Avanti - no WiFi = no food or drink. Why such basic customer service failure?

[Bletchleyite]

The Voyagers have still been running with onboard catering staff. The shop staff also do the at-seat order. However, since the start of the pandemic the Voyagers have had their shops closed entirely. I believe the Voyagers only got their catering staff back when at-seat order launched.

I did a Voyager journey in June, the shop was closed to walk ups with the only option being at-seat order.

I suspect this might be because the Voyager shop is so small so no form of distancing nor screens would be viable.

Well if they couldn't staff the shop on this journey then maybe they turned off the WiFi so that people couldn't order something they couldn't serve?

They can turn off the at seat ordering itself, so no need to disable the wifi entirely. If short of staff they might do this while doing First Class service, say. They'd not promote it then switch it off though!

 

[Scotrail314209]

I suspect this might be because the Voyager shop is so small so no form of distancing nor screens would be viable.



They can turn off the at seat ordering itself, so no need to disable the wifi entirely. If short of staff they might do this while doing First Class service, say. They'd not promote it then switch it off though!

That's a fair point.

On said Voyager journey, the staff turned at seat order off approaching Wolverhampton and Preston to allow for a crew change.

Perhaps the catering staff weren't aware of Wi-Fi issues as only the train manager would be able to do something about it.

 

[ggbrf]

"Due to COVID" being Avanti's claim not mine.

Company cop out. Banks still doing it aswell

Restrictions might have gone but covid has not gone. Companies are right to continue to take precautions and not behave as if it's business as usual

No they should not. They should get on looking after there customer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No they should not. They should get on looking after there customer.

A TOC that has severe staffing shortages due to COVID (be that because of "pings" or because of actual cases" absolutely does need to take precautions, even ignoring individual wellbeing, because more COVID could mean the whole operation is non-viable. It's pretty borderline now, they can't even fully staff the bare-bones hourly services.

 

[Vespa]

Talking about profit for the TOC's - full restaurant service ( china, tablecloths loads of smiling white coated staff " yess sir.. Yes madam"...) are seen on dusty youtube videoes in the days of yore, for all the big 4.

GWR Pullman do such a service, at least it did before the pandemic and hopefully it will return, I enjoyed my experience and would do it again.

 

[Bletchleyite]

GWR Pullman do such a service, at least it did before the pandemic and hopefully it will return, I enjoyed my experience and would do it again.

There are very few UK domestic journeys where that sort of service makes sense, but the GW on the Cornish services is one of them. The others would be long distance services to Scotland, particularly the likes of the Highland Chieftain.

 

[Hongkong1]

A little bit off topic but still relevant I think in terms of railway catering but I remember the late 70s and early to mid 80s when many services in timetables had symbols to indicate the level of catering available on board. This of course was when services had a dedicated buffet or restaurant carriage, or both as was the case on some HSTs on the East Coast mainline. There was a tea cup, a single fork and then a knife and fork. Was never quite sure what the single fork was supposed to represent in terms of food/drink on board.

 

[andythebrave]

A little bit off topic but still relevant I think in terms of railway catering but I remember the late 70s and early to mid 80s when many services in timetables had symbols to indicate the level of catering available on board. This of course was when services had a dedicated buffet or restaurant carriage, or both as was the case on some HSTs on the East Coast mainline. There was a tea cup, a single fork and then a knife and fork. Was never quite sure what the single fork was supposed to represent in terms of food/drink on board.

 

[ggbrf]

A TOC that has severe staffing shortages due to COVID (be that because of "pings" or because of actual cases" absolutely does need to take precautions, even ignoring individual wellbeing, because more COVID could mean the whole operation is non-viable. It's pretty borderline now, they can't even fully staff the bare-bones hourly services.

Delete the App.

If its not "safe" to run the service than don't run it.

 

[py_megapixel]

Delete the App.

It's not really for Avanti to tell their staff to do that

If its not "safe" to run the service than don't run it.

It's less a question of Covid-safety and more of whether they actually have the staff for it

 

[Master29]

Talking about profit for the TOC's - full restaurant service ( china, tablecloths loads of smiling white coated staff " yess sir.. Yes madam"...) are seen on dusty youtube videoes in the days of yore, for all the big 4. Did they all lose money and were only there for " show" and publicity and encourage the public to travel?

Indeed I have often wondered this as that level of catering was probably out of reach financially for more people then than now.

 

[ggbrf]

It's not really for Avanti to tell their staff to do that


It's less a question of Covid-safety and more of whether they actually have the staff for it

But if said staff wasn't getting full sick pay, they would soon delete the App.

Its not just the railway.

People need to get a grip.

It's not really for Avanti to tell their staff to do that


It's less a question of Covid-safety and more of whether they actually have the staff for it

Just cancel the service then.

Dont hide behind "covid" and have poor service.

 

[Nova1]

Just cancel the service then.

Dont hide behind "covid" and have poor service.

Might have missed a bit of the conversation

But you'd prefer a TOC to cancel a service because there's no catering available, rather than just run it without food?


The main point of public transport is to get you from A -> B...

 

[ggbrf]

Might have missed a bit of the conversation

But you'd prefer a TOC to cancel a service because there's no catering available, rather than just run it without food?


The main point of public transport is to get you from A -> B...

No!!

If the company says its not safe because of "covid" then its not safe to run it.

If its safe to run a full service then run a fully staffed service. Simple

 

[py_megapixel]

No!!

If the company says its not safe because of "covid" then its not safe to run it.

It's not safe to run the catering service. But it might still be safe to provide the basic transport from A to B.

But in any case it's not a question of safety. It's a question of staff availability.

But if said staff wasn't getting full sick pay, they would soon delete the App.

So you're suggesting Avanti should start blackmailing their staff. How delightful.

Maybe when government guidance stops telling people to use it, Avanti could stop letting them. But let's not forget, the DfT is pretty much in charge now - and for one arm of government to advise them to do something while another simeltaneously makes it financially impossible to do so is clearly wrong.

 

[ggbrf]

It's not safe to run the catering service. But it might still be safe to provide the basic transport from A to B.

But in any case it's not a question of safety. It's a question of staff availability.


So you're suggesting Avanti should start blackmailing their staff. How delightful.

Maybe when government guidance stops telling people to use it, Avanti could stop letting them. But let's not forget, the DfT is pretty much in charge now - and for one arm of government to advise them to do something while another simeltaneously makes it financially impossible to do so is clearly wrong.

Your overthinking it.

If its not safe=dont run the service.

If its safe=run a full service.

Nothing more too it.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It's not really for Avanti to tell their staff to do that

Plenty of other businesses have been doing exactly that... particularly in the hospitality/catering sector!

 

[py_megapixel]

Plenty of other businesses have been doing exactly that... particularly in the hospitality/catering sector!

See my other post - the DfT, an arm of the same government that is telling people to use this app, is effectively in charge of Avanti now.

Your overthinking it.

If its not safe=dont run the service.

If its safe=run a full service.

Nothing more too it.

So what do you do if it's only safe to run a partial service?

Ignore Covid for a moment, and let's imagine the WCML flooded north of Preston. By your logic, because it's safe to run as far as Preston, a full service should be run. Of course I don't need to tell you why sending high speed trains through deep floodwater wouldn't be possible.

Applying this back to catering, what you are asking for is a full catering service, despite it being explained multiple times that one is impossible to practically provide in the current climate.

I'm genuinely starting to think you are deliberately acting as a troll here.

 

[plugwash]

You'd serve passengers a lot better if you had the equivalent of a corner shop inside the station.

Sainsbury's on Manchester Picadilly does this well, perhaps it is more expensive than a regular sainsburys (someone else claimed 10%) but it's reasonable enough that you don't feel bad shopping there, probably cheaper than most "corner shops".

 

[takno]

Sainsbury's on Manchester Picadilly does this well, perhaps it is more expensive than a regular sainsburys (someone else claimed 10%) but it's reasonable enough that you don't feel bad shopping there, probably cheaper than most "corner shops".

Sainsbury's do vary prices a bit between different types of store, and skip some of the special offers in the more expensive stores. More often than not though the majority of the price difference is through stocking more of the Taste the Difference and branded products and none of the economy ones.

 

[ggbrf]

See my other post - the DfT, an arm of the same government that is telling people to use this app, is effectively in charge of Avanti now.


So what do you do if it's only safe to run a partial service?

Ignore Covid for a moment, and let's imagine the WCML flooded north of Preston. By your logic, because it's safe to run as far as Preston, a full service should be run. Of course I don't need to tell you why sending high speed trains through deep floodwater wouldn't be possible.

Applying this back to catering, what you are asking for is a full catering service, despite it being explained multiple times that one is impossible to practically provide in the current climate.

I'm genuinely starting to think you are deliberately acting as a troll here.

Im out

 

[VauxhallandI]

Im out

I don’t blame you, there seems be some strange special thing about a train that doesn’t apply elsewhere.