Correspondence
"She wrote me a letter from San Diego to qualify her luck. These flights connect through Arizona, but I think I'll stay stuck."
In my continuing absence, here's a letter I wrote to Great North Eastern Railways in early 2003. This was the follow-up to a missive I'd penned after losing my ticket on the way home from Whitby and being refused permission to travel on the train, despite the fact that I had proof I'd purchased a ticket and no money to go anywhere else. The first letter was really quite angry but - having received a considered reply from Sue Something-Or-Other in the Customer Service Department - I decided to be a little more subtle with the sequel.
24/4/03
re: Your correspondence of 16/4/03 (ref: 3-330021)
I have to tell you, Sue, I’m getting a little tired of public transport in general and trains specifically. I spent the best part of yesterday afternoon trapped on the Thameslink Thunderbolt from East Croydon to King’s Cross with several screaming children and it hasn’t improved my mood any. Not that this incident had anything to do with you, but it did have an effect on my state of mind when I came home and read your letter. You see, Sue, while I appreciate you taking the time to write to me and sending my letter on to the relevant management team (who, judging by my experience of them thus far, probably held some kind of ritual burning and then danced naked around the ashes), what I was really looking for was some kind of confirmation or clarification of GNER policy vis-à-vis my lost ticket. My experience with the customer service team at York was a bitch, but I got over it. What continues to irk me is the fact that I know there was some way that ticket could have been traced. I may not have had the relevant receipt, but I certainly could have proved both my identity and the fact that a transaction took place. Surely it would have been possible for the booking to be looked up and confirmed. Should you need further proof, I have the receipt that came in the mail with the tickets (ref: 18407410). Hell, if you want me to add the ticket I had to pay for from Newark, I’ll throw that in, too. I have all necessary documentation and won’t hesitate to use it.
But enough of this bickering. What I really wanted to do when I read the ‘further enquiries’ bit at the foot of your missive, was ask you for a copy of GNER’s customer charter. I believe there is one, and I’m sure you have a copy lying around, if only for a cheap laugh after a hard day’s work. Any other customer relations stuff that comes free and might make interesting reading for me would also be gratefully appreciated. I’m interested in this subject, Sue. Just between you and me, I might even write something about it. But don’t worry, I’ll keep your good name out of the papers.
Let me know if you want those receipts. In the meantime, I remain
Your Humble Servant,
Michael O’Mahony
In my continuing absence, here's a letter I wrote to Great North Eastern Railways in early 2003. This was the follow-up to a missive I'd penned after losing my ticket on the way home from Whitby and being refused permission to travel on the train, despite the fact that I had proof I'd purchased a ticket and no money to go anywhere else. The first letter was really quite angry but - having received a considered reply from Sue Something-Or-Other in the Customer Service Department - I decided to be a little more subtle with the sequel.
24/4/03
re: Your correspondence of 16/4/03 (ref: 3-330021)
I have to tell you, Sue, I’m getting a little tired of public transport in general and trains specifically. I spent the best part of yesterday afternoon trapped on the Thameslink Thunderbolt from East Croydon to King’s Cross with several screaming children and it hasn’t improved my mood any. Not that this incident had anything to do with you, but it did have an effect on my state of mind when I came home and read your letter. You see, Sue, while I appreciate you taking the time to write to me and sending my letter on to the relevant management team (who, judging by my experience of them thus far, probably held some kind of ritual burning and then danced naked around the ashes), what I was really looking for was some kind of confirmation or clarification of GNER policy vis-à-vis my lost ticket. My experience with the customer service team at York was a bitch, but I got over it. What continues to irk me is the fact that I know there was some way that ticket could have been traced. I may not have had the relevant receipt, but I certainly could have proved both my identity and the fact that a transaction took place. Surely it would have been possible for the booking to be looked up and confirmed. Should you need further proof, I have the receipt that came in the mail with the tickets (ref: 18407410). Hell, if you want me to add the ticket I had to pay for from Newark, I’ll throw that in, too. I have all necessary documentation and won’t hesitate to use it.
But enough of this bickering. What I really wanted to do when I read the ‘further enquiries’ bit at the foot of your missive, was ask you for a copy of GNER’s customer charter. I believe there is one, and I’m sure you have a copy lying around, if only for a cheap laugh after a hard day’s work. Any other customer relations stuff that comes free and might make interesting reading for me would also be gratefully appreciated. I’m interested in this subject, Sue. Just between you and me, I might even write something about it. But don’t worry, I’ll keep your good name out of the papers.
Let me know if you want those receipts. In the meantime, I remain
Your Humble Servant,
Michael O’Mahony
posted by Michael at 10:14 PM
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