What your extra fare gets you.

portarlington_user · 05-01-2007, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Manager of customer services: ??

From previous 'apology' letters after a few complaints I think this person is the aptly titled Mr Slowey

MrX · 05-01-2007, 13:23

I have to say that the difference between the old CIE staff and the new non Irish staff who have come on-board recently is shocking.

There are several guys and ladies from various parts of Eastern Europe, one lady who seems to be Spanish (based on her accent) and a few others from various parts of Africa and without exception the service provided by these people is light years ahead of what I'm used to on CIE trains.

They're poilite, well dressed, well presented and seem to actually care about what they're doing.

I have seen members of "old school" Irish CIE staff in the dining car who just looked like you would not want to buy food from them.

There are also a group of older staff (irish ones) who appear on the CityGold trains doing actual catering who I can only describe as excellent too.

Sadly, it's the few "rotten apples" who can't be bothered doing the job properly who give the whole company a bad reputation. You tend to remember the all too frequent incidents where you're treated like something that someone's just trodden on.

Interestingly too, if you approach the dining car and see a perky new member of staff you can usually be sure that the stock check's been done and that they have food.

If it's one of the "old school" types you can be 99% sure they'll have one slightly soggy chicken and stuffing sandwich (if you're lucky) and that's only if they can be bothered looking up from their newspaper.

They are perfect candidates for that Little Britian "Computer Says No" sketch.

portarlington_user · 05-01-2007, 14:16

Just on the customer service stuff -

I buy weekly tickets and prefer going to the station over the weekend and buying it in advance rather than queuing up for ages on a monday morning. The last 2 times I did this I called at about 8 on a sunday evening and was told I couldn't use my laser card cos the machine was 'shut off' and to come back tomorrow. The 2nd time I was asked did I have my ID card, which in fairness I didn't have, but my argument was a) he was the same guy who gave it to me in the first place and b)he sees me with it nearly every day or at least on the days when they check your ticket on the way into the station, AND every other time I buy the weekly ticket from him. When I said all that he shrugged his shoulders, sorry, can't help you, he was very ignorant.

Fair enough, if their policy is that I can't buy it without the ID that's fine, but they should at least enforce this company-wide, as the guys in the ticket office in Heuston let me buy them based on my old annual ticket which has your photo on it anyway. And now that I think about it, why do you need an ID card just to buy a weekly ticket anyway?

On a good note the ticket guy on the 05:30 hours cork train this week is really nice, if he checks your ticket on a monday he remembers you and doesn't ask you for it again for the rest of the week!

Mark Gleeson · 05-01-2007, 15:07

I've decided in recent years to adopt a firm and somewhat ignorant (if slightly informed) approach to dealing with IE, it works

Got a upgrade to first for free for myself and 2 others by playing the system

Got delayed by an hour on a DART disembark at Pearse, no one at the gate to check tickets so I walk through I get 2 feet from the door before the ticket checker appears and demands I return with the ticket. Needless to say he never checks my ticket now I walk through no hassle.

I make no apologies for putting staff on the spot if they don't know something they should know, I'm out to expose the lazy shiftless staff. There are some really decent staff out there but they are not getting the recognition they deserve, key thing is those staff are very concerned at the bad show the public see

Note had my ticket checked on Luas this morning, 'thank you sir' its the small things, its a pleasure going to Cork the train managers are nice, friendly, there is a personal thing with names, Happy, Richard, John, Siobhan, Tracy and the rest of the team. It makes such a difference

2Funki4Wheelz · 05-01-2007, 15:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Note had my ticket checked on Luas this morning, 'thank you sir' its the small things, its a pleasure going to Cork the train managers are nice, friendly, there is a personal thing with names, Happy, Richard, John, Siobhan, Tracy and the rest of the team. It makes such a difference

I agree, the Luas checkers are very polite, and deal very well with the fare evaders making up names and addresses and being cheeky.

Portarlington train station staff are a mixed bag, have found one guy very helpful on a couple of occassions, don't know his name but he talks exactly like Des Bishop which is very cool

Don't get the ID card thing either unless it's for reduced fares, e.g. weekend or student. My monthly ticket has no distinguishing features, I could hand it to anyone if I had a few days off.

portarlington_user · 05-01-2007, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Funki4Wheelz

Don't get the ID card thing either unless it's for reduced fares, e.g. weekend or student. My monthly ticket has no distinguishing features, I could hand it to anyone if I had a few days off.

Well that's what I don't understand, I've only recently started the weekly ticket instead of the monthly and only since then I was asked for ID. It's only when you buy it that you're ever asked for it, cos I deliberately don't show it with my ticket just to see am I ever asked, and of course I'm not. Coming up to Christmas I gave some weekly tickets to my mam and sisters etc when they were doing their shopping and they had no problems and weren't asked for ID.
When I stopped using my annual ticket and it was out of date, I deliberately showed that for a good 2 months every day before eventually a Dublin Bus driver copped it was out of date and he was the only person to ask to see a valid ticket (which I always had!). Not one member of IE staff ever noticed.

Mark Gleeson · 05-01-2007, 15:48

Well I've never been asked to produce the student travelcard for student ticket on train, normally not a issue since the booking office key in the ID number onto the ticket but you can buy intercity studernt fares online

Lazy staff use the classic override all zero (bank officials here know all about the all zeros bank account)

MOH · 08-01-2007, 17:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by portarlington_user

When I stopped using my annual ticket and it was out of date, I deliberately showed that for a good 2 months every day before eventually a Dublin Bus driver copped it was out of date and he was the only person to ask to see a valid ticket (which I always had!). Not one member of IE staff ever noticed.

I did that when I used to live beside Tara St. Got sick of everyone getting delayed by the (usually single) ticket checker every evening, for about a month I deliberately showed a ticket from the previous day, or week, or my last trip down the country - any IE ticket I had on me. Did that for a month, one guy noticed once. I always had the correct ticket anyway.

Since they obviously never check the tickets properly, why bother holding everyone up?

Colm Donoghue · 05-01-2007, 15:50

I was about to adopt the beligerent approach but I thought all those behind me trying to get out wouldn't appreciate it.

I paid attention to the guys in Tara this morning. As well as being told on the train to have my ticket read for inspection, the checker had some uniform and a peaked hat, which while a bit old skool, is still a mark of some authority. The other checker had a high viz jacket. There was also a sign saying ticket check and it was a well lit area.

05-01-2007, 13:23	#2
MrX Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 585	The new non-irish staff are fantastic! I have to say that the difference between the old CIE staff and the new non Irish staff who have come on-board recently is shocking. There are several guys and ladies from various parts of Eastern Europe, one lady who seems to be Spanish (based on her accent) and a few others from various parts of Africa and without exception the service provided by these people is light years ahead of what I'm used to on CIE trains. They're poilite, well dressed, well presented and seem to actually care about what they're doing. I have seen members of "old school" Irish CIE staff in the dining car who just looked like you would not want to buy food from them. There are also a group of older staff (irish ones) who appear on the CityGold trains doing actual catering who I can only describe as excellent too. Sadly, it's the few "rotten apples" who can't be bothered doing the job properly who give the whole company a bad reputation. You tend to remember the all too frequent incidents where you're treated like something that someone's just trodden on. Interestingly too, if you approach the dining car and see a perky new member of staff you can usually be sure that the stock check's been done and that they have food. If it's one of the "old school" types you can be 99% sure they'll have one slightly soggy chicken and stuffing sandwich (if you're lucky) and that's only if they can be bothered looking up from their newspaper. They are perfect candidates for that Little Britian "Computer Says No" sketch. Last edited by MrX : 05-01-2007 at 13:27.

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05-01-2007, 14:16	#3
portarlington_user Regular Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Portarlington Posts: 51	Just on the customer service stuff - I buy weekly tickets and prefer going to the station over the weekend and buying it in advance rather than queuing up for ages on a monday morning. The last 2 times I did this I called at about 8 on a sunday evening and was told I couldn't use my laser card cos the machine was 'shut off' and to come back tomorrow. The 2nd time I was asked did I have my ID card, which in fairness I didn't have, but my argument was a) he was the same guy who gave it to me in the first place and b)he sees me with it nearly every day or at least on the days when they check your ticket on the way into the station, AND every other time I buy the weekly ticket from him. When I said all that he shrugged his shoulders, sorry, can't help you, he was very ignorant. Fair enough, if their policy is that I can't buy it without the ID that's fine, but they should at least enforce this company-wide, as the guys in the ticket office in Heuston let me buy them based on my old annual ticket which has your photo on it anyway. And now that I think about it, why do you need an ID card just to buy a weekly ticket anyway? On a good note the ticket guy on the 05:30 hours cork train this week is really nice, if he checks your ticket on a monday he remembers you and doesn't ask you for it again for the rest of the week!

05-01-2007, 15:07	#4
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	I've decided in recent years to adopt a firm and somewhat ignorant (if slightly informed) approach to dealing with IE, it works Got a upgrade to first for free for myself and 2 others by playing the system Got delayed by an hour on a DART disembark at Pearse, no one at the gate to check tickets so I walk through I get 2 feet from the door before the ticket checker appears and demands I return with the ticket. Needless to say he never checks my ticket now I walk through no hassle. I make no apologies for putting staff on the spot if they don't know something they should know, I'm out to expose the lazy shiftless staff. There are some really decent staff out there but they are not getting the recognition they deserve, key thing is those staff are very concerned at the bad show the public see Note had my ticket checked on Luas this morning, 'thank you sir' its the small things, its a pleasure going to Cork the train managers are nice, friendly, there is a personal thing with names, Happy, Richard, John, Siobhan, Tracy and the rest of the team. It makes such a difference

05-01-2007, 15:48	#7
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Well I've never been asked to produce the student travelcard for student ticket on train, normally not a issue since the booking office key in the ID number onto the ticket but you can buy intercity studernt fares online Lazy staff use the classic override all zero (bank officials here know all about the all zeros bank account)

05-01-2007, 15:50	#9
Colm Donoghue Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 873	I was about to adopt the beligerent approach but I thought all those behind me trying to get out wouldn't appreciate it. I paid attention to the guys in Tara this morning. As well as being told on the train to have my ticket read for inspection, the checker had some uniform and a peaked hat, which while a bit old skool, is still a mark of some authority. The other checker had a high viz jacket. There was also a sign saying ticket check and it was a well lit area.