Midlandpullman Anmeldelser 

we had booked a trip and had a medical emergency. Spoke to a member of the service team who couldnt have been more helpful and our booking was dealt with kindly, efficiently and sorted out to help us. Thank you so much. We look forward to the trip next year.

I am posting this review following the truly awful customer service I had & want others to be aware. The trips are expensive & often done for a special occasion - in my opinion when service falls short of what it should be it should be addressed - clearly they don't agree as you will see from the email trail -
Good evening
I feel compelled to write to you following our trip to Durham yesterday on the Midland Pullman.

This trip was booked as a celebration to mark my husband’s 60th birthday & retirement & therefore we as a family wanted it to be really special.

We joined the journey at Gloucester, seated in seats 1 and 2 in carriage C, & we were warmly greeted by members of the crew & the crew that were assigned to our carriage were both lovely & attentive throughout the journey there and back.

There are however a number of things that occurred that put a slight dampener on the occasion & these are detailed below.

· I had read your literature about dress code & noted what was and wasn’t acceptable & the fact you say you can’t be overdressed – we most definitely were in comparison to most other passengers. I wore a smart chiffon dress & cardigan, my husband a suit. I was so disappointed to see most other passengers in jeans, sweatshirts & trainers – we not only felt very out of place but also felt it devalued the whole experience.

· The door at the end of the carriage adjacent to us was not shutting & therefore it was both draughty and noisy. On asking the Junior Train Manager she, after a struggle, managed to close it & for the rest of the journey to Durham it was both warmer & quieter. When we returned to the train for the journey back to Gloucester, the Train Manager, Mark, came over & apologised saying there was a fault on the door, which he had reported, but it meant it was unable to close at all. Therefore the whole journey back was both draughty & noisy once more.

· We were served coffee & tea almost as soon as we departed (lovely) however the crew member that served the coffee to my husband split it into the saucer & on the table linen – these things happen but an apology & a new cup and saucer I feel should have been given – neither were.

· One of the crew working in another carriage came through carriage C on a number of occasions – her white jacket was not clean at all – several spills had clearly happened – I saw in the cupboard at the end of our carriage there were extra jackets and would have hoped she could have changed it – she did not & even when we returned in the evening she was still wearing the dirty one – not a great impression.

· On the return journey it was nice to see the stained linen had been replaced & once again the table looked resplendent. Sadly my husband’s cup was chipped – this clearly hadn’t been noticed by the crew or changed.

· The cheese board was created & walked through the carriage and service started from the opposite end to where we were sat (I have no issue with not being served first!). Sadly by the time it did reach us it was much depleted, with only 3 cheeses left to choose from – one of the crew serving had visited another carriage but seemingly there was nothing else to offer us. Whilst I appreciate you won’t know what may be popular I do feel there should have been more of selection available to us.

· Whilst I appreciate the crew wish to clear and get everything packed away so they can finish their shift promptly, I believe the experience we have paid for should be from the moment we join the journey right up until we leave the train. The couple opposite us left at Worcester Parkway & one of the crew then proceeded to “throw” dirty linen onto their table – so the last part of our journey we had a pile of dirty linen to look at. Crew were also very keen to clear glasses and bottles making you feel you had to drink up so they could take it all away.

This was our first experience on such a trip & while there were many things we did enjoy and appreciate – the comfort, the warmth of the crew, the beautifully laid tables, the food served & the nice touch of the truffles to depart with, the above mention points did definitely disappoint.
The trip does cost a lot of money, something I am very happy to do, especially to mark such an occasion, but I do feel all of the issues raised should not happen on such a trip.
I would welcome your comments on the above.

Their first reply - (5 days after I wrote)
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to write following your recent journey and we are sorry that some elements didn’t meet your expectations. A copy of your detailed feedback has been forwarded to both the Train Operating Company and the On-Board Services Manager in order that they are aware of your views.
The points you raised will be subject to discussion at our Train Operating Company and we will not be contacting you further in this regard.

From boarding the train to the moment of disembarking at the end of the day, the whole experience was faultless.
We were greeted at the door by James the Train Manager, Hollie and Ellie. They welcomed us aboard and showed us to our seats. They introduced us to Kevin who was to be our waiter for the day in addition to Hollie and Ellie.
Their service was second to none. The setting on board the train was immaculate from the linen tablecloth to the silver service with fine dining.
The train manager stopped by to discuss the qualities of the train and answer our questions. The staff were constantly tending to all the passengers on the train. Their manner was friendly and polite - they made us feel welcome and totally relaxed; nothing was too much trouble for them.
I had some minor dietary requirements and these had been noted at the time of booking. Ellie came to speak to me and explain how my needs had been considered and the chef had provided excellent, mouthwatering substitutes for me.
The food was presented perfectly and the time elapsing between the courses was just right. The food was hot and delicious. The varied flavours complimented each other superbly.
We were allocated four hours in Bath which was ample time for us to partake in two different open top tour guided bus trips in and around the city and later to stop off for a coffee before making our way back to the station for our homeward journey.
After our time in Bath we were welcomed back on board the train to another beautifully laid table for our evening meal. Again another perfect meal was served with the utmost professionalism by the staff. Not once did they appear rushed or too busy to serve us. They remained professional, very friendly and tireless throughout the whole day.
The ambience on the train was superlative, the spacious seats were extremely comfortable. We had paid a little extra to reserve the table for four despite there only being two of us. This proved prudent as we had more room on the table and didn't have to keep asking neighbouring passengers to kindly move if we needed to use the bathroom. That was purely our personal choice but one we were glad to have made.
We had booked the trip as a treat to ourselves to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. The whole experience surpassed our expectations. From the comfort and ambience of the train to the immaculately dressed staff we were continuously impressed and more than happy with our memorable day.
So happy we decided to book the trip and would not hesitate to recommend the Midland Pullman experience . . . in fact we're looking at the possibility of further trips. A perfect day - thoroughly enjoyable.
Thank you James, Ellie, Kevin & Hollie - we will never forget how welcome and happy you all made us feel. We appreciate all your hard work . . . Mick & Gaye

For my 70th birthday I decided to treat my immediate family to a luxurious day trip out.
From 6.50am to 11pm We were spoilt with superb food and by efficient curtious staff.
The Midland Pullman train has been refurbisheded to an exacting standard and we were no worse for wear after the 700 mile round trip.
12 days later and we are all still on a high from our trip.
Well done 10 out of 10.

Contacted the company by email to ask about timings and itineraries as I’d be booking a trip for my elderly parents.

Received the most blunt, unhelpful response.

For a company charging this kind of price, I’d expect customer service to be more existent! Doesn’t bode well.

Wouldn’t recommend even considering Midland Pullman.

Went on the Midland Pullman from North Wales to Paignton and what a wonderful experience it was. The food was first class and the staff were so friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. Not a cheap day out but well worth every penny.

Yesterday I had a great experience on one of Midland Pullman's tours. The train itself is fantastic - first class throughout with comfy seats, the legendary BR Mk3 carriage ride quality and big windows for enjoying the view. Didn't hurt that the other passengers were such good company, too.

The onboard staff were top-notch - friendly and professional with regular at-seat service and a generous provision of food and drink. An operation this good was never going to come cheap but the quality makes it worth every penny.