It pays to complain

Amtmann

Okay, I'm going to do something I thought I'd never have to do here: I'm going to start one of those annoying "I lost my bus ticket" threads.

So, I got on the Aircoach in Cork this morning at 6am and purchased a return ticket for EUR22. Only two other people got on in Cork - my companion, and another gentleman. I sat directly behind the driver's seat (because I wanted to note the signage etc.)

On we went: six people got on in Fermoy, two in Mitchelstown, one in Cashel, and then we stopped in Urlingford. Urlingford took its revenge on me for casting aspersions against it last December in the M8 Cashel to Cullahill thread, for there I stupidly threw away my ticket. I noticed this before we even reached the M7 and said it to the driver immediately. He said there was nothing he could do and I didn't pursue the matter as we was busy driving, obviously, and I didn't want to distract him for more than a second.

When we arrived at Westmoreland Street I lingered a minute and asked if he could produce another ticket for me, or at least write me a chit or offer any assistance or advice regarding my homeward trip. Would I need to buy another ticket, I asked, seen as how he could vouch that I'd paid for the return if he wanted to? 'No' he said; you'll have to pay.

Fair enough, I didn't argue. My bad after all. However, I had expected a little more customer service and so I called Aircoach. Someone at middle management level made life a little difficult for a few minutes before I demanded, politely, to speak to a manager. Et voila! Problem solved and a ticketless journey home later this evening was arranged.

I wasn't complaining about the driver; just the lack of a common sense provision in place for paying customers such as I who, in a moment of admitted stupidity, threw away their ticket/contract. Had the bus been busy I would have said "well, I'm just one of 44 people and of course the driver doesn't remember me", but seen as how so few got on I thought common sense and flexibility should prevail and in the event, it did.

Truly "I want to speak to the manager please" are magic words.

Metrobest

Furet wrote: »

Okay, I'm going to do something I thought I'd never have to do here: I'm going to start one of those annoying "I lost my bus ticket" threads.

So, I got on the Aircoach in Cork this morning at 6am and purchased a return ticket for EUR22. Only two other people got on in Cork - my companion, and another gentleman. I sat directly behind the driver's seat (because I wanted to note the signage etc.)

On we went: six people got on in Fermoy, two in Mitchelstown, one in Cashel, and then we stopped in Urlingford. Urlingford took its revenge on me for casting aspersions against it last December in the M8 Cashel to Cullahill thread, for there I stupidly threw away my ticket. I noticed this before we even reached the M7 and said it to the driver immediately. He said there was nothing he could do and I didn't pursue the matter as we was busy driving, obviously, and I didn't want to distract him for more than a second.

When we arrived at Westmoreland Street I lingered a minute and asked if he could produce another ticket for me, or at least write me a chit or offer any assistance or advice regarding my homeward trip. Would I need to buy another ticket, I asked, seen as how he could vouch that I'd paid for the return if he wanted to? 'No' he said; you'll have to pay.

Fair enough, I didn't argue. My bad after all. However, I had expected a little more customer service and so I called Aircoach. Someone at middle management level made life a little difficult for a few minutes before I demanded, politely, to speak to a manager. Et voila! Problem solved and a ticketless journey home later this evening was arranged.

I wasn't complaining about the driver; just the lack of a common sense provision in place for paying customers such as I who, in a moment of admitted stupidity, threw away their ticket/contract. Had the bus been busy I would have said "well, I'm just one of 44 people and of course the driver doesn't remember me", but seen as how so few got on I thought common sense and flexibility should prevail and in the event, it did.

Truly "I want to speak to the manager please" are magic words.

To be honest I think you didn't have a leg to stand on here. You could have "lost" the ticket and then later "found it again" and given it to a friend in Dublin who'd get a free one way to Cork. The driver presumably doesn't have a "free tickets for people who lost their tickets" button on his machine.

road_high

Metrobest wrote: »

To be honest I think you didn't have a leg to stand on here. You could have "lost" the ticket and then later "found it again" and given it to a friend in Dublin who'd get a free one way to Cork. The driver presumably doesn't have a "free tickets for people who lost their tickets" button on his machine.

Yes, but a bit of discretion form the said driver might have been the order of the day.

Vic_08

mfitzy wrote: »

Yes, but a bit of discretion form the said driver might have been the order of the day.

It is that sort of "discretion" that can get people the sack.

A bit of personal responsibility from the OP would have been the order of the day IMO.

Why do people think it is acceptable to expect others to bend over backwards to accomodate their stupidity and then bitterly complain if they can't/won't?

lucernarian

Jaysus, don't get your underwear in a twist will ya?!:) I don't think the OP was rattling cages over this.

The OP has as much right to ask the management if the ticket issue could be sorted later, as the bus driver has to refuse to reprint a ticket.

And the management were right to use discretion here I think. I really doubt someone would be arsed to call up aircoach, having given a plausible and straightforward story to the bus driver and then the staff member on the phone, so as to defraud Aircoach of €10.

Anyone who's arsed to defraud a company like that would be trying to con businesses out of more than a tenner or twenty euro bus ticket. Opportunity does not mean a shíte without motive. So yeah, Aircoach would earn more from the gesture than by making sure a free ticket wasn't going to be taken.

I don't think allowing tickets to be lost with no consequences is a good idea. If it becomes easy to make a few quid out of it, people will hear and people will abuse.

corktina

im with the OP.The driver would have remembered selling the ticket and could have told the OP to contact the Company, telling him that he could verify issueing the ticket,Telling him to pay again isnt very helpful(although it isnt his responsibility to do anything other)

veryangryman

If the driver can vouch for the OP (and this can be verified by the cash check vs tickets sold for such an almost empty bus) then whats the harm.

Lose it on a packed bus and your in trouble but in this case, i think Furet's right. It is a grey area though

Amtmann

Yup, totally aware that legally I hadn't a leg to stand on and I even said that in my phone call. I didn't make a complaint about the driver either; as pointed out, 'discretion' can get a man fired.
However, I did have the right to speak politely to a manager and seek discretion, which was granted. So thanks to the Director of Aircoach for a bit of common sense and decency.

MOH

To be honest, I'd be on the driver's side - I can't see why you'd throw away even a single ticket until you got to your destination.

(Side note: I trust the ticket was disposed of properly and the OP isn't guilty of littering the beautiful town of Urlingford)

Amtmann

MOH wrote: »

To be honest, I'd be on the driver's side - I can't see why you'd throw away even a single ticket until you got to your destination

I seem to have phrased this wrongly. I was not "against" the driver. I was ringing Aircoach to suggest they improve their customer services and consider showing me discretion. (It should be possible for a driver to write someone like me a chit saying that I had paid for the ticket and lost it if - and only if - said driver wanted to. As I said, very few people were on the bus, and he remembered me.) I admitted my fault and took responsibility. All I sought was leniancy. That is all. I wasn't blaming anyone else for losing my ticket.

As for why you'd throw away your ticket, have you ever locked yourself out of the house? Shi.t happens to the best of us.

PurplePrincess

Furet wrote: »

I sat directly behind the driver's seat (because I wanted to note the signage etc.)

Why?

Amtmann

PurplePrincess wrote: »

Why?

Because I'm a geek who likes to look at roads.

G_R

MOH wrote: »

(Side note: I trust the ticket was disposed of properly and the OP isn't guilty of littering the beautiful town of Urlingford)

surely you kidding.....

Amtmann

I wouldn't dream of despoiling lovely little Urlingford. The bus stopped at a small service station (not Josephine's) and I inadvertantly threw my ticket into a bin along with some other receipts and wrappers.