Don't go the extra mile!

Keys, wallet, sunglasses..... this time it was my mobile phone that I lost. According to my wife it's a regular thing but I am sure I haven't done it since leaving it in a sports shop... and that was last year!

This time it was on coach K on the 18.10 from Newcastle to Durham.... I realised as soon as I got off when I tried to call my lift - Doh! My lift arrived and I called my phone... Mikela the guard answered and said she had picked it up - I breathed a huge sigh of relief - as it turned out much too soon.

Mikela was lovely - said she would drop off the phone at Darlington for me and I could pick it up on my way past when returning home by car the next day. Later that night I got a text (on my friends phone) saying the phone was in York - not ideal but at least I was kept informed. That's where the fun started!

Next day I rang York to see when I could pick the phone up.... or at least I tried to. First of all I had to deal with the fact that no one wants you to call York... just National Rail Enquiries. I tried all sorts on the internet to find a number - eventually I found a number hidden in the bowles of the National Express website... I rang the number "The office is open from 10am until 3pm Monday to Friday" - God help anyone who has a 9-5 job then.

I'll try Customer Services. I found another number and pushed the appropriate buttons to try and get me connected with a person and sat on hold... eventually a person... I explained that I was trying to get through to the station...."The numbers aren't listed" I was told.... very helpful. "How can I get hold of someone at the station?"
"You can't - the numbers aren't listed"

I'd seen a listing for National Express head office - I'll try them. Office closed at 5pm... it was 5.25pm Ticket sales.... I will not be beaten......

After duly pushing more buttons I found another happy soul at ticket sales.... You should try this number - they will help - they are open until 6pm. So I rang and was greated with "we are sorry the office is now closed" - it was 5.32pm. So I packed up and set off home - no chance of picking up my phone on the way.

Next day I tried again - I had my cup of tea and prepared for battle. After ringing customer services (now open) I was given an 01904 number.... great I can call it for free! It rang for about 5 mintues then cut off. I tried again - same response. I was reminded of an old Two Ronnies sketch with a skeleton ringing for directory enquiries...

After trying now and again for a couple of hours I rang customer services again. This time a nice chap greated me and really tried to help. After trying the number himself he did a little digging and found the old number had been replaced (but not forwarded) to a new 0845 number... one I would have to pay for.

Finally I was going to speak to a person in York lost property- Sarah infact - who had absolutley no idea where my phone was - Aaagghhhh! She took some details and said she would look into its whereabouts... well Lance her colleaugue would as she was off on a break - so much for owning the problem then. Surprisingly enough she didn't call me back so this moring I rang again. I got Lance - who knew nothing about it. When I suggested he probably should know something about it he said,

"Oh yes - I remember - there's been a weekend since Friday. Nokia?"
"Sony Ericsson"
"Trans-Pennine train?"
"Nope - Newcastle to Durham"

Instilled with confidence I told the story again. Lance promised to call me back but pointed out that really the guard handing in the phone should have followed the procedure.... and just left the phone on the train instead of trying to help me!

Lance did ring back - progress! But he had no trace of the phone. The guard was on her rest day. I asked who was on duty to receive it. He didn't know. At this point I suggested that if it had been stolen it was either the guard (harsh of me I know) or the person receiving it and so it would be pretty easy for the police see who was the likeliest cuplrit. Lance perked into life.

20 mintues later Lance had found my phone... in Darlington. I spoke to them and they told me I could pick up the phone any time of the day - 24hrs... just go to the office on Platform 1 - Magic!

Now I was an idiot - I left my phone - my fault. I was delighted that someone in a position of responsibility had found it. More than that she was happy to try and help - to go the extra mile. Somewhere on the way a spanner got thrown in the works and York came into the picture. What happened next can only be described as "Do everything possible to avoid helping the customer".

Don't help them find the numbers because then they might call us and we would have to employ someone to answer the phone.

Only use 0845 number - to annoy all those people who have free calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

Don't let our people try and help the customer.... make them follow a procedure that sends lost property to London and back to arrive one week later - we surely can't trust our staff enough to just do the right thing.

Never own the problem... pass it on.... or blame someone else

2 minutes after losing my phone I was really impressed with National Express Rail. 5 days later I am much less of a fan. They clearly have some good people but as an old boss once said to me,

"Its difficult to soar like an eagle when all around you are Dodos!"