GO Transit Survey

GO Transit sent out a Customer Service survey today.
Specifically, the survey was about their E-News Alerts.
This is a service where they email you regarding any delays exceeding 30 minutes.

There were a variety of multiple choice questions, alluding to the fact that they are thinking of improving this service. Hmph! We'll just see about that!

There were two questions that allowed a comment.

Question #1:

What do you like most about GO Transit’s E-News alert service? (list two)

PARDON?!
What the hell makes you so sure I have something nice to say?
And who are you to tell me how many items I'm supposed to list?!

I could only think of one thing. So I answered:

The fact that I can receive them on my mobile.

I know it's ambiguous and non-committal.
But I had to say something.
I mean, I'm about to lambaste them.
I should at least temper it with a compliment.
However vague it is.

Question #2:

Do you have any suggestions to help us improve our E-News alerts service?

Are you kidding?
Is there even enough room for my answer??!

So I wrote (and I quote):

Consistency in delivery of the message, both in timing and message, needs to be improved.

Often a second message is sent almost immediately after the first, which cites a different reason for the delay.

Often a message is sent citing a 30 minute delay and the message is sent when the delay has already exceeded 30 minutes.

This has nothing to do with the E-News service, but since GO Transit doesn't seem to have the wherewithal to send other customer service surveys, I'm taking advantage of this opportunity.

The Lakeshore line is by far the most problematic line. Delays are ridiculous and passengers are becoming extremely irate at the price we pay for a service that seems to be non-existent. I recently read on a GO Transit blog a suggestion that GO Transit simply cancels a particular train if it knows it will be delayed more than 45 minutes (which I understand is your cut-off point for a delay) thereby not including that particular scheduled run in the delay statistics. This results in better performance on paper. If this is true, that behaviour is deplorable, unconscionable and simply appalling.

The Lakeshore line is a busy line. I get on the train at Ajax. Most days I get a seat. But some days I don't. If the train is delayed so much as 10 minutes, the passengers arriving to catch the following train are already on the platform and will get on the train. The result is that the train is often full when it arrives at Ajax. The Pickering passengers don't have a hope! There's a train that starts at Pickering and goes to Union. Why not have a train that starts at Ajax or Whitby?

Announcements made at Union Station are barely audible on the platform. It's a train station, people! Trains make noise. If you think we can hear your announcement on the PA system when a train is in the station, you're as inept as we all think you are.


I'll let you know if they respond.