Customer Promise

Our Commitment To You

Our aim is to offer you reliable, good value bus services to get you where you want to be. A number of actions have already been taken to ensure this happens and more are planned.

In the last 5 years we have invested over £22 million in our fleet, including brand new low floor, DDA compliant, easy access single decker buses, all fitted with CCTV for additional safety and security for passengers and staff. These have been deployed around the region and represent a significant improvement to our fleet. Central Scotland, Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders passengers have all benefited from this investment.

Our drivers are all trained to the highest driving and customer care standards, and we are actively recruiting in local communities for all sections of our business. We recently signed a Local Employment Partnership with Jobcentre Plus across the region and are actively providing local employment for many people.

I know there are always more improvements to be made and our local depot teams around the region are working hard to achieve this. However, as we depend on the use of public roads, there are times when, with the best will, matters beyond our control may affect the level of service we can provide.

When this happens we will do our utmost to keep you fully informed. We will communicate and work with any external bodies who can help us minimise or eliminate these matters 'outside our control' such as our local authority partners.

My team and I promise to listen carefully to your opinions and to bring you the best service we can offer on every journey, every day.

Making a comment, complaint or complaint

Any feedback about our service is welcome. We have a dedicated customer service team who are trained to progress your comments and handle any complaints.

If you are contacting us, please give us the following details:

• Your name and address
• Your daytime phone number (where we can contact you if we need to) and any times you would prefer us to contact you
• A clear description of your concerns or complaint (including date and time of travel)
• Details of what you would like us to do to put things right
• Where applicable please retain your ticket as proof of purchase. Details from your ticket may be required

What we will do and how long it will take

We will do our best to sort out you complaint as quickly as we can and will acknowledge all contacts within five days of receipt. Sometimes it may take longer to fully investigate your concerns. If this is the case, we will do the following:

• Provide you with a unique reference number
• Keep you updated with our progress

If your complaint will take longer to investigate, we aim to find a solution within 14 working days. If we are not able to do so, we will always contact you to explain what is happening and when we expect to resolve matters.

Our Pledge

At the heart of first - class service is the person who matters most - you. That's why we really value your feedback. Letting us know what you think of our service gives us the opportunity to put matters right for you and improve our service for everybody.

It should be easy as possible to tell us what you think. That's why we make sure you can contact us however you want - face to face, by phone, by e-mail or in a letter - at a convenient time for you. We will always do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

Working for you

We are constantly working to provide a quality, reliable bus service for all of our customers. However, if we operate more than one minute early or 15 minutes late, we will compensate customers if this has arisen due to circumstances within our control. We will give you a whole days free travel.

First4Week, FirstYear, multi - operator ticket holders and Concessionary Card Entitlement card holders will receive £5 of high street shopping vouchers.

We are unable to compensate in situations beyond our control, Examples Include:

• Extreme weather
• Road and utility works
• Events i.e. parades, marches, exhibitions and attractions
• Actions by third parties
• Acts of vandalism
• Traffic congestion
• Accidents

Compensation may vary in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of First Management.

How to contact us

If you wish to comment on any of our services, here is how you can contact us:

By Post

By Phone

Call our Customer Service Line 01324 602200 open 24/7. Calls may be recorded for training, quality and customer care purposes.

By Email

E-mail contact.scotlandeast@firstgroup.com. If you e-mail us, we usually reply to you by e-mail.

In person

Call the Customer Service Line shown above and we will arrange an appointment to meet at a time to suit you.

Our Service

We aim to deal with any complaint as quickly as possible to your complete satisfaction. If you are not happy with the response you receive please contact the person who handled your complaint. They will agree the next steps with you.

Getting an independent review

However if you are not satisfied with our final response you can ask the Bus Passenger' Platform to review your complaint. The bus passenger' Platform is the official forum for bus users in Scotland.

Contact details for the Bus Passengers' Platform

By Post

By Phone

0131 244 1709

By Email

buscomplaints@scotland.gsi.gov.uk