P&O correspondence
new**
Restaurant
Fiasco refers
24 June 2009. My original onboard complaint after
being refused the right to sit in a window seat "because we have
luxury class passengers on board and they might come in". Request
was repeated, pointing out a specific table by the window, again
refused.
click on the complaint form to see full size
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Note: Gordon Ramsay
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To say that 'Gordon Ramsay is a correspondent of
mine' is stretching a point, and was said for effect. I have
written to Gordon on more than one occasion and have received replies
from his personal assistant, though not from him personally. |
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July 8. My letter to Radio 4 "You and
Yours". Similar letters sent to
Gordon Ramsay; and by email to Gordon Prentice Mp and The Times
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Dear You and Yours
I recently travelled with P&O on their North
Sea Ferries. On entering the Four Seasons Restaurant I was asked to show
my ticket. I was then shown to a table. I said I would prefer to sit by
the window and was told that I could not sit there, as there were
"luxury class" passengers on board and they "might come
in". I pointed to a table for two by the window and again said I
wished to sit there. I was refused.
I got my food from the buffet and thought about
this. No one was sitting at any of the tables near the windows - this is
an area at least three tables deep. Everyone was crowded together on the
other side of the gangway, next to the food service area. It was obvious
that no one was being allowed to sit near the window when, given a
choice, that is where everyone would normally want to sit on a ship. I
decided to have my dinner and then do something about it.
I asked a waiter about complaints procedure and he
told me to go to the Information Desk. I made him aware of my feelings
and also spoke to the restaurant manager before leaving, pointing out to
him that no one had occupied the window seating while I was there. I
accused him of operating an undercover class system. I said if he wished
to have special seating for luxury class he should put up a notice, and
not do it in this underhand way. He became upset. I complained at the
information desk and told them that this was a disgusting way to behave
in this day and age. I filled in their complaints form and made them
aware that I would be writing to 1) my MP; 2) Radio 4 You and Yours; 3)
The Times and 4) Gordon Ramsay. I also told them I would post this
information on my web site, www.pendlepeople.com, which gets an average
of 23,300 hits a month. I have done this.
Perhaps you would like to investigate for
yourselves, and at the same time you might like to know that this bunch
also refuse to let foot passengers bring dogs on board, even though they
convey dogs and even provide kennel space. When I travelled home from
Ireland I had to pay £400 for someone to come over to Dublin with a car
and pick me up. This is both outrageous and scandalous, and
discriminates against non-car owners.
Yours sincerely |
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Received July 10; dated July 8.
click on letter to bring full
size |
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July 10. My reply by email to P&O |
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customerservices@poferries.com
att Mike Webb
from Geraldine Murfin-Shaw
Date 10 July
I have read your letter of 8 July and it is a
complete lie. Go to my website www.pendlepeople.com, follow the link to
"P&O operating undercover class system" and you will read
the verbatim account - substantiallly the same as written on your
customer complaint form.
I reported to you what happened. It is a true
statement. I do not accept your feeble excuses.
If matters are as you say, what is your explanation
for the fact that NO seats by the windows - at least three tables deep -
were occupied? Surely that is where any normal person would choose to
sit on a ship. Why does the restaurant manager check the tickets? This
clearly shows the type of cabin occupied.
I spoke to some other cyclists on board and told
them of my experience. They said, as the restaurant manager signalled to
other waiters to seat passengers, they would watch at breakfast to see
what system was being used to detect passenger type. We were enlightened
at breakfast when there was a VERY long queue to enter the restaurant.
Hm, I thought, "luxury class" passengers will not be joining
this queue I think. I was right. SOME passengers were walking straight
in by another entrance beside our queue. These passengers are obviously
told "don’t queue, go straight in".
Secondly, you are by implication calling me a liar.
I reported to you word for word the conversation with your restaurant
manager "Mr Smart Pants" or whoever he is, a very self
important personage - who absolutely refused to let me sit by the window
- a request which was repeated TWICE in a polite manner.
Are you saying that you doubt my word?
You do not even apologise, a growing habit these
days. Any complaints are met with suspicion and denial. No apologies are
ever issued and the customer is assumed to be in the wrong.
A disgruntled passenger.
ps I have written to The Times, You and Yours, my Mp and Gordon Ramsay. So let us hope this is not the end of
the matter. In the event of no result from these, I may try the News of
the World.
Good day
ps
try sending someone undercover onto one
of your benighted ferries. Then you will see. This is my second
strike against you. You are the people who refused to let me travel as
a foot passenger with my dog, even though you carry dogs and provide
onboard kennels. As a result of your discriminatory policy I had to
pay someone over £400 to bring a car to Dublin in order that my dog
could RIDE onto your damn ferry. Are you going to deny this as well?
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14
July 2009 10:16 from Mike Webb P&O |
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Dear
Mrs Murfin-Shaw
Thanks
for your email of 10 July.
I’m
sorry you felt my response some in some way a denial of your complaint.
I can assure you that this was not my intention.
I
was attempting to assure you that details of the matter have been
discussed with my colleagues on board and they will take this feedback
as an opportunity to re-train staff as necessary.
I
note that you have had problems in the past by your reference to
travelling with your dog as a foot passenger. Without specific details I
am unable to comment but I do not wish to leave you with a negative
impression of your experience of dealing with P&O Ferries.
Therefore,
in an effort to restore your faith in our service, I would like to offer
you complimentary meals for one on one leg of a future North Sea
crossing. This offer is valid, subject to availability, for 12 months
and may be redeemed by phoning our Call Centre on 08716 646464 quoting
reference SF25825.
I
hope that this gesture is accepted as intended and that you will feel
able to make use of it in the future.
If
we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
us in writing at the above address, by fax on 08707 625425, or by e-mail
at the following address: customer.services@poferries.com
Yours
sincerely
Mike
Webb
Passenger
Services Manager
Customer
Contact Centre
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14 July 2009 10:42 from me |
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Look, I don't want a free meal - this in no way solves the matter. The
fact is that something is seriously wrong with your attitude to
passengers. Do you think a free meal in any way compensates for having
to pay £400 so my dog could ride onto your ferry in a car? I would
like to know that in future you would allow foot passengers to take
dogs onboard your ferry and that you have ceased to discriminate
against non-car-owners, and that your ridiculous restaurant seating
segregation policy, reminiscent of the Deep South, will NEVER occur
again. If you are, as you say, totally unaware of this seating policy,
how do you account for the fact that your Information Officer
(complaints) was not the least surprised that this was going on, and
in fact said 'she could not change anything'.
There has been previous correspondence with your company re the matter
of the dog, so I am sure you can find this in your files. My travel
date on that occasion was April 2008, I cannot remember if I wrote to
you direct - I do know that I spoke to someone on the phone - and I do
know that I wrote to my MP about the matter, after I got home, and
that he contacted you and then wrote to me with your reply, which was
unsatisfactory, In the letter you admitted that you carry dogs of
other passengers, but that you do not allow foot passengers to bring
dogs on board, even though you provide kennel space. You will
certainly have his letter in your files, even if you do not have mine.
His name is Gordon Prentice.
So what is your reply to that?
Geraldine - Ms Murfin-Shaw
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14 July 2009 11:35 from Mike Webb |
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Dear
Mrs Murfin-Shaw,
Thanks
for your email.
I'm sorry you remain unsatisfied. I must stress
that my offer of a complimentary meal was to make up for your
disappointment on this occasion and is in no way connected to your
previous complaint about carriage of your dog.
I have no record of any previous correspondence
and I therefore assume that this was handled by our Communications
Department. As such, I am unable to offer any further comment on that
matter. Although I can confirm that unfortunately this policy in
unchanged.
I regret that you feel so strongly about your
experiences to date but I hope that you will feel able to
consider travelling with us again in the future.
If
we can help you with anything else, please don't hesitate to contact
us, by fax on 08707 625425, or by email at the following address: customer.services@poferries.com.
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14 July 2009 11:40 from me |
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I find your replies, and attitude,
completely unsatisfactory. I will be taking the matter further. Can I
have the name and address of the head of your company please.
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14 July 2009 14:12
Mike Webb |
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Dear
Mrs Murfin-Shaw,
Thanks
for your email.
I can confirm that the CEO of P&O Ferries is
Mrs Helen Deeble. If you wish to write to her, please do so at this
email address and we will pass the email on. Alternatively, if you
wish to write a letter, please send it to:
P&O Ferries Ltd.
Channel House
Channel View Road
Dover
Kent
CT17 9TJ
If we can help you with anything else, please
don't hesitate to contact us, by fax on 08707 625425, or by email at
the following address: customer.services@poferries.com.
Regards
Mike
Webb
Passenger
Services Manager
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14 July 2009 16:35
from me |
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Thankyou |
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received
16 July 2009 from
Gordon Prentice Mp |
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reply to Gordon Prentice by email 16
July |
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Dear Gordon
thankyou for taking the trouble to follow
up the case of Gary McKinnon. I have not yet read your report but will
do so later today. I wanted to thank you straight away.
In the matter of P&O Ferries, I cannot
agree that this is a commercial matter, as I feel it is a clear case
of discrimination. If they were saying we will not carry the dogs of
black people, or women, then it would clearly be seen as
discrimination. In this case they are discriminating against
non-car-owners. In the case of the seating arrangements, I don't agree
with your comment that it is sad not to be allowed to sit by a window
because I did not pay enough, it is not sad, it is again
discrimination. I have had a letter from P&O saying that this
should never happen, that they do not even allow passengers (of any
class) to reserve tables, and that it is first come first served and
that you can sit where you like. So why was I clearly refused the seat
I wanted? I made the same request twice and it was twice refused.
I am glad to say that You and Yours has
expressed an interest.
Geraldine
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received
16 July 2009 from
BBC Radio 4 |
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further replies will be posted as received
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