SAYNOTO0870.COM - Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221234?

Barbara

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #30 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 11:16am

sorry, jrawle, but I cannot believe the last part of your post. I expect the cost of my ticket to INCLUDE customer service, in the same way I don't expect to have to clean or service the trains before I use them, and if, due to lack of staff as is often the case, one has to phone then the cost should not be at a premium. As I said in a previous post, I have phoned TfL when I haven't been able to find the info I wanted on the internet. Ideally, it would be great to be able to phone individual stations, both TfL & National Rail, as one used to be able to do, to get personalised info (eg is the car park normally full or are there spaces? if so on which days/times?) Finally, my husband and I DON'T have mobiles with internet access & why should we have to spend a fortune on that just to get info (which, as I've already explained isn't necessarily on the web)?!

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sherbert Supreme Member Offline Posts: 2,011 Gender:	Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221 Reply #31 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 12:57pm No doubt if the ticket did include customer service, the cost of the ticket will increase.
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jrawle

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #32 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 1:59pm

Barbara wrote on Dec 6^th, 2009 at 11:16am:

sorry, jrawle, but I cannot believe the last part of your post. I expect the cost of my ticket to INCLUDE customer service, in the same way I don't expect to have to clean or service the trains before I use them, and if, due to lack of staff as is often the case, one has to phone then the cost should not be at a premium. As I said in a previous post, I have phoned TfL when I haven't been able to find the info I wanted on the internet. Ideally, it would be great to be able to phone individual stations, both TfL & National Rail, as one used to be able to do, to get personalised info (eg is the car park normally full or are there spaces? if so on which days/times?) Finally, my husband and I DON'T have mobiles with internet access & why should we have to spend a fortune on that just to get info (which, as I've already explained isn't necessarily on the web)?!

If the new service only provides an automated travel information service, and doesn't provide the opportunity to speak to a real person, it seems this will no longer handle queries that can't be found on the web, which presumably aren't just routine journey planning or engineering work queries.

I'd be interested to know what model of phone you have and what network you are on not to be able to access at least WAP. As a hater of mobile phones, I only have a very old phone and PAYG that I rarely use to make calls, but even so I could access the TFL WAP site, cheaply via GPRS, if I needed to. (They also offer an SMS service, indicentally.)

I always have to laugh at some people (and I'm not referring to you) who have the latest fancy phones they pay £40/month for, yet when I suggest they look something up online, they claim their phone doesn't have web access. What they may mean is they don't know how to use their internet access, hence my idea of setting up a site to help people make use of this rather than rip-off phonelines with no geographical alternatives.

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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #33 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 5:15pm

I fear that in their obsession with consumerism (my bête noir) members are getting confused between the role of TfL and that of TTL, its subsidiaries, and the other operating companies. The telephone number in question is used by TfL itself to provide a general public information service.

The latter points touch on what could be another issue for discussion. The Communications Consumer Panel is pressing for more public services to be delivered online in order to promote digital inclusion. It argues that if more people were forced to use the internet, especially those who do not do so at present, then this would increase the demand for broadband access, so that more public money could be justifiably spent on delivering it.

Many services that may be accessed through the internet without charge are subject to premium rates when accessed by telephone. The "voice of the communications consumer" appears to be condoning or even encouraging such an approach, especially for public services.

The CCP (formerly the Ofcom Consumer Panel) has always seen the interests of consumers as being represented by the extent of consumption, as it has always worked for the maximisation of use of telecommunications services. That is consumerism for you!

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Dave

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #34 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 5:37pm

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Dec 6^th, 2009 at 5:15pm:

I fear that in their obsession with consumerism (my bête noir) members are getting confused between the role of TfL and that of TTL, its subsidiaries, and the other operating companies. The telephone number in question is used by TfL itself to provide a general public information service.

What does transistor-transistor logic have to do with this discussion? Huh

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SilentCallsVictim Supreme Member Offline aka NHS.Patient, DH_fairtelecoms Posts: 2,494	Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221 Reply #35 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 6:16pm Dave wrote on Dec 6^th, 2009 at 5:37pm: What does transistor-transistor logic have to do with this discussion? What does the price of tickets have to do with this discussion?
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irrelevant

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #36 - Dec 6^th, 2009 at 7:24pm

jrawle wrote on Dec 6^th, 2009 at 1:59pm:

I'd be interested to know what model of phone you have and what network you are on not to be able to access at least WAP.

FWIW, I can't get internet on my mobile. My tariff is a very old one that only has unlimited WAP but does not allow me to use GPRS. But my phone is an N95 that does not support WAP for accessing the internet ... It's great if I'm near a WiFi hotspot, but not otherwise.

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« Last Edit: Dec 6^th, 2009 at 7:26pm by irrelevant »

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Barbara

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #37 - Dec 7^th, 2009 at 10:24am

jrawle, my phone is a Siemens, at least five & a half years old, PAYG, doesn't even have a camera or anything, I just wanted something which I could use to make calls in an emergency (not from near my home either, as I am on Orange, which is the best coverage for my area but most of the time I have no signal). Having watched my adult children, all quite techie, struggle to get sense out of mobile internet, particularly round here, I can't say I'm impressed. I just want to be able to speak to a person at TfL if I need to, because I can't find what I want on the internet. (BTW, National Rail on the internet can't even seem to give ticket prices from eg Cambridge into London to include Travelcards although these do exist, I even emailed them about this & was told their system could not support this info.)

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sherbert

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #38 - Dec 7^th, 2009 at 11:10am

I would guess, even if you did manage to speak to a person, that person would only get the information off the internet, and if you can't find the information you want on the internet, there is little chance that the call center will.

I remember many years ago I asked the Indian call center for National Rail enquiries about getting to Exeter and he told me that he had never heard of Exeter and asked which country it is in.

So I think you are wasting your time and energy looking for a telephone number for TFL as they wont be able to tell you anything you don't know already.

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« Last Edit: Dec 7^th, 2009 at 11:11am by sherbert »

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Barbara

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #39 - Dec 7^th, 2009 at 11:50am

Actually, Sherbert, on previous occasions, staff at TfL had been brilliant, they have responded to emails by telephoning me as they thought it might be easier and have been able to provide information required and they were in London! It is this level of service which I would like to see protected and why I would oppose an 0843 number because, apart from the cost, it would lead to more automation and a loss of that level of service.

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sherbert

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #40 - Dec 7^th, 2009 at 12:38pm

I agree Barbara, that would be brilliant, however that would mean employing more people to answer the telephones (instead of the automatic replies) and it has to be paid for, either by telephone rip off charges or increasing the fares.

I wonder how many telephone enquiries, automaic or not, TFL get in a year. If it is not that many compared to the number of passengers they have, then I would guess paying for an enquiry would be fairer?

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Barbara

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #41 - Dec 7^th, 2009 at 1:06pm

I do not believe premium rate numbers can ever be justified, other than for the trivial or truly optional, such as competition lines. With TfL, it is not as if one has the choice of another operator, it is a monopoly. I suspect, in this case, it is yet another example of an organisation exploiting the Olympics situation to make money when otherwise it would not get away with it, again to the great detriment of those wishing to visit London & who may have nothing or not wish to have anything to do with the Olympics yet all are being ripped off to pay for them).

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jrawle

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #42 - Dec 7^th, 2009 at 9:55pm

Barbara, have you ascertained whether you can still speak to a human being on the new TfL helpline? Or have they made it useless as well as going over to a rip-off number?

My phone actually dates from 2002, although admittedly it was top-of-the-range in its heyday (I didn't have it from new). I'm on Virgin PAYG. I can access WAP pages with no trouble, although Virgin have made the pricing for GPRS less attractive than it used to be for very light use (although still no more than even a geographic call to a helpline).

Incidentally, I just checked the rail ticket site I normally use, FGWtickets (branded by my local train operator, but actually TheTrainline without their rip-off fees) and it offers Travelcards from Cambridge, starting at £20.20 off peak. I could even add unlimited bus travel in Cambridge for £2.70!

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respice-prospice

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Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221
Reply #43 - Dec 21^st, 2009 at 5:23pm

TfL is now advertising its switch to an 0843 revenue sharing number on the website.

It is an executive agency of the Greater London Authority and should not be making a profit from members of the public calling for transport information.

The current number most people can call free out of inclusive minutes, the replacement number will always be charged for.

I recommend complaining directly to TfL: http://bit.ly/6fMwzP

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kasg Senior Member Offline Posts: 320 West Sussex Gender:	Re: Is Transport for London to switch to 0843 2221 Reply #44 - Dec 21^st, 2009 at 7:05pm If you call 020 7222 1234 In the meantime, you'll be transferred to the new number at no extra charge. I wonder how long "the meantime" will last.
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