Lost property – a case study of a very joined up railway!

02 February 2015

Take an early start after a sleepless night with sick children and what do you get? A lost suitcase. Jane, my wife, recently left hers on a Virgin train on the way to Manchester. Jane only realised about an hour after she arrived. Looked grim.

Phone call to Virgin started a train of very helpful, joined up responses. She was put through to Euston who took details – lost and left luggage being dealt with by an outsourced provider – the ‘Excess Baggage Company’?

They rang back later saying they had found the suitcase and would put it on a train going back to Manchester later on. The woman dealing with it is was a natural communicator – almost minute by minute updates on the progress of the suitcase!

It was over and above normal. More phone updates later and Jane met the train, was guided to stand in the right place by station staff and was re-united with her suitcase. Great happiness.

More of this joined up work please! Interesting contrast with some cases we see in our complaints team where lost property really does become just that. We think there are some things the industry can do to improve things – watch this space.