Irish Rail complaints

faceman

Ive overheard and listened to a number of my colleagues in work giving out about irish rail. Quite a few people have sent complaints to Irish rail about a number of issues: Over crowded trains, fainting on a train, dirty trains etc. But no one has ever said they got a response.

Has anyone ever complained to irish rail and get a response? If so how did you complain? Were you happy with the response?

mulhearn2

I have never sent a complaint to them but god am i peaved at there rip off prices example being 37 euro to go to dublin from waterford return when only want a one way but the man at station informed me that i had to buy a return <it was on a sunday i don t know if that makes a difference> ticket then on the way up it was 4.50 for a sandgage(disgrace full ) and 2.50 for a bar of cholate and crisps its disgrace full its amazing how this is a government funded organisation

Victor

mulhearn2 wrote: »

I have never sent a complaint to them but god am i peaved at there rip off prices example being 37 euro to go to dublin from waterford return when only want a one way but the man at station informed me that i had to buy a return <it was on a sunday i don t know if that makes a difference> ticket

Sunday is a peak day.

If you booked online you could do it for €10 off peak http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=402 On Sunday, Waterford to Dublin thats the 09.25 or 14.30 departure. Its €18 peak for a web fare.

then on the way up it was 4.50 for a sandgage(disgrace full ) and 2.50 for a bar of cholate and crisps its disgrace full its amazing how this is a government funded organisation

You bought the food off a private organisation called Rail Gourmet.

Judgement Day

If you want a response you have to get hold of the Organ Grinder not their monkey! Years of experience have taught to always go straight to the top. I have a regular correspondence with Dick Fearn (CEO Iarnrod Eireann) - not that it achieves a lot - but perhaps some of the points I raise are taken on board?

In recent weeks I have had very worthwhile outcomes to correspondence with Margaret Heffernan (Dunnes Stores) and the CEO of Nestle in Belgium. With the internet it is relatively easy to track down CEOs and it is usually worthwhile as they normally (except in the case of CIE) feel that failure to deliver is a personal reflection on themselves!

MOH

The original post was over 3 years ago, but anyway:

I've complained a number of times. About 30% of e-mails are answered, generally weeks later, and always with the excuse that the person replying was on holidays or out of the office when I mailed. I've had a couple of replies by mail to letters I sent.

In general, the standard of reponse has been appalling. Most of the replies I've received have either failed to adequately address or completely ignored a key element of my complaint.

One of my favourites was the time two adjoining DART carriages had malfunctioning doors one morning on the way to work. DART stopped in station, people pushed buttons, doors failed to open. Everyone was heading for the next carriage to meet them coming into our carriage. Someone pushed the emergency button above the door, with no effect. DART pulled out, doors worked in the next station.

Irish Rails response was that they were unable to reproduce the door problem, and that the emergency button "has to be pushed quite hard". :rolleyes:

Zoney

I've written to them by snail mail and received replies (including reasonable apologies/explanations and compensatory vouchers for future travel).

I would advise sending a letter rather than an email. I believe there are certain legal obligations wrt replying to post, that don't apply to electronic communication. Besides, it is more proper. Also, one is more likely to compose a coherent complaint on paper rather than throw vitriol hastily at the computer screen and hit send.

I advise taking care with any letter of complaint too. If you have a genuine grievance, express it with care and precision, and your own complaint is likely to receive a more considered response on the part of whoever is replying, compared to random rants that they may receive. You might feel a bit silly expressing yourself formally, but it often does work better in such matters, even when you overdo it a tad. Indeed it can perhaps more accurately convey your anger than an expletive-ridden rant, and it can be just as satisfying to compose too. Exhaust your inventory of adjectives as you describe whatever miserable and inhuman conditions you have had to endure. Describe any problems succinctly, but with sufficient elaboration to communicate the unacceptable nature of whatever situation you were exposed to.

Dredge up all that material you had to cram in for Leaving Cert English and put it to good use for once. One doesn't often get a chance to use it to full advantage in everyday life (although it has its place in Dilbert-esque office environments too, particularly if you use it to expound upon actual data as well as provide waffle where expected).

fh041205

mulhearn2 wrote: »

I have never sent a complaint to them but god am i peaved at there rip off prices example being 37 euro to go to dublin from waterford return when only want a one way but the man at station informed me that i had to buy a return <it was on a sunday i don t know if that makes a difference> ticket then on the way up it was 4.50 for a sandgage(disgrace full ) and 2.50 for a bar of cholate and crisps its disgrace full its amazing how this is a government funded organisation

Why did u drag up a 3 year old post just to say that?

parsi

To tell us about his cholate and sandgage.

fh041205

parsi wrote: »

To tell us about his cholate and sandgage.

Oh i see.



http://www.rickly.com/sai/sandgage.htm