Random thoughts of an Irish Software Architect in the GIS Industry.
Irish Rail and terrible Customer Service
I recently received a €50 fine at Connolly Station, while trying to Pay for a ticket, having come from Coolmine.
I did not feel that this penalty was appropriate or in line with any fair use policy that Irish Rail has in place,so I made a complaint.
Here are the particulars which had led me to making this complaint…
- It was Good Friday and I was heading for the Train at 11:53 (Assuming a Sunday Service)
- When I got to Coolmine the barriers were already down
- I had to run up onto the City-Bound platform through the gate on my side.
- The train arrived at 11:50 (Saturday service was running), which did not afford me time to get across to the ticket booth to buy a ticket
- On arrival in Connolly I was heading to Belfast on the 13:20 service
- Instead of merely walking straight to Platform 1, as others were doing, I tried to do the honest thing and buy a ticket for the completed journey.
- I was greeted with incredible hostility from a Scottish gentleman at the ticket desk, who refused to allow me to purchase a ticket
- The Scottish gentleman then proceed to display great joy in imposing the fine in a heavy-handed manner
- When I asked what I could have done I was rudely told “Got to the station earlier”
- When I pointed out that I was just trying to do the honest thing I was told “Not my problem”
- I was once late for a train before (Friday March 9th @ 20:00) and I was able to buy a ticket at the same desk in Connolly station without any issue.
- When I asked other members of staff afterwards, they were shocked at the Scottish Gentleman’s lack of understanding.
I sent these details to the Manager of the Revenue protection unit, but have been informed without any compassion that the fine stands.
So the moral of the story is, don’t try to be honest, don’t do the right thing, if you can walk on past to a connecting train do not try to pay.
(You can use the ticket desk to pay for tickets from stations with no staff/machines, such as broombridge, so maybe from now on I will say that I boarded at broombridge and save 80c each journey, until such a time that I’ve saved €50)
on May 8th, 2007 at 12:17 am
I feel your pain. Recently I was also fined for a delayed response in producing my ticket. I have since stopped paying for trains, jumping on at Portmarnock where the ticket office is more often than not closed, and telling the people at the other side, I got on at Clontarf. I shall continue this until I make up the fine.
Viva la revalucion!
on June 12th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I had pretty much the same problem 3 weeks ago (I’ve got till Friday to pay the fine!).
Arrived at Dun Laoghaire station as the DART was arriving. I asked an employee if I could go through the gate and he said yes, just pay at your next station. I’ve done it many a time so this was no problem.
Arrived at Connolly and strolled up to that tocket desk and asked for a return fare from Dun Laoghaire. Immediatly the same Scottish chap told me “that’ll be €50. I kinda of laughed, presuming that he was kidding!
I attempted to explain what I was told I was told at Dun Laoghaire but he was having none of it. Kept on saying, “not my problem, not my problem.” So he slapped me with a €50 fine and said I could appeal it.
So I appealed and complained about the arrogance of the Scottish guy but to no avail.
But what annoys me the most is that almost every morning I see someone purchasing a ticket at the very same desk!! My blood boils every time I see this!
on July 23rd, 2008 at 2:30 am
The exact same thing happened my girlfriend this morning.
She got to Coolmine station as the barriers were done and entered the platform.
The automated ticketing kiosk is not yet in place on the platform so the boarder the train with no ticket.
She got to Pearse station and tried to pay, to be presented with a €50 fine!
I can understand the need to clamp down on fare dodgers, but punishing those that do not get to the station before the train is not acceptable.
Perhaps if we had a train system like Japan or Sweden where everything is on time to the second this would fly, but this is not the case at all in Ireland.
on April 30th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Customer Service is a vital part of any business and to be effective, it must be sincere and focused. Too many companies today confuse customer service with hard sell opportunities and that creates a negative perception of that business with the customer.
on December 12th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Excuse me for writing offtopic but which WP template do you use? It looks interesting!
on December 16th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Its called Theme-2bue
See: http://www.wpskins.org/themes/10/Theme-2Blue/
on August 12th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Same thing happened my Mam. She walked right up to the guy with the fare and he fined her.
on April 8th, 2011 at 9:46 am
Glad to hear them being described as jobsworths. Who is the Scottish guy. Ireland used to be a decent country - phrases like ‘no problem, you’re alright etc’ used to be the mottos of behaviour. Tourists loved it. We were described as so ‘easy going’. Mind you word gets out. Our treatment of Spanish students results in more being sent to London.
These people are like Nazis- on what grounds are they recruited. I have a Free travel pass because of illness and it was pulled out and examined in full view of the train - I thought it was WW11 in Nazi Germany. I am Irish but look ‘foreign’ which gives me an insight into vicious people.