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

[yorksrob]

I was on a pendo a couple of weeks ago and the shop was open for business.

I was glad of it as well as I hadn't had a chance to get lunch.

 

[Bald Rick]

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?

Well in the days if the big four, a long distance journey would normally take much longer and thus cover a mealtime. Also, the cost of labour was (relatively) much lower then.

 

[fgwrich]

Wifi has always been pretty rubbish on the Voyager fleet unfortunately, and their Faraday Cage steel body doesn't help to pick up a decent signal either.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They should allow orders from mobile data, so at least some people could order. I know the WiFi system is designed so that it automatically detects which train you are on, but it's surely not beyond the wit of man to put up stickers with the unit number inside the carriages and have people type that in (it's only 6 digits!)

I would agree with this. If I recall rightly the LNER system does allow this, and it's quite useful if you never use train wifi.

 

[Trackman]

They should allow orders from mobile data, so at least some people could order. I know the WiFi system is designed so that it automatically detects which train you are on, but it's surely not beyond the wit of man to put up stickers with the unit number inside the carriages and have people type that in (it's only 6 digits!)

It's been known for the wi-fi to have the incorrect unit number, thus nobody able to order anything.
Some crank spotted it once, it was in the URL and knew it wasn't the correct unit number.

I was on a pendo a couple of weeks ago and the shop was open for business.

I was glad of it as well as I hadn't had a chance to get lunch.

It is a god send in emergency situations were you haven't been able to catch lunch or whatever.

 

[HBP]

If I recall rightly the LNER system does allow this, and it's quite useful if you never use train wifi.

It does and the QR code on the back of the seat in front opens the menu page to order.

 

[Lewlew]

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

Covid is here to stay, how long are these "precautions" going to last?

 

[Grumpy Git]

Off topic, but on the last Avanti Pendolino I was on last month, I was sat in seat 04 (verbatim as per the sticker in the coach next to my seat).

The at seat ordering service would not accept my order until I entered the seat as "4" (as opposed to "04"). Who writes the software on these systems, they should be shot as it was not obvious as to why my order was not accepted!

 

[londonteacher]

All working fine and the shop open last week! Might have just been unlucky!

 

[apinnard]

I understand how it is still having an impact, but hearing companies (not just TOCs) using "coronavirus" and a shrug for a reason for services not being available is getting very, very dull.

you’re forgetting that this is the railway. The militant unions rule the rails. The industry is always slower than others when it comes to “change.”

 

[Grumpy Git]

you’re forgetting that this is the railway. The militant unions rule the rails. The industry is always slower than others when it comes to “change.”

Really, do you have any evidence to back-up that accusation?

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

Railway catering tends to unreliably offer passengers things that they don't want at prices that they won't pay.

There ought to be businesses queuing up to tap into that captive market. Instead busy stations might have a Pumpkin Cafe or something similar which has a terrible selection, opens seemingly at random and doesn't seem to want your business.

 

[24Grange]

If RMT members won't turn up to work, what can they do?

Railway catering tends to unreliably offer passengers things that they don't want at prices that they won't pay.

There ought to be businesses queuing up to tap into that captive market. Instead busy stations might have a Pumpkin Cafe or something similar which has a terrible selection, opens seemingly at random and doesn't seem to want your business.

Its probably a cartel or some such to prevent such competition?

 

[Bald Rick]

Its probably a cartel or some such to prevent such competition?

It really isn’t. Anyone can bid for the leases of station retail units when they come up. You just have to have enough £££ to win.

 

[py_megapixel]

It's been known for the wi-fi to have the incorrect unit number, thus nobody able to order anything.
Some crank spotted it once, it was in the URL and knew it wasn't the correct unit number

Even assuming everything was set up perfectly (which it probably isn't), that could still happen if you were sat near the middle of a double voyager - if there was an issue with the access points in your coach the next nearest might be in the other unit

Its probably a cartel or some such to prevent such competition?

Not quite, but it's the same effect. See this thread, particularly the posts about SSP.

 

[domcoop7]

It really isn’t. Anyone can bid for the leases of station retail units when they come up. You just have to have enough £££ to win.

Is this true? I thought all these outlets you see at stations, from Pumpkin, to Lavazza to even the M & S Food, were all run by Select Service Partners (just using pretend brand names), which bought out BR Catering. They alone have the right to operate on the railway. Presumably they bid for a contract, but it's probably a 20 year one or something. Might have changed though?

[EDIT] Just read the last sentence of @py_megapixel's last post before mine!

 

[Unstoppable]

Good ol' First Group with their hands on the franchise. Turning Virgins exceptional achievements into mush like the rest of their operations throughout the UK

 

[Bald Rick]

They alone have the right to operate on the railway.

They don’t!

Look at the larger stations - lots of non SSP outlets.

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

Is this true? I thought all these outlets you see at stations, from Pumpkin, to Lavazza to even the M & S Food, were all run by Select Service Partners (just using pretend brand names), which bought out BR Catering. They alone have the right to operate on the railway. Presumably they bid for a contract, but it's probably a 20 year one or something. Might have changed though?

[EDIT] Just read the last sentence of @py_megapixel's last post before mine!

I suppose letting out individual units adds to admin costs, and the railways probably get more revenue from a few premium units than a lot of low cost units. But you'd serve passengers a lot better if you had the equivalent of a corner shop inside the station.

 

[QueensCurve]

Catering on trains has taken a real nose dive in recent years - so much for customer care !

Catering on trains took a nose-dive in 1985 when Pru Leith replaced freshly made food, cooked on the train, with microwave ready meals.

 

[Bald Rick]

Catering on trains took a nose-dive in 1985 when Pru Leith replaced freshly made food, cooked on the train, with microwave ready meals.

I think that is a rather unusual assessment through very rise tinted spectacles!

 

[apinnard]

Really, do you have any evidence to back-up that accusation?

This forum has plenty of drivers who openly admit to it. What more evidence do you need?

I also used to work for the railway and have seen first hand the way that (especially the ex-BR oldies) expect to be treated like railway royalty.

You don’t need evidence. Just take a look around.

 

[philthetube]

Really, do you have any evidence to back-up that accusation?

This forum has plenty of drivers who openly admit to it. What more evidence do you need?

I also used to work for the railway and have seen first hand the way that (especially the ex-BR oldies) expect to be treated like railway royalty.

You don’t need evidence. Just take a look around.

Totally agree, I once made a complaint concerning long queues at Victoria ticket office to a manager at a meet the manager event, the response I got was, sorry but that is the way we have always done it.

 

[riceuten]

Really, do you have any evidence to back-up that accusation?

I was just wading through this thread, and I assumed at some point some Mail reader would be blaming the unions - not disappointed. Next up "they should all be sacked", "they should be glad they've got a job" and "ban all strikes on public transport"

 

[tiptoptaff]

I was just wading through this thread, and I assumed at some point some Mail reader would be blaming the unions - not disappointed

It's the easiest square on Railforums Bingo

 

[Clip]

"Due to COVID."

Restrictions are gone, it's time to open up the shop again as they really have no excuse for closing it on the Voyagers.

I understand how it is still having an impact, but hearing companies (not just TOCs) using "coronavirus" and a shrug for a reason for services not being available is getting very, very dull.

Indeed, if the wifi isn't working the fix is for the staff to come round with a pad and pen and take orders.

These are very naive statements- yes restrictions may have been removed but we know people are being pinged left right and centre to self isolate soaybe Avanti just didn't have any of the staff or spares to do any catering/shop at all. And just enough to drive the train and the guard on it?

Same goes for the Pullman services on gwr- why go all out advertising a service which you may, at times, not be able to provide due to lack of staff?

 

[Scotrail314209]

These are very naive statements- yes restrictions may have been removed but we know people are being pinged left right and centre to self isolate soaybe Avanti just didn't have any of the staff or spares to do any catering/shop at all. And just enough to drive the train and the guard on it?

Same goes for the Pullman services on gwr- why go all out advertising a service which you may, at times, not be able to provide due to lack of staff?

The OP did say that the WiFi wasn't working, meaning they were unable to use at-seat order. I doubt it's to do with staffing.

 

[Clip]

They also said the shop was closed due to covid to which you stated

The OP did say that the WiFi wasn't working, meaning they were unable to use at-seat order. I doubt it's to do with staffing.

They should just reopen

 

[Scotrail314209]

They also said the shop was closed due to covid to which you stated

They should just reopen

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.

 

[Clip]

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?