(Tfgm) Complaints Handling Procedure for Horwich Parkway Station

Marcus Clements Head of Consumer Policy

22 December 2020

Bob Morris Chief Operating Officer TfGM By Email

Dear Bob,

Approval of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Complaints Handling Procedure for Horwich Parkway station (Condition 6 of the Station Licence)

Thank you for submitting Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)’s draft Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) for Horwich Parkway station for approval.

I confirm that we have reviewed your CHP against the 2015 “Guidance on complaints handling procedures for licence holders” (the guidance), and can confirm that your revised CHP meets the requirements of Condition 6 of your station licence. We also sought views on your draft CHP from Transport Focus.

We welcome your commitment to respond to 90% of complaints within 5 working days of acknowledgement, which we believe is likely to be positive for passengers.

A copy of TfGM’s revised CHP is attached to this letter, and will be published on our website along with a copy of this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Marcus Clements Customer service policy

How we handle complaints about our services at Horwich Parkway station

1 Contents Customer complaints handling procedure Customer complaints handling procedure �� 3 Welcome to Transport for Greater We also consult with Transport Focus and Introduction �� 3 Manchester. Our complaints the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on an annual basis when reviewing and updating Principles �� 3 handling procedure is designed our CHP, although our CHP will only be re- How to contact us �� 4 to provide you with information submitted to ORR for approval if material changes are required. If you require a copy Customer engagement team �� 4 about the ways you can contact us and the steps we will take to try to of the policy in an alternative accessible Accessibility and reach �� 5 format such as large print or in another resolve your complaint. Transport In person �� 5 language you can also request this from for Greater Manchester operates our Customer Engagement Team (see Direct and indirect contact in writing or by telephone �� 5 and manages Horwich Parkway customer engagement team section). By customer comments/complaints form �� 5 Station and we are delighted about Further investigation �� 6 the transformation we’re planning Principles Customers with additional needs or whose first language is not English �� 6 to bring to Greater Manchester. We will ensure that contacting us is easy Confidentiality �� 7 and our details are well publicised. We Introduction will reply to all complaints and claims in Putting things right �� 8 a timely and helpful way, addressing each Complaint escalation procedure �� 9 We put customers at the heart of what we substantive issue raised and acting to put do. Sometimes we can get it wrong and if problems right. We train our staff to handle Acting fairly and proportionately �� 10 we do, we want to hear from you to make complaints fairly and efficiently; trying Frivolous and vexatious complaints �� 10 it right. This document describes what you to solve any problems there and then. Claiming for losses, personal injury or property damage �� 11 should expect and the procedures we will adopt when dealing with complaints. Lost property �� 11 We value customer feedback to improve our Penalty fares �� 11 services and will provide information to help Ownership of complaints �� 12 you comment on our services and facilities. Our complaints handling procedure (CHP) Complaints about other train companies �� 12 is available on request from our Customer Complaints about other transport providers �� 12 Engagement Team who will give you the Complaints about our suppliers �� 12 link to download it through the website tfgm.com/public-transport/train/contact Organisation dealing with complaints . �� 13 A complaint is defined as: “any expression Training �� 14 of dissatisfaction by a customer or potential Service standards �� 14 customer about service delivery or about Reporting and reviewing �� 15 company or industry policy”. In addition, the National Rail Conditions of Travel Record keeping �� 15 detail your entitlements if the service is Organisational culture and structure �� 15 not to the standard you expect. These are available from any National Rail staffed Other useful information �� 15 station, or online at nationalrail.co.uk/ Network map ��16/17 times_fares/conditions-of-travel.aspx

2 3 How to contact us Accessibility and reach We empower and encourage our Customer engagement team We publish our contact details Direct and indirect contact staff to resolve any problems or Our Customer Engagement Team is around the network: in writing or by telephone complaints that you may have about responsible for handling all customer On our ‘Station Information’ posters You can make direct contact with us by enquiries and complaints by email, our service immediately so if you displayed at all stations managed using our website or by writing or phoning can please do speak to our staff in telephone, letter or web form. Our Customer our Customer Engagement Team. You can Engagement Team is there to help you and by us, we will give the address the first instance. If they are unable also contact us using the webform available there are several ways to get in touch: and telephone numbers of the on the website. to resolve the matter, the help of By phone 0161 244 1000 Customer Engagement Team. Correspondence received by the Customer a manager or supervisor may be Open Monday to Friday: 7am to 8pm Additionally, our stations will Engagement Team will be registered required. However, if they cannot Weekends and bank holidays: 8am to on the database and dealt with in fully resolve the issue, please contact 8pm (outside of these hours callers will display the contact details of all the order in which it is received. our UK based Customer Engagement be met with a recorded message which other principle train operators that clearly sets out opening times). Team, who can assist you. operate in the Transport for Greater By customer comments Webform tfgm.com/contact-form Manchester area. or complaints form Twitter @OfficialTfGM Customer comments/complaints forms are By Email [email protected] In person available online and when requested from our managed station(s) or from any Transport Social Media links news.tfgm.com/contact- If you are dissatisfied or further investigation for Greater Manchester Travelshop. At our us/social-media Our social media team may is required, then our employees will Transport Interchanges staff will direct send a link regarding any complaints that either tell you how to contact the you to the online link or to the Customer require investigation, so you can get in touch Customer Engagement Team or help Engagement Team contact number. with the Customer Engagement Team for a you complete a comments/complaints more detailed and personal response. form, which will then be forwarded to Online list of Travelshop locations our Customer Engagement Team. By Post tfgm.com/public-transport/travelshops Our Customer Engagement Team will: Complaints and enquiries Transport for Greater Manchester • contact you to acknowledge they have 2 Piccadilly Place received your complaint (you will receive Manchester M1 3BG an auto acknowledgement via email/ post); and • write to you with a full response to your complaint, which we aim to send to you within five working days of acknowledgement but failing that we will get in touch to explain if it will be longer. Occasionally, we will need more time to investigate your complaint; if so we will write to you within five working days to explain why we need more time and when you will next hear from us.

4 5 Further investigation If your complaint includes more than one Confidentiality issue, we will deal with each one this way. The Customer Engagement Team will We log every complaint with a unique We will respect confidentiality in line with the arrange a full and fair investigation of your reference number on our database. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). complaint wherever necessary. We will This means that we can keep track If you contact us but your complaint relates investigate complaints thoroughly, seeking of our progress in dealing with your to the goods or services of another train clarification from you when necessary. complaint and check that we’re keeping operating company then we will send your complaint on to them in a timely manner. The more information you give us about your to our targets for response time. complaint, the sooner we can get back to you We will also ensure that the right people We will let you know when we send it on with a full reply. Please ensure you include within our organisation investigate to help us and supply contact details for the train the following details: resolve a complaint and to make sure that we operator concerned. Your details may also be forwarded to the Customer Engagement • The time and date of your journey. work to prevent a reoccurrence in the future. Team by other train operating companies, • A detailed description of the series of If detailed investigations are required, we will and by National Rail Enquiries in order for events that took place. let you know if there is a delay and keep you us to fulfil our obligation to respond to updated but will endeavour to adhere you. This may happen if a journey involves • The stations you travelled to and from. to our normal timing commitments more than one train operator or if your • Copies of your tickets and any wherever possible. case is escalated to Transport Focus. other documents that might help us Your personal details, or details about your identify trains or staff involved (this is not Customers with additional complaint, will not be shared with third essential but helpful where possible). needs or whole first language parties unless we have your consent in • Any additional information that you feel is not English writing or it is necessary to fulfil our own will help us investigate the complaint. obligations. These obligations may be to We understand some people have specific Members of Parliament, the Department Once we understand the key issues, we will requirements or their first language is for Transport, other train operators, identify facts that need to be checked. We will not English and they may have difficulty Transport Focus or the Office of Rail and collect evidence and interview employees if communicating with us. We handle these Road. This includes other bodies carrying required. Our objective analysis will include a cases sensitively and give our responses out statutory duties such as the police. review of all relevant policies and procedures. in an appropriate format. We are happy We will form a fair and unbiased view about to correspond with you through your We will only use the information you provide what you should have expected and what preferred means of communication (such as permitted by the General Data Protection happened in practice. as telephone, letter, email). We can also Regulation (GDPR), and we will only share or disclose your information in accordance with We will give you a full explanation, detailing provide documentation in printed copy, the DPL and will obtain your consent where our findings and where appropriate offer large print and audio formats within seven we are required to do so. We will only use an apology and look to improve our service. working days of your request. For any other third parties to process information where If the failure occurred at our station or as alternative formats, please contact our we are satisfied that they comply with these a result of a member of TfGM staff which Customer Engagement Team. Alternatively, standards and can keep your data secure. caused consequential financial loss our team we can accept complaints or feedback from Full details are provided in our Privacy Policy, will investigate, if necessary, an appropriate guardians, carers or support workers on your which can be found on our website level of compensation may be offered. The behalf (with your permission or authority). tfgm.com/privacy-policy. explanation will be provided in plain English and free from jargon.

6 7 Putting things right We will contact you to acknowledge Complaints escalation If possible, they will transfer your complaint that we have received your to another organisation that may be able to procedure help you further such as Transport Focus, complaint (you will received an auto Please give us the opportunity to try to the independent consumer watchdog for acknowledgement via email); and resolve your complaint. If you feel that our the rail industry. written response has not resolved your write to you with a full response They will independently review your complaint, you can reply to our Customer to your complaint, which we aim complaint and where appropriate, follow Engagement Team. They will arrange for the things up on your behalf. to send to you within five working appropriate senior manager to review your days of acknowledgement but complaint before writing to you with a The Rail Ombudsman can be contacted via: final response. failing that we will get in touch Website railombudsman.org to explain if it will be longer. Additionally, you have the right to Webform railombudsman.org/contact-us/ appeal to the Rail Ombudsman. The Rail Occasionally, we will need more time Ombudsman is there to help resolve Telephone 0330 094 0362 to investigate your complaint; if so, unresolved complaints/disputes. It’s free to Textphone 0330 094 0363 we will write to you within five working use their services and they are independent days to explain why we need more time and of the rail industry. They don’t take sides, but Email [email protected] when you will next hear from us. TfGM is just look at the evidence available. They will Twitter @RailOmbudsman required to provide a full response to 95% help us both to try to reach an agreement, but of all complaints within 20 working days. if this doesn’t happen, they will decide based Post: on the evidence they’ve received. If you agree Although our commitment (key performance FREEPOST-RAIL OMBUDSMAN with their decision, then we must act on indicator) is to make a full response to 90% Rail Ombudsman what they say. of all complaints within five working 1st Floor Premier House days of acknowledgment. You can appeal to the Rail Ombudsman if: Argyle Way Stevenage Our objectives are: • You’re unhappy with our final response Hertfordshire SG1 2AD • To provide a response which is easy to to your complaint which will be contained understand. in a letter or email (sometimes called The Ombudsman Contact Centre Team are a ‘deadlock letter’); or available Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm • To fully investigate all complaints in a sympathetic, fair, timely • We haven’t resolved your complaint within and courteous manner. 40 working days of receiving it; and • To provide consistency in approach • No more than 12 months have passed throughout the company when responding since we sent you our final response. to customers. There are some complaints that the Rail • We will only consider a complaint Ombudsman won’t be able to look into, as resolved when we have no for example if it’s about the way one of our outstanding actions to perform. services has been designed, industry policy, or if your complaint relates to an event which took place before the Rail Ombudsman service was established in 2018.

8 9 Acting fairly and proportionately When reviewing complaints, Frivolous and vexatious Claiming for losses, personal Lost property we will form a fair and unbiased view complaints injury or property damage There is nothing worse than leaving things about what you should have expected We reserve the right to terminate any If you need to claim for losses, property behind. We want to reunite you with your and what happened in practice. correspondence or communication that damage or personal injury, please write to lost or mislaid items as quickly as possible. Some complaints can be resolved we reasonably deem to be abusive, bullying, or email our Customer Engagement Team. If you think that you have left something at our station, contact us and we’ll search all easily and quickly. However, for more repetitive, frivolous or vexatious, and which Please also make our staff aware straight specifically diverts resources and affects away of any injury or damage that you or your of the items handed in. complicated or serious complaints we the operation of the Customer Engagement property sustains whilst travelling through To report a lost item please contact staff will investigate fully the issues raised. Team. This decision will be made by our our stations. Letting our staff know if there at our station, or alternatively contact the Customer Engagement Team Manager. has been an issue will allow them to make This will include: Customer Engagement Team (see page 4 for We will consult with Transport Focus when areas safe and prevent anyone else suffering contact details). When you report a piece of • Analysis of the complaint. considering whether to deem a complaint as injury or damage. lost property, there are a few things that we frivolous or vexatious. • Evidence gathering. Where possible, we will aim to resolve will need to help us track down your things. Please also note that in cases where your complaint personally but there are The following details are therefore • Analysis of evidence. complaints are terminated on these grounds times when we may need to pass your details really useful: • Determining what should have happened. the complainant will be advised of the contact on to our claim handlers. If this is required, • Your departure or arrival time at details of the Rail Ombudsman for further we will ensure that this is done and inform • Identifying the cause of the failure. our station. assistance as required. you of the status of your case. The rail • Response and lessons learned. industry has a statutory arrangement, • The time and date of your journey. The Rail Ombudsman will assess each called the Claims Allocation and Handling claim on its merits and more information • A good description of your lost item Agreement (CAHA). Claims for losses, on it process and remit can be found on the including size, colour, make and any property damage or personal injury should be website railombudsman.org distinguishing features. made in writing to our Customer Engagement Team who will acknowledge it within five • Your name and contact number. working days and ensure it is forwarded promptly to our claims team. The rail industry Penalty fares must comply with the CAHA and your claim Transport for Greater Manchester does will be dealt with in accordance with this not deal or handle Penalty Fares Notices agreement. or payments. If you have received a Penalty Fare Notice, please refer to the appeals body detailed on the notice. You can find contact details and how to appeal or pay a notice at penaltyservices.co.uk or write to: Penalty Services Ltd 12 Deben Mill Business Centre Old Maltings Approach Melton Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1BL Please ensure that you quote your reference number on all correspondence.

10 11 Ownership of complaints Organisation dealing with complaints We will respond directly to complaints Complaints about The Customer Function through Electronic forms of all our contact data made about the stations we manage. the Customer Engagement Team is are held for no longer than six years. If other transport providers you haveprovided a daytime telephone We will also deal with all complaints If complaints relate to other transport managed by the Casework Manager number, we may try and contact you by relating to ticket sales when we have providers (e.g. a bus operator or tram and is responsible for handling phone to resolve the issue, or obtain further sold the ticket. If you have bought operator), we will explain this in our reply complaints. If you make a complaint information about your complaint, to assist the ticket from a third-party retailer to you and provide the contact address you or provide feedback to us by any in the investigation. We will undertake a full need. If the complaint refers to another and fair investigation into your comments or another train company, you should non-transport organisation, we will also contact method, including third party and make every effort to provide answers direct your complaint to them in the explain this in our reply and try to provide intermediaries (e.g. Resolver), we will or explanations to the issues you raise. first instance. you with the contact address you need. enter details, and a full record of any Wherever possible, a complaint will be contact made, onto our confidential handled by an individual member of the team, from receipt to reply. Complaints about other Complaints about our suppliers Customer Management System. train companies If you make a complaint which relates to a third party supplier who is acting on behalf Our team of fully trained Customer Complaints referring or relating to another of us (e.g. car park management, security, Engagement Team employees will review station operator, Network Rail operated cleaning staff or suppliers of rail replacement every contact to identify if the content is a station or a train company that are brought services), we will work with the provider complaint about our service. Details are then to our attention (but do not relate to to thoroughly investigate the details of passed onto the appropriate management Horwich Parkway station), will be your complaint and co-ordinate a response team for investigations as well as producing acknowledged in the normal way: accordingly. reports. These are then analysed for service • You will be advised that your comments improvements and regulatory monitoring. have been sent on to the relevant organization. • Their contact information will be given in our response to you. • The correspondence will be forwarded to the relevant company within five working days of receipt. • We will request that they respond directly to you, and ensure we contact you to confirm this has been carried out. If your complaint involves a journey that features more than one rail company and directly relates to Horwich Parkway station, we will liaise with the other companies involved to ensure you receive a coordinated response to ensure there is one point of contact.

12 13 Training Service standards Reporting Organisational culture We are committed to ensuring We use traditional and innovative and reviewing and structure that all our staff have the required channels to collect qualitative and knowledge, skills andempowerment quantitative data to drive customer- We often undertake a review of the services Customer experience sits at the very heart we provide which includes statistical of Transport for Greater Manchester’s to deal with a complaint about focused improvement. The data feedback regarding the types of complaints organisational culture. Our structure our services. We have an extensive we gather from direct feedback, and feedback we receive. This statistical and internal reporting processes allow for training regime that looks at customer complaints, customer satisfaction feedback is shared with and used by ORR, escalation of concerns and a business-wide service and we recruit individuals research and surveys, passenger Transport Focus and Department for understanding of areas to improve, as well as Transport so that we can be benchmarked a shared vision of our goal to deliver seamless that have the skills to sympathetically surveys, stakeholder services, online against other operators and ensure we are multi-modal travel that drives positive deal with a complaint. All employees communities and customer panels dealing with complaints in a way that is fair customer journeys. and transparent. receive ongoing periodic training to helps us truly understand what our We believe in an open and honest relationship ensure their skills are up to date. customers need and how we can We also carry out regular reviews of our with our customers, acknowledging the vital improve our services. These insights Complaints Handling Procedure and update impact our staff have on your experience and Customer Engagement Team employees are used to inform strategy, make it as and when there are any changes to our empowering them to make decisions and receive specific training on our commitments systems or processes. Reviews will be carried actively resolve issues in their remit. in our Complaints Handling Procedure. decisions and ensure continuous out in consultation with Transport Focus and TfGM will ensure continued awareness of improvement. TfGM adhere to the ORR. We will continue to actively monitor the contents of the CHP are understood ORR Complaints Handling Procedure our CHP to make sure that it is effective and Other useful and practiced with all staff who interact (CHP) guidance complaint handling continues to comply with industry changes. with customers (such as our customer information engagement team and station staff). This service standard see page 7. Please will be carried out in staff inductions and see our website for full details: Record keeping The Assisted Travel Policy will give further yearly online refresher briefing sessions. tfgm.com/complaints information on our policies for supporting TfGM record keeping is set out on our website disabled customers. Practical information Ongoing training is also provided to (see web address below), this details how we on planning journeys can be found on our ensureour staff handling complaints have The identification of systematic collect customers’ information. Including: website tfgm.com/accessibility the capabilities and competencies to deliver issues and problems the purposes, the types of personal data and an excellent complaints handling service; Please contact our Customer Engagement who we share it with. It also details our legal this includes telephone/letter writing skills, Customer complaints are collated centrally Team if you require these in alternative requirements and sets out how we will secure complaints investigation and resolution skills. and used as a source of intelligence and formats by post. your information under our privacy policy. lessons learnt. This helps identify any trends and emerging issues that may need tfgm.com/privacy-policy/customer- to be addressed. relations Complaints about individual staff members tfgm.com/privacy-policy will be carefully looked at to identify the wider context surrounding the particular complaint. TfGM will review any wider issues that may play a role in the wider context of events. Where complainants have alleged they have sustained an injury as a result of TfGM operations, consideration will be given as to whether the incident is reportable to ORR under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

14 15 Preston & Blackpool Blackburn & Clitheroe Burnley, Hebden Bridge, Bradford & Leeds Cumbria & Scotland Walsden Entwistle Greater Manchester ticketing boundary

Euxton Chorley Littleborough Balshaw Lane Bromley Cross Rochdale Smithy Bridge Adlington Town Centre Rochdale Railway Hall i'th' Wood Station Newbold Parbold Horwich Milnrow Blackrod Parkway Bury Rochdale Kingsway Appley Bridge Business Newhey Park Radcliffe Gathurst Lostock Bolton Castleton Shaw and Wigan Crompton Southport Wallgate Moses Gate Whiteﬁeld Westhoughton Besses o'th Barn Pemberton Ince Farnworth Derker Prestwich & Leeds Upholland Wigan Hindley Daisy Hag Fold Marsden Huddersfield Kearsley Mills Hill Oldham Orrell North Hill Heaton Park Atherton King Western Street Clifton Bowker Vale Westwood Oldham Mumps Greater Manchester

Kirkby ticketing boundary Moorside Crumpsall Oldham Moston South Central Chadderton Freehold Walkden Swinton Abraham Moss Greenfield Central Queens Road Park Hollinwood Mossley Bryn Failsworth Salford Manchester Monsall Newton Heath Ashton- Salford and Moston Crescent Central Victoria under-Lyne Garswood Stalybridge Ashton Shudehill Moss Ashton West Exchange Square Clayton Cemetery Patricroft Eccles Market Street Velopark Hall Road Audenshaw Langworthy Edge Droylsden Eccles Ladywell Weaste St Peter’s Piccadilly Holt Broadway Lane Square Gardens Town Etihad St. Helens Central MediaCityUK Harbour City New Campus Anchorage Deansgate- Islington Guide Castlefield Manchester Hadfield Liverpool Salford Quays Oxford Road Ardwick Ashburys Fairfield Bridge The Trafford Parkway Village Flowery Hattersley Dinting Centre Barton Exchange Cornbrook Deansgate Manchester Gorton Field Dock Road Imperial War Quay Piccadilly Hyde Museum Belle Vue North Godley Newton-le- Wharfside Pomona Reddish Newton Broadbottom Urmston Liverpool Willows Ryder Brow North for Hyde Glossop Chassen Road Humphrey Trafford Earlestown Mauldeth Hyde Central Park Park Trafford Bar Levenshulme Brinnington Flixton Road Old Trafford Firswood Woodley Irlam Stretford Chorlton Burnage Heaton Dane Road St Werburgh's Road Bredbury Glazebrook Chapel Didsbury Sale Withington Sale Village East Didsbury Stockport Romiley Brooklands Water Burton West Birchwood Wythenshawe Barlow Park Road Didsbury East Timperley Park Moor Didsbury Road Moor Road Northern Moor Padgate Davenport Marple Liverpool Navigation Baguley Woodsmoor Rose Hill Altrincham Gatley Warrington Warrington Road West Central Roundthorn Benchill Warrington Crossacres Cheadle Hulme Hazel Grove Strines Bank Quay Martinscroft Hale Wythenshawe Middlewood Town Centre Robinswood Bramhall Road Disley New Mills Train Peel Heald Green Hall Central Ashley Shadowmoss Poynton Traincards can Metrolink Zone 1 New Mills Newtown Styal Handforth be used at these Manchester stations Metrolink Mobberley Airport Greater Manchester ticketing boundary Furness Vale Chinley Knutsford Wilmslow Sheffield Macclesfield, Adlington Whaley Bridge Crewe & Crewe, Shrewsbury Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent Chester & North Wales London Euston Northwich & Chester & South Wales & London Euston & London Euston Buxton

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