Day to day issues that affect passengers were discussed at a customer forum hosted by Red Funnel.

Senior leaders met with Island residents in the reinstated forum, for the first time since 2019.

The face-to-face discussion included Red Funnel CEO Fran Collins and CFO Graham Barnetson.

A wide variety of topics were discussed during the three-hour session, including ferry service reliability, labour challenges, pricing, support for customers travelling for medical reasons, customer service, the Signature Lounge, food and beverage offerings, support for disabled passengers and the Red Jet timetable. 

Immediate plans to improve the flow of queuing for passengers in Refuel, involve relocating the coffee machines to allow for better access. Red Funnel will be reconfiguring this space when the vessels go in for their annual refit over the winter.

The ferry operator said it also appreciates the requirement for additional seating during busy periods, and will be taking this into account.

What did Red Funnel say about the customer forum?

Fran Collins, CEO of Red Funnel, said: “It was a real pleasure to spend time with our customers in this close personal setting, and I’d like to thank them for their time and constructive feedback.

"The session left the team and I really inspired and underscores again that what we do every day really matters.  

“The decisions and actions we take on a daily basis involve balancing the needs of all the stakeholders we serve, alongside factoring in a number of forces, be they regulatory, political, social or environmental, so it was interesting to share more about how we operate and hear the feedback.

"It’s given us more insight into how we need to better communicate the ‘why’ behind what we do.

“We are really proud to support the Island community, and to do this successfully, it’s vital that we listen.”

How can you get involved next time?

Red Funnel will be hosting its next customer forum session in February, 2023. Customers interested in attending can email customerservices@redfunnel.co.uk.

Read a summary of the session online at redfunnel.co.uk/customerforum