One of the people is a member of this forum apparently (it was pointed out to me in a reply).
Whilst everyone is entitled to free speech, it seems strange that GNE allow this people to seemingly antagonise certain types of passengers, others are banned for replying and antagonising these 'helpers'.
I totally agree with the comments above about posting specific complaints on their page or on the discussion boards in the past, simply in the hope it publically shames the company into doing something about it.
Similarly, by using twitter, I have made a complaint (to East Coast, local authorities or whoever else) available to the public domain. I have had a lot of success doing this, where in the past, emails or correspondence is lost or ignored.
If GNE were to see the importance in good customer service and use social media as a tool to improve services or the public perception of the company like East Coast Trains or Arriva (in the days of the bod, where he seemed to do everything in his power to solve or find out the causes of a problem), then surely it is only a good thing?
Since he left, the system, PR and goodwill has been left to rot quietly (his blog the other week mentioned the power of social media...).
The way GNE are using facebook and twitter at the moment, is leaving themselves open to trolls or whoever else to post whatever they like.
They dont update service cancellations or traffic problems, blaming traffic control for failing to communicate, complaints are fobbed off onto a telephone helpline that is jammed 24/7, trolls complain about single parents and their pushchairs when they mention an old decker has turned up - which then turns into a slanging match, millions of enquiries a day for timetables, queries about buses running next week when it snows... sometimes the place just turns into a 'free for all' and I lay that firmly at the feet of GNE.
(29 Mar 2013, 12:34 pm)Daniel wrote On another note, forgot to give references to the photos I was talking about in previous posts...
Go North East's "East Durham" 536 was rather unusually pictured in Go North East's Saltmeadows Road depot yesterday. More commonly associated with Deptford for maintenance and repair, it did make me wonder what on Earth she was doing so far away. Her registration plate has been removed and it looks like a new (bright yellow) rear bumper has been applied - unless it's always been like that and we've not noticed it until now when we've seen a rear photo! Also in the background of the photo I'm talking about, we can see 4993. Unique to the fleet, she has been on the pits for a week now. Enthusiast Matt Williamson and I were discussing 4993's future when he'd first spotted 4993 on the pits just 8 days ago, and an interesting suggestion that she could be a vehicle to be receiving branding to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Northern General was made. I'd love to see this happen, given that 4993 is unique to the fleet and is presently used on a wide variety of Chester-le-Street based services. At the moment, no definitive information is known amongst enthusiasts about 4993 though - unless someone would like to enlighten us now?
536 and 4993 in the depot (danielgrahamm)
And also, not as a particularly hefty point of discussion - an odd working as I'd given notice of yesterday.
"The Highwayman" branded 4940 on "Citylink" service 58. (danielgrahamm)
And another which I hadn't (phone was going to die!):
"South Tyne" branded 8246 on "The Orbit" service 51 - a rather common sighting this week. (danielgrahamm)
And finally (almost forgot), a "Diamond" branded Citaro was pictured in Go North East's Sunderland Road depot yesterday - NK08 CGV. I have a photo, but it has not been uploaded to my Flickr photostream.
It will be about 2/3 weeks ago, but 4993 was on a 28/a and it was really struggling up the bank in Pelton Fell. Not sure whether this was down to the gears or an engine problem - it may be connected with it being on the ramps, or it may be a total coincidence.
It seems strange work is being carried out there, rather than Chester.