East Coast take the biscuit for dreadful service

York-Carlisle East Coast train yesterday afternoon, in First Class.

Free tea, coffee and biscuits?

Yes but...

The two ladies pushing the tea trolley stopped just in front of me, where a black couple were sitting with three packets of biscuits on their table, presumably from earlier in the journey.

"You can't take those off the train," barked one of the trolley ladies. "I'll take them now."

And leaving all of us in the immediate vicinity speechless with horror, she scooped up the biscuits and trundled the trolley away.

That's the most appalling service I've ever seen.

The gentleman had paid for a First Class ticket. He'd paid, in essence, for those biscuits.

And once given to him, they were his to eat exactly when he liked - on or off the train. She had absolutely no right to take them away.

He did go and try to talk to her but she wouldn't listen to him.

I won't be travelling East Coast again if I can possibly help it. I'll stick to Virgin, or go by plane, in future.

UPDATE: East Coast say the team member has been "re-briefed on customer service and how to treat customers". Personally I'm not hugely impressed. I'll still avoid East Coast if I can.