Quiet January

Well they have a near monopoly in the North and despite upsetting so many people still manage to fill trains.

 

Acid test is whether the trains are being filled with repeat business?

Credit where it's due - RTC have brought in some great ideas - such as Great Britain tours - so I don't want to knock them. But when I commit to a booking, I want to know that I'm going to get what I'm paying quite a lot of money for.

 

And how I am going to get it - professionally and competently, or make it up on the day, and "keep the lid on it" to use an overheard instruction when things go LBU, and whatever you do - don't make any concessionary offers or reply to correspondence from dissatisfied customers.

c/f The Silver Jubilee - Steam Dreams - instant and unasked for concession offered for something utterly outside their control - customer care in action.

 

Quiet day on this site today too................

 

Also on the White Cliffs Luncheon lack of heating in standard class - email the following day offering 50% off a Standard class trip in 2011.

I have only complained once to Steam Dreams on my 9th trip with them due to lack of heat, and the train being 2 hours late back, so we missed the last train. Marcus Robertson left message on my mobile - got money back for Taxi fare and an amount for lack of heating.I have been on 32 trips with them since.


I agree that RTC have greater variety of trips, but they need to match the customer care of Steam Dreams when things go wrong.

Should we have a seperate thread on tour promoters - strengths and weaknesses ?

 

Well they wrote a letter to the Missus who bought the tickets on this occassion saying nowt much other than they were sorry. Most useful part of the letter was the Registered Address of the owning company so 'er indoors knows where to send the summons to if she doesn't get her dosh back. And she will!!!

 

I've not really had much of a problem with any tour operator, YET. However, I do see already that if I do get any problems, it'll probably be with RTC on account that I tend to use them more than anyone else (it's a matter of geography: they seem to be the only tour operator that has anything near regular steam in my neck of the woods). I've also noticed that some of the paid staff on RTC trips seem a little rude and/or discourteous for no apparent reason (there's one who seems to scowl and swagger up and down the carriages as though he owns them).

Another gripe with RTC is the fact that they NEVER seem to have enough trip guides for all passengers, and I view these as a key highlight of the trip. As I usually book on behalf of a mate to ensure that we are at the same table, we have to 'fight' over who gets the complimentary guide to the route. As he lives in a completely different part of Wales to me, it is difficult to share what should be a good souvenir of the trip. I've emailed RTC a few times about this, but have never received a reply, so that makes me worry if I have something important to contact them about. Overall, I have enjoyed all of my trips, but it is generally despite the efforts of the stewards in the case of RTC. In my still brief experience of mainline running, the best stewarding I've experienced was with Past-Time Rail; they were all willing to have a laugh and chat with the customers, whether they be enthusiasts or families on a day out.

 

You would have thought a little sole searching would conclude that there is no plaice for uncaring people who just like to show their mussel.

Sorry about the :fish2: puns

 

Thought for a minute you,d over indulged.............

 

RTC was Created to operate Authentic Trains with Authentic Steam Locomotive with Authentic Coaches over Authentic routes
for a reasonable price.
Despite operating 3 times as many steam hauled trains than our nearest rival we are clearly failing miserably in our task as far as this forum is concerned
As for the Tour Booklets we cut down the numbers produced some time ago due to the large waste produced when allowing for 1 per passenger
However I believe other operators do not produce a detailed tour booklet?
If anybody is short of a booklet please Email enquires@railwaytouring .co.uk

As for Frank Gradwell (T BIRD FRANK) SELDOM BUYS A TICKET I have only ever seen him on a UK train twice in the past ten years but he is by the lineside all the time in the North
"Frank you hate RTC you hate our trains and everything about us please do us both a favour and keep away from our trains"
"As for our trains no further bookings will be accepted from you and if you turn up you will be asked to leave politely"

We after all are only human

Nigel Dobbing

 

Nigel, not all of us on here are as unappreciative as the regular few moaners that seem to post. I have travelled on quite a few occaisions with RTC in the last few years (3 times last year) as I have found them to be the most adventurous and competitively priced of all the tour operators. I have had very few issues with them and when a train was cancelled at short notice last year (due to the late unavailability of the third scheduled loco, a problem suffered by all operators last year) both a voicemail and an email was received from them plus the chance of a refund, transfer booking or travel on the rescheduled trip. When I was unable to make a train due to bad weather last year they happily transfered my booking, despite the trip running. RTC run more trains than anybody else and also run the most ambitious trips, this leads to the increased risk of something going wrong and the inevitable complaints. Maybe RTC could learn lessons from Steam Dreams (all companies should look at each other when handling issues) but the ramping up of bad publicity on this thread is over kill and we all need to realise that there would be a massive hole without RTC and we'd be all a lot worse off. I look forward to travelling with RTC again in 2011, as i'm sure a lot of us on here will and will book with confidence in the knowledge I will have an excellent day out as I have had previously.

 

Proof yet again that because people don't post on here doesn't mean that they don't come on here to read.
If you have a complaint about any tour company I'm sure a HAND WRITTEN letter to the managing director will get a positive response. Rather than posting on the internet.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't complain on here, but only after contact with said company has failed to satisfy.

 

Very true Saltydog. A few people seem to forget who actually reads these threads and some of the stuff written must be quite hurtful, I know similar postings ended the regular contributions of the Steam Railway editor. I have had a few issues with tour operators in the past, a phone call or email has always provided a resolution, posting complaints on the internet won't get you very far. Unfortunately lack of heat, lighting, train failures, failures of steam locos etc are outside the control of tour operators and this is in the terms and conditions when you book and as enthusiasts we are well aware of this. Poor communication of what's going on and politeness of staff is within control of tour operators (& maybe this where some are better than others) but a steward is only as good as the information he has and ultimately when things go pete tong up to date information can be hard to come by, EVEN for the train manager. As I said RTC run the most tours and ultimately have been hardest hit by the steam loco failures of the last year and the timing issues from Network Rail, both outside of their control. The fact that so few trips have been cancelled by them is a credit to the company & the fact they manage to sell so many seats shows they are doing something very right.

 

I have been quite defensive in the past of RTC. I have had some very good tours and always found the staff, stewards and others very helpful. I just think the whole situation around the York trip was a PR disaster for the company. People I know who did not travel have asked me about the trip as they had heard on the grapevine about the problems. No-one wants to see a good business fold by giving refunds left right and centre, but the impact can easily be diluted by offering free like for like tours in the future. Goodwill is very easily lost. As always, the best prospect of future business comes from existing customers. Keep them happy and they will keep on buying. Upset them and loyalty is a fickle thing.

 

As a tour manager of many overseas tours for RTC-In 2010 Java,Eritrea,all-Germany,Slovak new year-I am biased!
As a good friend of Nigel I have been deeply shocked at many posts on this forum during 2010. So much so that I stopped my contributions of "hot news"+wrote to a Mod re a very.....how shall I say.....unhelpful thread.

RTC frequently ran "cutting edge" overseas tours which broke ground. Their French tours to Toulouse/Golden Arrow x 2 / Marseille ALL STEAM were exceptional as was the very first steam to Sebastopol in 30 yrs and MANY MANY other firsts (Tatra Mtns/ a HUGE Zimbabwe tour/many Swiss "firsts" for a UK operator) Some run at a loss others are v ambitious but normally deliver in full--Syria/Jordan. The 2010 Java tour did a LOT more than advertised.......saw 177 steam locos with 40 in steam.

Nigel has no " hidden resouces/backers/private wealth" + is a very real enthusiast. His track map+cab riding are legion. If similar complaints were made about my company I would consult libel lawyers.........definately......and would expect to take action.......

If Nigel withdraws from the tour market in the UK what would result?

Loss of jobs--WCR/RTC HQ /loco maintainers/catering staff.........

BUT-- some posters on this forum would be happy!! FEWER main line runs/fewer posts/fewer photos......

YES, many senior people read(and are appalled by) this forum. Nigel keeps a very close eye on the forum. He was in hospital a lot in 2008/9+ I was amazed how hard he tried to deliver interesting tours despite being in a hospital bed.

IF this forum stops "RTC bashing"then I for one will resume posting more frequently. I will also have fewer calls with Nigel about Nat pres postings...maybe the energy saved can be used to create better tours...............

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL POSITIVE POSTERS. NEW YEAR WISH--TO ENJOY A POSITIVE NAT PRES SITE ...............

 

I think it’s unfair to accuse the forum of 'RTC bashing.' This forum allows people to air their feelings over a wide range of subjects and the performance of rail tours is only one.

Should ANY post about ANY subject be viewed as a slanderous libel then it will be removed by a moderator, regardless of whether a member complains. If an individual post offends anyone, they have the option of complaining using the 'report post.' feature.

When 'offending' posts are reported, they are discussed in the 'the moderators forum' primarily to determine if any rules have been broken. If so, appropriate action is taken, if not - well, we all have to put up with things we don't like. So far, no-one has used the report button in relation to this thread!

If you sell any product you have to accept the brickbats along with the bouquets surely?

Both sides of any discussion are welcome here.

By contributing and allaying the concerns of a poster then quite often a viewpoint can quickly be diffused.

We have seen this recently where some service providers have taken the initiative to be open with their customers.

It may be irritating to have some individuals constantly complaining about the same thing, but you cannot blame the forum as a whole, unless the said individual breaks the rules and no action is taken.

 

If any member would like to contact myself directly over this matter, my mobile telephone number is 07816232172.

 

Thanks for your frank reply, Nigel. I realise that there is a waste of booklets, and that you do need to save on costs here and there in order to make things as economical as possible. Might I make a suggestion that you charge a small fee for the booklets, or that you don't date them/put locomotive data on them? That way, any left behind in good order could be re-used whenever a tour is run over the route, thus ensuring that all who desire them get them; these are merely suggestions. Overall, I am generally happy with the service you have provided over the past few trips, and I am sorry if you have taken exception/offence to my niggles (I'll remove the reference made in my post above, as I fear it has been misconstrued as a personal attack, which was not what I intended when I typed up my post. For this I am once again sorry for any offence caused).

 

with regards to rtc, its the outspoken minority who always have the loudest voices, and that nobody really wants to listen to there rubbish in anycase.
facts speak for themselves, greatest range of tours, locomotives and affordable, also when dealing with large numbers of people some of the people will be unhappy becase thats just life.

clearly if they rtc walked away from mainline steam it would be unthinkable, and large parts of the country would be devoid of steam tours, as well as locomotives with no work therefore no future tickets, so from a satisfied customer well done rtc and long may you provide excellent tours throught the country and indeed the world.

 

I have always found RTC very good, however my last trip from Norwich to York will be my last christmas one. The coach was so hot it was unbearable, complaints not just from us but others came to nothing and a couple of the staff were rude. My mother who was on her first trip wasn't impressed.
Stick to the summer ones, steamed hauled on the way back in the dark and we couldn't even hear the engine.

please note this isn't a bash, overall a satified customer