Letter to NXEC Livewire mag editor and NXEC management
Jan 30, 2009, 6:54 am
#1
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Letter to NXEC Livewire mag editor and NXEC management
Travelled to Leeds this morning on NXEC and read Livewire. Thought I'd share the letter I sent off this morning. Let's see if I get a reply...
"Hello Claire,
Thank you for editing and producing Livewire magazine; it is a very good read and full of useful information as I travel up and down the East Coast.
However, one thing caught my eye that I just had to write to you about; I refer to the photo of the insipid-looking English breakfast on page 50 of the current edition of Livewire.
Instead of enticing me to upgrade from Standard and savour the joys of travelling First Class on NXEC, your choice of photo had the opposite effect. In fact, could there be a more unalluring photo of our traditional breakfast dish? The photo looks as if it was captured by a mobile phone and not a professional photographer, the food looks like it was served up last week and the egg... well, it has all the appeal of pet food.
Sorry, I can do without the full English on board if it looks like this.
Hoping that you view this as positive feedback, thanks for taking the time to read this note.
Yours from an otherwise content NXEC traveller,
seanyjmuc"
"Hello Claire,
Thank you for editing and producing Livewire magazine; it is a very good read and full of useful information as I travel up and down the East Coast.
However, one thing caught my eye that I just had to write to you about; I refer to the photo of the insipid-looking English breakfast on page 50 of the current edition of Livewire.
Instead of enticing me to upgrade from Standard and savour the joys of travelling First Class on NXEC, your choice of photo had the opposite effect. In fact, could there be a more unalluring photo of our traditional breakfast dish? The photo looks as if it was captured by a mobile phone and not a professional photographer, the food looks like it was served up last week and the egg... well, it has all the appeal of pet food.
Sorry, I can do without the full English on board if it looks like this.
Hoping that you view this as positive feedback, thanks for taking the time to read this note.
Yours from an otherwise content NXEC traveller,
seanyjmuc"
Jan 30, 2009, 7:40 am
#2
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Reply from NXEC
Kudos to NXEC management. A reply within just minutes from Lord Chief Exec himself, Mr. David Franks who assures me "he'll look into this".
Will keep you posted.
Will keep you posted.
Jan 30, 2009, 9:08 am
#3
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Perhaps they're trying to compete with Virgin Atlantic 
Are the contact details for the management public (I'm assuming you used email here due to speed of reply)? It'd be nice to have a management comment about the recent decisions regarding drop in quality in First Class, limited restaurants and stopping accepting Amex. Perhaps you could point them to the threads on NXEC currently in the European Rail forum?
Note to bmi mods: there seems to be some confusion where UK rail travel should go. A thread on Grand Central was moved to the UK & Ireland forum and then back to the European Rail Forum, another thread on NXEC special offers
was moved to the UK & Ireland forum, while the other NXEC threads have stayed in the European forum for now. Therefore I'd wait until this has been clarified before moving this thread.
Are the contact details for the management public (I'm assuming you used email here due to speed of reply)? It'd be nice to have a management comment about the recent decisions regarding drop in quality in First Class, limited restaurants and stopping accepting Amex. Perhaps you could point them to the threads on NXEC currently in the European Rail forum?
Note to bmi mods: there seems to be some confusion where UK rail travel should go. A thread on Grand Central was moved to the UK & Ireland forum and then back to the European Rail Forum, another thread on NXEC special offers
was moved to the UK & Ireland forum, while the other NXEC threads have stayed in the European forum for now. Therefore I'd wait until this has been clarified before moving this thread.
Jan 30, 2009, 9:20 am
#4
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
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So we'll switch the points and route this thread over to the UK & Ireland forum, for possible onward shunting to Europe.
Oxon Flyer
bmi mod team
Oxon Flyer
bmi mod team
Jan 30, 2009, 11:07 am
#7
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I should have taken a photo to share with you... It really turned my stomach.
As for contact details, Jane Winton's email is at the front of Livewire. I guessed David Franks email.
My motto has always been aim for the top.
Alas bmi's Nigel is less responsive.
Bon weekend à tous!
As for contact details, Jane Winton's email is at the front of Livewire. I guessed David Franks email.
My motto has always been aim for the top.
Alas bmi's Nigel is less responsive.
Bon weekend à tous!
Jan 30, 2009, 2:39 pm
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A content NXEC traveller, there's a rarity
Anyway, to save David Franks the hassle of looking into it I will reply on his behalf
Dear seanyjmuc,
Thank you for you email. I've spoke to the catering manager and we both agree that this meal looks absolutely awful. So in response to your feedback we have decided to stop serving breakfast on those few trains that still serve it.
In next months Livewire we'll be showing a picture of some leftovers from dinner, please let us know what you think of this so that we can enhance the all day dining offering in response to customer demand.
As part of the enhancements, customers with an all-inclusive First Dine and Go ticket can now collect a three course (burger, fries and coke) meal from Burger King prior to boarding, as the Burger King in the station is currently closed we advise passengers to use the one across the road. Feedback on this has been very positive and our loyal customers appreciate the increased choice that this service gives them.
Thank you for travelling National Express East Coast and I hope that you enjoy plenty of food free journeys in the future.
Yours Sincerely,
David Franks
Destroyer of the East Coast
Anyway, to save David Franks the hassle of looking into it I will reply on his behalf
Dear seanyjmuc,
Thank you for you email. I've spoke to the catering manager and we both agree that this meal looks absolutely awful. So in response to your feedback we have decided to stop serving breakfast on those few trains that still serve it.
In next months Livewire we'll be showing a picture of some leftovers from dinner, please let us know what you think of this so that we can enhance the all day dining offering in response to customer demand.
As part of the enhancements, customers with an all-inclusive First Dine and Go ticket can now collect a three course (burger, fries and coke) meal from Burger King prior to boarding, as the Burger King in the station is currently closed we advise passengers to use the one across the road. Feedback on this has been very positive and our loyal customers appreciate the increased choice that this service gives them.
Thank you for travelling National Express East Coast and I hope that you enjoy plenty of food free journeys in the future.
Yours Sincerely,
David Franks
Destroyer of the East Coast
Jan 31, 2009, 4:06 am
#12
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Well as the Grand Central thread is still in the European forum but there's a comment that it's been moved to the UK forum it gave the impression that it had been back and forth.
I still find it odd that the NXEC threads are being evicted from Europe, it seems the 2nd most logical place (after the bmi forum) to look for threads on InterCity rail. We also have Eurostar threads in the UK forum. I personally don't think the new European rail forum has made rail related threads easier to find.
I still find it odd that the NXEC threads are being evicted from Europe, it seems the 2nd most logical place (after the bmi forum) to look for threads on InterCity rail. We also have Eurostar threads in the UK forum. I personally don't think the new European rail forum has made rail related threads easier to find.
Feb 4, 2009, 4:18 am
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I seen this awful pic in Livewire yesterday. The photo looks of very poor quality and not very appetising - the sausage looks like it's about to fall off the plate.
It's not just the breakfast that looks bad, all the pictures on that page look of low quality. I remember some pretty nice looking pictures of food from the GNER days.
What was funnier was the associated article. They mentioned that the breakfasts are now served on smaller plates as if it was something of an enhancement. Toast returns to the East Coast (as an optional extra for £2) was another one of the 'enhancements' listed.
It's not just the breakfast that looks bad, all the pictures on that page look of low quality. I remember some pretty nice looking pictures of food from the GNER days.
What was funnier was the associated article. They mentioned that the breakfasts are now served on smaller plates as if it was something of an enhancement. Toast returns to the East Coast (as an optional extra for £2) was another one of the 'enhancements' listed.
Feb 4, 2009, 8:59 am
#14
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On that we agree!
Feb 4, 2009, 9:18 am
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