Countrylink got a very *nice* email from me the next day, and they admitted
liability for the error, but that doesn't undo the 'damage' that has been done..

> --
> DaveProctor
> thadocta AT dingoblue.net.au

--
Thanks,

Tony Gatt.

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  Never be afraid to try something new.
  Remember, amateurs built the ark.
  Professionals built the Titanic.
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Personal Website: http://homepages.tig.com.au/~baulko/
Railway Website:   http://www.railpage.org.au/railpix/
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