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[Jeanette]

Originally Posted by jamesbroonbreed

I used to love fobbing people off and sending them to other departments or just hanging up on them when I worked for BT.

they were all cunts so I feel I was justified.

That's the most annoying thing ever... And if you go on the phone relatively calm and ready to face a computerised woman going "press number 1 for..." you end up enraged by the time you actually speak to someone. So in actual fact companies like BT etc have only got themselves to blame for getting customers irate.

I remember phoning someone once and listening to Good Charlotte (I think it was the Carling Academy) and also phoning somewhere else where Jack Johnson was playing... I think they were hopeful that his surfy tones would calm me! Didn't work! Lol.

[Murrr]

To be perfectly honest, speaking from experience, the majority of people who lodge complaints are idiots. A lot of people will lodge a complaint even if it was caused by their own ignorance/stupidity, and will then lodge a personal attack against you like it's your fault when you can't do anything about it. It is quite rare to get a complaint that is as polite (but to the point) and well-worded as Dave's here.

I work for Stagecoach part-time, which involves doing a bit of customer service for Megabus, and I've lost count of the amount of morons I've had the displeasure of dealing with. A classic example is people who have booked the wrong time online, and then try to put the blame on us. "I selected the right time, and your system put through the wrong one!" is my favourite, because that is absolutely impossible... and yet you still get people trying to convince you that them selecting the wrong date or time is your fault. It's ridiculous.

People will complain at anything; to make themselves feel better, to just have a go at someone, etc. I have a lot of time for somebody who comes to me with a complaint and conducts themselves in a polite and appropriate manner, but if you start to shout, swear and make ridiculous claims then you're not going to get very far.

In this case the Scotrail employees should be ashamed of the terrible service they have provided. In the time it took that person to type out that email, (s)he could quite easily have phoned up the relevant department and found out the information. It's just lazy.

[Sue Denim..]

This is Scotrail stupidity for you,
I bought 3 return tickets to England using a family railcard (for 2 adults and a child). Everything was fine until the return journey.
We left our son at his Grandads and he was going to bring him back in the car the next day.
We couldn't use our return tickets because we didn't have the child present. I mean, we effectively saved them a seat!

[Jeanette]

Yeah similar things have happened with the group saver ticket. A girl a work with, her mum was charged £38 single for a trip back from glasgow because one of the party decided to get a lift instead of the train. So they'd paid their £40 for the group ticket and then 2 of them had to pay the same again. It's ridiculous. Surely if you've got a ticket and the money has been paid then what's the big deal! Maybe it depends on the ticket inspector!!

[Snowball]

My personal experience so far has been that ScotRail/GNER isn't worth it, no matter how cheap it is... megabus all the way.

Every single time I have been on a train in the last 5 years there has been vast overcrowding, or a loud aggressive drunk, or some football hooligans terrorising young families, or offshore workers with a rapidly disappearing 12 pack of Tennants roaring into their phones in the silent carriage, or some other waste of space that has ensured that by the time I get off the train I'm ready to scream. My personal favourite was the woman who sat with me and my 2 colleagues at one of the tables and proceeded to have a 3 hour long screaming match with her boyfriend on her mobile, frequently hanging up on him only to phone back 30 seconds later asking why the hell he hadn't called her back immediately to receive more abuse! There are never any staff to witness any of this unreasonable behaviour either it would seem. On the megabus, which I have taken a lot more often, there has never been a single disturbance and I've hardly ever been late.

If the customer service is as bad as it seems as well, I'm going to try and never go near a train again.

There, that's my OAP rant for the day over

[Jeanette]

Originally Posted by Snowball

On the megabus, which I have taken a lot more often, there has never been a single disturbance and I've hardly ever been late.

You're lucky. Rowdy families who can't keep their kids under control, loud neds who think it's ok to play their stupid music through their phones, posh kids who take up about 6 seats for two of them and all their designer bags... the list is endless!

It took me 5 hours to get to Glasgow once on the Megabus.... detour via Arbroath where the driver promptly got lost! Yup... not cool.

Usually it's ok. So I take it instead of the train, this time though... I've got uni work to do, so need the table and space on the train for my laptop! And the price at the last min wasn't that different. Only an extra £4 for the train so I don't mind that.

[Lucky Rathen]

There are always cunts on the train. Getting drunk, being loud, smoking in the toilets, glowering at everybody who walks down the aisle.

There are always cunts on the Megabus. Already drunk, playing shit loud music on mobile phones and yelling in a bammy voice at an unnecessary level.

It goes with the territory. I find the best solution is to put on my headphones and read a book, thus ensuring they don't offend at least 2 of my senses. That still leaves the smell though.

I still much prefer the train though, it's more comfortable, it has toilets, it's faster, you can get up and walk around if you want, and a girl with a fat arse brings you coffee and kit kats. Trains all the way.

[Jeanette]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

I find the best solution is to put on my headphones and read a book, thus ensuring they don't offend at least 2 of my senses.

Totally agree. It goes without saying that the only way to cope on any form of public transport is to do the above.

[Lucky Rathen]

Or, bring your laptop and watch a movie on headphones. I spent half my life on aeroplanes last year due to work and it made the flights a lot less boring being able to watch what you want. Just remember to charge the battery first. I was on a train journey last year watching Star Wars Episode 3 and the battery ran out 20 minutes from the end. That was annoying.

[Jeanette]

Yes. This is also an option! I think a book should be written about how to survive public transport and the booking systems.