Gateline staff inadequate training

[swapmeetpete]

From my recent experiences of SWT and Chiltern Railways, it appears that gateline staff are no longer being informed about basic ticketing rules. The last two times I've travelled overnight from Scotland I've been denied entry to platforms at Waterloo and Marylebone because the ticket has yesterday's date on it.

I patiently explain that I'm just trying to complete a 600 mile journey which started the previous evening, to no avail. I get sent to the ticket office, where eventually someone tells them to let me through.

It's no use pointing out that yes, the date does change every night, and, using their logic, everyone should have been thrown off the sleeper at Carlisle.

I can understand the barriers rejecting the ticket but there's no excuse for the staff being unaware of the rules concerning Break Of Journey. I presume others have encountered the same problem; has anyone found a solution?

 

[bb21]

Costs, costs, costs.

No. Many gateline staff don't receive adequate training.

 

[Merseysider]

I'd normally suggest showing them a relevant extract from the NRCoC but if they've been that badly trained, they probably haven't got a clue what they are

If it happens again put a complaint in. And if you miss a train because the muppets won't let you board, I suppose that makes you eligible for delay repay Passenger Charter repay schemes as it's within the railway's control.

 

[Mike395]

It does not matter for Delay Repay purposes whether a delay is within the control of the railway or not. It does, however, matter for some Passenger Charter schemes, and for this purpose I would indeed argue that such an incident would make the passenger eligible.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Some Virgin gateline staff don't know that off peak tickets (at least as far as MKC) are valid on the 16:43 out of Euston despite there being a poster to that effect behind them :roll:

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Costs, costs, costs.

No. Many gateline staff don't receive adequate training.

Neither do many guards / revenue protection assistants - for exactly the same reason.

 

[yorkie]

From my recent experiences of SWT and Chiltern Railways, it appears that gateline staff are no longer being informed about basic ticketing rules. The last two times I've travelled overnight from Scotland I've been denied entry to platforms at Waterloo and Marylebone because the ticket has yesterday's date on it.

Have Chiltern and SWT given you an adequate response? If not, report the matter to Passenger Focus. Perhaps Barry Doe would be interested too.

Gateline staff are rarely given much ticket training, but if they are unsure, they should simply let people through (if it's not practicable to ask a colleague who is adequately trained).

 

[ItchyRsole]

Must admit our company had been completely flooded with young people from the 'Princes Trust' scheme & although I fully support young people being given a chance I think the shere numbers have been to much. They don't have the knowledge of the railway to answer many questions posed daily by demanding passengers & although that will come over time I feel the company have put to many in at one time. They should have in my humble opinion trickled them in slowly, mixed with experienced staff not flooded them in. They are all now working together & when posed with questions of routes or ticketing are all standing there looking at each other.

 

[talldave]

Some Virgin gateline staff don't know that off peak tickets (at least as far as MKC) are valid on the 16:43 out of Euston despite there being a poster to that effect behind them :roll:

Southern staff at Gatwick are incorrectly trained in morning off peak validity. However, what hope is there when Southern publish incorrect off peak rules on the Gatwick Express website?

 

[David Goddard]

Even worse when they are contractors as opposed to TOC employees.

 

[horizonflame]

Even worse when they are contractors as opposed to TOC employees.

Which SWT increasingly use STM Security at Woking, Guildford and Waterloo...

 

[island]

Some Virgin gateline staff don't know that off peak tickets (at least as far as MKC) are valid on the 16:43 out of Euston despite there being a poster to that effect behind them :roll:

Euston to Milton Keynes Central? Heh. There's rather a lot of off-peak ticket validities for there...

 

[reb0118]

It's no use pointing out that yes, the date does change every night, and, using their logic, everyone should have been thrown off the sleeper at Carlisle.

I must apologise as this may be partly my fault. I regularly work the Aberdeen portion of the Sleeper and should therefore be ejecting passengers en route to stop this confusion daaan south!

Now my question (rhetorical) is this: as we change from one day to the next at Kinghorn (we do not stop however) should I remove passengers at Kirkcaldy (23:56)
or, more generously, Inverkeithing (00:13)?

NB I do not require an answer!

Seriously though what type of training are we giving staff these days? Basic geography should be given for revenue staff. If you don't know where a place is how can you advise a passenger how to get there (sans technologie) and following on from that how can you work out valid routes if you don't know where the routing points are? Madness!

I am assuming that you are travelling on the outward portion of an off peak return when you are stopped?

I am not sure if it will help but if you PM me with further details I could contact our Sleeper Boffins and maybe get you a cover note on headed paper (which should however not be necessary) to clarify the validity of your tickets for some of our more geographically challenged colleagues.

All the best.

 

[swapmeetpete]

Thanks for the illuminating responses. Yes these were both outward legs of an off peak return.

I did write to SWT who eventually replied with a detailed letter claiming that they would track down the staff involved, who would then receive a written or verbal warning, or be sent for retraining. I think that's unlikely, but they did enclose some vouchers.

Chiltern have yet to benefit from my feedback.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Now my question (rhetorical) is this: as we change from one day to the next at Kinghorn (we do not stop however) should I remove passengers at Kirkcaldy (23:56)
or, more generously, Inverkeithing (00:13)?

I think you should eject passengers between the two at speed

 

[Hyphen]

Now my question (rhetorical) is this: as we change from one day to the next at Kinghorn (we do not stop however) should I remove passengers at Kirkcaldy (23:56)
or, more generously, Inverkeithing (00:13)?

Ah, be fair. The railway day changes whilst you're on the approach to Preston. So to exercise your customer service skills, kick everyone off the train once you arrive

 

[scotsman]

Now my question (rhetorical) is this: as we change from one day to the next at Kinghorn (we do not stop however) should I remove passengers at Kirkcaldy (23:56)
or, more generously, Inverkeithing (00:13)?

Kinghorn. I'm told there are nice bits...

 

[Marton]

Ah, be fair. The railway day changes whilst you're on the approach to Preston. So to exercise your customer service skills, kick everyone off the train once you arrive

Kinghorn. I'm told there are nice bits...

Unlike Preston...


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