South West Trains and Passenger Focus

One of my new year's resolutions was to not accept brush-offs for complaints. South West Trains gave me the chance to test my resolve after going to see Hairspray with Arden just before January 1st. It was a terrible journey, as I emailed, iPhone in hand, from the train itself:

27/12/2008

Dear South West Trains

I'm emailing to complain about a broken table on the 09:47 train from Salisbury to Waterloo. I'm a permanent wheelchair user with no use of my legs whatsoever. I cannot transfer from my chair. I have a high spinal cord injury which means I have very poor balance. I also get extremely tired.

I had booked a seat on today's train from Salisbury to London. In the dedicated wheelchair space I will usually pull up the side table. I can rest my head on this to sleep. It stops my wheelchair from sliding forward. I can put my coffee and papers down. On the 09.47 there was no table, just a big hole where it should have been. Thus I spent the whole journey unable to sleep, in pain, unable to read and anxious that I would fall. It was a most unpleasant trip.

Please assure me that this matter will be soon resolved. Please also let me know what you intend to do to make amends.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Andrew Farrow
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Their (very long delayed) reply was both disappointing and revealing. Disappointing for obvious reasons. Revealing because it shows that Mr M P had not read my email very closely:

Dear Mr Farrow

Thank you for your email of 27 December 2008.

I am sorry to learn that the problems with a table on the 0947 from Salisbury to London Waterloo led to so much distress on your journey. Please be assured that all of our trains are routinely maintained and problems such as these are rectified. However, if you would be kind enough to give me the date of travel, I will have the unit checked.

In these circumstances, the guard should be contacted to see if there is a chance that you may be moved to another carriage if there is a space available.

Although I appreciate the severe inconvenience that this caused and I apologise for this, I regret that no compensation is available.

Thank you for contacting South West Trains.

Kind Regards
M P
Customer Relations Officer
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Last year, I would have perhaps accepted this. However, I had said I would follow through to resolution, so on 13th January, I contacted Passenger Focus, "putting rail passengers first":

Dear Passenger Focus

I am emailing to complain about the inadequate response I have received regarding a complaint I made to South West Trains.I attach my original email and their response.

I am unable to transfer from my wheelchair. There is only one seat on the Salisbury to Waterloo train for wheelchair users that has a table and in this case, as I say in my email, the table was broken.

I find their response disappointing to say the least. I find their comment surprising that no compensation is available. I would be interested to hear your views.

Many thanks

Andrew Farrow
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Today I receive a letter from Passenger Focus. Part of it reads:

I have now had the opportunity to discuss your case with the Customer Relations Manager at South West Trains and he has sincerely apologised for inconvenience that was caused to you. He has also confirmed that when incidents such as this occur, the train maintenance crews will ensure that the problem is fixed on the same day, although obviously I appreciate that this is of little comfort at the time. As a gesture of goodwill, South West Trains have agreed to offer you a free ticket to travel in Standard Class on South West Trains services only."

Yes, I think that counts as a complaint followed through to resolution. Hopefully, it might mean that South West Trains pay a little more attention to the tables in the accessible spaces. Perhaps it will encourage them to address such complaints with a little more sympathy. Making the complaint itself was a quick and painless process. The only thing that's taken time has been writing about it here.