Social Media!

Blockety Block!

When Social Media goes awry!

We had originally put this page together to show some support to the social media team in their endeavours to deal with customer complaints. However, over recent months, possibly since Autumn 2014, things have taken a turn for the worse! Nowadays the social media approach is closer to deflecting complaints as quickly as possible, and if the wrong thing is said, you risk a blocking! That’s just not cricket!

Have you been blocked? If so, do let us know! And keep your complaints coming with #fgw and directly to [email protected]! From here on in, unfortunately we’ll only be logging the negative stuff! Sorry First Great Western Social Media team! That’s not how social media works, and it’s certainly poor customer service!

One this is for sure, we’ll probably see much less of this!

Hey @FGW Why are you blocking someone for making a complaint? Is this your way of dealing with anything negative now? pic.twitter.com/n0rGYSKBkY

— Commuting Rants (@CommutingRants) March 25, 2015

@CommutingRants @FGW Probably to do with negative publicity over record number of complaints via social media for FGW I would suggest

— fleckit (@fleckit) March 25, 2015

@fgwkmc For asking when it was acceptable to lie to their customers. (Train being "prepared" was at least 4m away) pic.twitter.com/zA9351JJqY

— That's My Train (@ThatsMyTrain) March 25, 2015

@fgwkmc Second account blocked for asking why staff didn't know which trains did or didn't have air con pic.twitter.com/hV4SASLcK6

— Rich (@recklessrik) March 25, 2015

@fgwkmc blocked by @NetworkRailPAD for complaining about how the ticket barriers were managed @networkrail pic.twitter.com/gK5gj2bYrb

— Commuting Rants (@CommutingRants) March 25, 2015

@fgwkmc @hopwood_mark just noticed Mark appears to have taken the mature route to reacting to constructive criticism. pic.twitter.com/nL6GUWsTaO

— Harv (@harvm89) April 23, 2015

I love how @FGW has blocked me on Twitter. Very mature. Considering I invest £4k+ a year into your business

— Jazz (@LilSquirl1) April 23, 2015

Fucking @fgw blocked me!! pic.twitter.com/JSBoMJkeQr

— Noble_Cause (@Noble_Cause) April 23, 2015

@FGW You've blocked @fgwkmc? Wow, that beats @NationalRail_PAD blocking me. Top customer service guys.

— That's My Train (@ThatsMyTrain) May 13, 2015

@FGW Nice to see you've blocked me too… Truth hurts eh? @ThatsMyTrain @fgwkmc

— The Sparkster (@SparkyInTheUK) May 13, 2015

@FranHun1 @naughtytrains and this is how the treat customers who complain about poor performance. Thanks @FGW!! pic.twitter.com/kdOHenTjvt

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 19, 2015

@fgwkmc @CommutingRants @ThatsMyTrain @cr_rail @emily1780 I was blocked after asking them to unblock the cat pic.twitter.com/lQDHCQhsde

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 19, 2015

@fgwkmc @ThatsMyTrain @cr_rail @emily1780 @cheekychambers @CommutingRants Here is the actual moment they blocked me. pic.twitter.com/bqq59NKmJR

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 19, 2015

@fgwkmc I think blocking/ignoring those who complain too much is a cheaper way to reduce complaints being recorded about @fgw services lol

— FGW passenger (@victorjones17) May 19, 2015

@FGW @fgwkmc you're not the only one 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ti1slChAcL

— Jude O'Keeffe (@Judesgotthelove) May 20, 2015

@BGCollector @FGW BLOCK HIM! SHOOT HIM! HANG HER! BLOCK HIM AND HIM AND HIM AND HIM!!!! BAD BAD CUSTOMERS!!! pic.twitter.com/z0uLUgetr0

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 21, 2015

@JamesAHopkins @ChukaUmunna @FGW I'm not the only one they have blocked. I've only ever given truthful feedback. pic.twitter.com/MEHk0QwPjI

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 21, 2015

Please don’t drop the C, F, or J bombs over twitter, as that’s an easy target for blocking!

Here's @fgw's social media blocking policy everyone (had to email – the Twitter team refused to acknowledge/respond) pic.twitter.com/6fqmnEZiQ5

— Commuting Rants (@CommutingRants) May 27, 2015

@fgw now are trying to bring down the number of complaints on Twitter by blocking many customers. @Independent pic.twitter.com/G2ZDgVKmxC

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 27, 2015

@Judesgotthelove @FGW @Independent @fgwkmc Seemed to happen when some of us asked questions about whether NWR compensation money went.

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 27, 2015

@fgw what has the 18:00 London to Bristol decided to stop in between Didcot and Swindon? Pathetic service again. Oh I'm blocked! Oh balls!

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) May 29, 2015

@fgwkmc Sadly they don't appreciate my good sentiments! pic.twitter.com/K82rHVrHjD

— Commuting Rants (@CommutingRants) August 10, 2015

@fgwkmc @FGW I've been blocked by fgw on Twitter. Not sure why. Something else to take up with Mark hopwood

— FGW passenger (@victorjones17) August 12, 2015

It is with deep regret and sadness that we have to announce- as of today we are blocked by @FGW #WorstGreatWestern 😭

— Worst Great Western (@WorstGreatWest) August 24, 2015

@fgwkmc they're so cruel, we were only just making friends! pic.twitter.com/J7FOtvFDgw

— Worst Great Western (@WorstGreatWest) September 2, 2015

@OOTDbyRosie @GWRHelp Yes, I'm blocked. Looks like asking too many difficult questions gets you blocked. Something to hide @GWRUK ?

— FGW LOL (@turningthetide) October 15, 2015

@teamhipflask @GWRHelp pic.twitter.com/OSl1h5hGNy

— Louchjd (@louchjd) October 31, 2015

Blocked for making genuine complaints to someone who should give a shit but clearly doesn't @GWRHelp pic.twitter.com/A2lUeRWilI

— Helen Noble (@helen100) December 15, 2015

@GWRHelp @hopwood_mark Why not just block everyone who calls you to account? That would leave plenty of space for more lobster stories….

— Crap GWR (@Crap_GWR) December 15, 2015

@GWRHelp LOOOOOOOOOLLL @teamhipflask @GWRUK nice customer service eh. Well done. @aanw086 pic.twitter.com/WJZcC4oTaZ

— Saf Ackmed (@Ita_lion13) April 26, 2016

@GWRUK not sure why I've been blocked. I was never rude or offensive. Did I touch a nerve? pic.twitter.com/JNLZH3WMQH

— Late Western Railway (@turningthetide) June 9, 2016

https://twitter.com/SimonHogfress/status/771050878442860546/photo/1