Alternative Contact Details???

[Joseph_Pestell]

Having now learned from the latest Newsletter that the 321s will be available, at best, early next year, I have reluctantly decided that I can no longer have money invested in this project.

 

I have sent an e-mail this afternoon to info@revolutiontrains... Info is what I have NOT got. Just an automated reply.

 

I know that Mike and Ben do this in their spare time but it has to be better than this. People, myself included, have had money tied up in this project for years!

 

Does anybody know of another way to contact them that gets a proper reply? 

[Revolution Mike]

Joseph

 

I'm not sure what your expectation is of anyone's ability to reply to your email (regardless of whether they do it in their spare time), but for sake of balance - you had a reply (and your request actioned) within 30 minutes of your request.  I was able to do that as I was having my lunch late, but the auto-reply is to remind people or tell people who might not be familiar that they shouldn't expect that we can reply in that sort of timeframe. There's no point in us pretending otherwise.

 

I realise you are disappointed with the length of time the 320/321 has taken, though the reasons are well documented (and I have also explained in my reply to you).

 

Best wishes

 

Mike

[Roy Langridge]

2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Having now learned from the latest Newsletter that the 321s will be available, at best, early next year, I have reluctantly decided that I can no longer have money invested in this project.

 

I have sent an e-mail this afternoon to info@revolutiontrains... Info is what I have NOT got. Just an automated reply.

 

I know that Mike and Ben do this in their spare time but it has to be better than this. People, myself included, have had money tied up in this project for years!

 

Does anybody know of another way to contact them that gets a proper reply? 

My word, I am stunned beyond belief by your post. Even some full-time companies would struggle to keep up with your, quite frankly, unreasonable expectations. Get a grip of yourself.

 

Roy

Edited July 29, 2020 by Roy Langridge
Typo

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 minute ago, Roy Langridge said:

My word, I am stunned beyond belief by your post. Even some full-time companies would struggle to keep up with your, quite frankly, unreasonable expectations. Get a grip of yourself.

 

Roy

 

Well, I'm sorry but I can't see what is unreasonable here. I have not quoted the automated reply (perhaps I should have done) but it is completely unhelpful.

 

Or are you a supporter of certain other manufacturers that have let people down badly?

 

I paid for these some years ago, Revolution's first project. They have been shunted aside while Revolution have brought out many other models. Meantime, I, like many others, are under financial pressure due to Covid and other factors. I don't think that a proper reply is so unreasonable to ask for in the circumstances.

 

But maybe I am old-fashioned in my business practices. I would have to agree with you that this level of service has become somewhat the norm these days. Some companies don't reply at all!

[jonhall]

I thought that's why Ben gave up his role at the BBC, to be able to drop everything and bang out a personalised email reply within seconds of its delivery...

Remember what happened before, there bad-news-Ben was, reporting form a windswept field, god-knows-where, and then the anchor man cuts to him for his report, and all he could do was tell them to "run the 'and finally' story about the cat called Tiddles who kept stealing oven gloves and bringing them back home", whist he replied to some impatient numpty who was already probably already listing all his Bachby wagons, and claiming how good his DJM austerity will look hauling them (but does anyone know if they will go around a first radius curve? ) . *

Jon

*some of the above might not have happened, but it will raise a laugh with the right audience

[Roy Langridge]

5 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Well, I'm sorry but I can't see what is unreasonable here. I have not quoted the automated reply (perhaps I should have done) but it is completely unhelpful.

 

Or are you a supporter of certain other manufacturers that have let people down badly?

 

I paid for these some years ago, Revolution's first project. They have been shunted aside while Revolution have brought out many other models. Meantime, I, like many others, are under financial pressure due to Covid and other factors. I don't think that a proper reply is so unreasonable to ask for in the circumstances.

 

But maybe I am old-fashioned in my business practices. I would have to agree with you that this level of service has become somewhat the norm these days. Some companies don't reply at all!

No, I just run a business and get hacked off by people who expect the world to stop when THEIR communication is received, because it is oh so much more important than the rest of what is going on.

 

You seem to expect their automated email to have answered the email for you to you satisfaction. It obviously hasn’t so you come on here bad-mouthing them.
 

You acknowledge that they do this in their spare time, yet have no patience awaiting a reply.
 

As I said, get a grip.

 

Roy

[Revolution Mike]

35 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

I paid for these some years ago, Revolution's first project. They have been shunted aside while Revolution have brought out many other models. Meantime, I, like many others, are under financial pressure due to Covid and other factors. I don't think that a proper reply is so unreasonable to ask for in the circumstances.

 

We agree that it has taken too long to produce the 320/321 however as I said both here and in my email to you there were reasons beyond our control that have been well-documented.  As I also said in my reply, they have not been shunted aside for any model - no two models (even if they go through the same factory) will take the same length of time to develop or produce - for example a wagon is largely one vehicle rather than four and unpowered so takes less time at each stage of development.  

 

Sorry but it was not our first project at all - the Pendolino was, followed by the TEA tank wagon then the 321.

 

Of course you are right to expect a proper reply, but equally I think it is only fair to give people opportunity to make that reply. I've explained why we have an auto-reply set.

 

Best wishes Mike

[Mike Harvey]

This sounds like a totally unnecessary gripe - email request sent, holding acknowledgement sent, email actioned within an hour or so (presumably to the OP's satisfaction). I have been "on hold" longer than that waiting to speak to someone from a service department on the 'phone. Maybe Revolution could have done better but I do not think there are any psychics or Timelords in the team.

[Joseph_Pestell]

43 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

No, I just run a business and get hacked off by people who expect the world to stop when THEIR communication is received, because it is oh so much more important than the rest of what is going on.

 

You seem to expect their automated email to have answered the email for you to you satisfaction. It obviously hasn’t so you come on here bad-mouthing them.
 

You acknowledge that they do this in their spare time, yet have no patience awaiting a reply.
 

As I said, get a grip.

 

Roy

 

That is wholly unfair and inaccurate, Roy. Please retract and apologise.

 

I did not complain AT ALL about the time taken to reply. I would much rather wait and get a proper reply than an automated reply that tells me that I am not going to get a proper reply.

 

As for "getting a grip", who are you to judge my circumstances and the consequences of them? Go look after your own business.

[Joseph_Pestell]

16 minutes ago, red death said:

 

We agree that it has taken too long to produce the 320/321 however as I said both here and in my email to you there were reasons beyond our control that have been well-documented.  As I also said in my reply, they have not been shunted aside for any model - no two models (even if they go through the same factory) will take the same length of time to develop or produce - for example a wagon is largely one vehicle rather than four and unpowered so takes less time at each stage of development.  

 

Sorry but it was not our first project at all - the Pendolino was, followed by the TEA tank wagon then the 321.

 

Of course you are right to expect a proper reply, but equally I think it is only fair to give people opportunity to make that reply. I've explained why we have an auto-reply set.

 

Best wishes Mike

 

Mike, the auto-reply says that I am not going to get a reply. That's the cause of the frustration.

[JDW]

A proper reply isn't at all an unreasonable thing to ask for. I'm assuming from what you said that the automated reply was along the lines of "we're busy, we'll answer you when we can" with maybe some of the FAQ's answered. And from the messages above, a reply to the specific enquiry was sent a short while later, so a "proper reply" was received. Automatic responses are pretty common, to acknowledge receipt of an email. They don't necessarily mean that that is the end of it. If you'd said they hadn't answered for three weeks, fair enough.

 

My own work emails have an "out of office" message at the moment, and I answer when I can. Even when I'm looking at my emails when one arrives, I'm often in the middle of writing another or doing something else, and you can't constantly stop doing what you're doing to answer that one. If you do, then another one comes in, and you break off to look at that, then the next, and before you know it you're trying to do six things at the same time, in a complete confusion, and mistakes happen. I'll finish the task I'm doing before starting the next, unless it looks absolutely vital and urgent. 

[JDW]

2 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Mike, the auto-reply says that I am not going to get a reply. That's the cause of the frustration.

 

In that case, it might have been prudent to say that at the beginning...

 

Better to explain the actual situation, rather than just "I asked for info and didn't get it"

Edited July 29, 2020 by JDW

[Revolution Mike]

19 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Mike, the auto-reply says that I am not going to get a reply. That's the cause of the frustration.

 

No it doesn't, it says "We can not provide individual updates on your order" but that wasn't what you asked for and it then goes onto say "If there is an issue with your order then we will contact you".

 

Like many organisations we try to give people information as to where they can find information more quickly then we can respond.

 

I accept that could be clearer but that is not the same as saying we won't reply (nor do my actions bear that out).

 

Mike

Edited July 29, 2020 by red death

[Joseph_Pestell]

6 minutes ago, red death said:

 

No it doesn't, it says "We can not provide individual updates on your order" but that wasn't what you asked for and it then goes onto say "If there is an issue with your order then we will contact you".

 

Like many organisations we try to give people information as to where they can find information more quickly then we can respond.

 

I accept that could be clearer but that is not the same as saying we won't reply (nor do my actions bear that out).

 

Mike

 

Hello Mike,

 

Apologies if I misconstrued the wording. And many thanks for sorting out the situation so quickly in the end.

[Roy Langridge]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

That is wholly unfair and inaccurate, Roy. Please retract and apologise.

 

I did not complain AT ALL about the time taken to reply. I would much rather wait and get a proper reply than an automated reply that tells me that I am not going to get a proper reply.

 

As for "getting a grip", who are you to judge my circumstances and the consequences of them? Go look after your own business.

Sorry, I am not retracting. Go read what you post, it comes over as very unhappy with not getting an instant “proper” reply and you came on here mouthing off after no time at all.

 

I have made and make no judgement on why you cancel, but to be critical was so out of order. 

 

Roy

[MRDBLUE17]

Joseph, 

 

Not sure what you were trying to achieve but you send an email then moan on a public forum straight away. You shouted the word NOT and then complained it must be better than this. It comes across as rude and moaning that you didn’t get an instance response which it turns out you did. And all this could have been avoided if you had read the automated email response. Perhaps a proper apology for your opening comments to Ben & Mike wouldn’t go amiss instead of telling Roy to retract his perfectly reasonable comments!
 

Cheers

Mark