Eurostar says response times improving after customers report issues

CONNEXION READERS REPORTED BEING UNABLE TO SPEAK TO STAFF BY PHONE, CONTACT FORM OR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THE OPERATOR SAYS THE BACKLOG WILL BE CLEARED BY CHRISTMAS Several readers have recently

told _The Connexion _that they are struggling to get through to Eurostar’s customer service department to resolve a query or manage their booking. One reader, who preferred not to be named

in this article, said: “For a while Eurostar phone and form enquiry on-line services have seemed to be completely overwhelmed and unable to respond to customers. “I did not receive a reply

for one week for the [website contact] form and spent several hours trying to get through to them on the phone to change a ticket, without success from either method. “I tweeted them and

sent them a message on Facebook, getting an automatic reply saying that they're overwhelmed. “My problem was finally solved through Facebook Messenger. This was after receiving several

automated warnings where they admitted that they're currently experiencing problems.” Another reader, semi-retired bookkeeper Carolyn Norris, who has a second home in Paris, had also

struggled when “trying to solve a simple issue with my Eurostar account.” She said that she was unable to speak to anyone by phone or through the website contact form. “Something should be

done about it. I expect better customer service,” she added. ‘ONCE MY MESSAGES WERE PICKED UP, THE SERVICE WAS IMPECCABLE’ A third reader, who is a frequent Eurostar traveller and who also

preferred not to be named, said that she experienced difficulties getting a replacement ticket for the return leg of a business-class journey. “The train on which I was booked was cancelled

by Eurostar at very short notice. Most of my email messages seeking to change the travel date went unanswered. “And when I finally did get an answer, it was to tell me that it was too late

to replace the ticket. They offered to refund the difference between a single and a return, which I refused as it would not be enough for me to buy another business-class ticket. “Eurostar

finally agreed to allow me to use my old ticket, but when I tried to book a new trip, I ran into problems as my cancelled ticket was no longer in the system. My messages were met by the

usual ‘we are too busy’ response. “However, once my messages were picked up by a person, the service was impeccable. Full five stars for the human being who solved the problem.” “I have

found Eurostar pretty good on customer service when one is dealing with its staff. They have allowed me to travel later when I had to return home to pick up my passport. They have always

picked me up and delivered me when I was on crutches and in a wheelchair. They have even allowed me to board their train from Lille to Brussels when my TGV for Brussels had broken down in

Lille. “The real problem is its website. There are problems with the design, but also with the updates which are not carried out consistently. You can get two different prices on the same

day, depending which page you are on. And prices can go up (or down) whilst you are booking.” 'WE ESTIMATE THAT BY CHRISTMAS WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE A BACKLOG' When contacted about

the issues with reaching customer service, a Eurostar spokesperson told _The Connexion_: “The answer rate at our contact centre has improved significantly and we estimate that by Christmas

we will no longer have a backlog following strikes and delays throughout the summer. “We are continuing to make improvements to our digital tools to enable more customers to manage their

needs quickly and easily online; earlier this month we introduced a Chatbot and we are trailing live chat in December. “We are also prioritising any urgent requests for a fast turnaround.”

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