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London Overground super TVM

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RJ

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I was in Surrey Quays yesterday, continuing with my 3V supermarket sweep. After a successful run in the Tesco, I had a bit of time before the train came so I had a play around with the TVM. I found a few things I hadn't previously come across;

  • Groupsave discount - under railcard discount, but only for groups of 3 or 4. Up to 9 would be more like it.
  • Rovers and Rangers - about half a dozen options including the ALR, Kent Rover and the Kennet Day Ranger of all things. It doesn't do much of a job of explaining what they are or where they are valid. Being on the front page of the screen should get them a bit of publicity though. With the ALR, the one routed Any Permitted is Standard Class and the one routed Direct is First Class. The rovers can also be found in the A-Z list of destinations.
  • Advance issuing - not just for tomorrow or the next working day. You can choose to select the start date of the ticket, a calendar comes up where a date can be chosen. I didn't check how far in the future this goes, but at least the whole of May was available.
  • Tickets from another station - already mentioned on here but included for completeness, pressing this button leads to a screen with all the boundary zones and London Terminals. The A-Z of stations is also available. There is a sticker above the screen explaining the purpose this feature.
  • Oyster card refund

I think there is still quite a way to go in terms of user acceptability testing, but good to see more functionality - especially as the ticket office is only open between 7am and 10am...!
 
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SaveECRewards

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So you're the reason I can't find any 3V in that Tesco. Well I haven't for a few months anyway. If they've just recently started selling them again and you left some for me then thanks! :D

I've noticed some but not all of the features you mention. Perhaps it was just a closer look that's needed. I'll have a play around and see what I find.

The machines have progressed a lot since the East London Line reopened. Originally they didn't even have the ticket collection feature enabled (which I use all the time as instead of waiting to go to a busy station to collect my tickets I just use an empty Overground machine when I'm passing). Now it seems they're the first to implement any new features in the software.

I can see other TOCs following suit it makes sense although if they do then they need to provide more machines because providing more functions will slow people down. Perhaps do what SWT/EMT does and have some collection only machines.
 

bunnahabhain

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I can see other TOCs following suit it makes sense although if they do then they need to provide more machines because providing more functions will slow people down.
More booking clerks would speed the entire process up! Replace every TVM with a fully trained booking clerk and you'd cut queues. The amount of tickets that people have cocked up because they booked online or got them from a TVM is unbelievable!

You only have to stand in a supermarket and watch folk spend five minutes using a self scan machine for a solitary loaf of bread, and the basket aisle with a depressed looking attendant who nobody wishes to use incase they have to make small conversation, they'd rather wait, tut and tut a bit more before a self service machine becomes available. Progress eh?
 

RJ

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So you're the reason I can't find any 3V in that Tesco. Well I haven't for a few months anyway. If they've just recently started selling them again and you left some for me then thanks! :D

I've noticed some but not all of the features you mention. Perhaps it was just a closer look that's needed. I'll have a play around and see what I find.

The machines have progressed a lot since the East London Line reopened. Originally they didn't even have the ticket collection feature enabled (which I use all the time as instead of waiting to go to a busy station to collect my tickets I just use an empty Overground machine when I'm passing). Now it seems they're the first to implement any new features in the software.

I can see other TOCs following suit it makes sense although if they do then they need to provide more machines because providing more functions will slow people down. Perhaps do what SWT/EMT does and have some collection only machines.

Not guilty! I only started buying them when they came back into stock last week. NS&I and all that was before my time. I bought 28 of them at Surrey Quays but there were still at least 40 odd left. I don't expect stocks to last very long at all - I'm only one person who has discovered ways to flush through £000s a week on the things. Before long, many fellow HFP/PTS/FT points collectors will be on it! Fortunately for you, I'll be in the East Midlands studying for the next few days - plenty to keep me busy as the local Extra just refurbished their Gift Card store and put out about 100 of them :lol:

As for LO, I'm also appeased by their pioneering TVM functionality. I'd like to see other TOCs following suit too. Perhaps the challenge is having all these features without making it look like there are too many options available. People can get confused easily. At the moment, I like the interface employed on those TVMs at Surrey Quays - it is clear and uncluttered.
 
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tsr

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I have been impressed to see what I believe is a fairly new "start screen" on Southern TVMs which very prominently lists the tickets you can and can't buy, including Advances and Rovers under the "can't buy" list. It seems to have reduced a lot of queries that I've had about what TVMs can do. If only the machines were updated as above, and then half the things they can't do could be removed from the list!
 

RJ

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More booking clerks would speed the entire process up! Replace every TVM with a fully trained booking clerk and you'd cut queues. The amount of tickets that people have cocked up because they booked online or got them from a TVM is unbelievable!

You only have to stand in a supermarket and watch folk spend five minutes using a self scan machine for a solitary loaf of bread, and the basket aisle with a depressed looking attendant who nobody wishes to use incase they have to make small conversation, they'd rather wait, tut and tut a bit more before a self service machine becomes available. Progress eh?

This is London Overground though. At their ticket offices, I've been refused sales on the basis that they can't sell tickets that aren't routed Any Permitted and not being trained on how to issue Priv tickets. They also introduced the FasTiS software at the former Southern stations without training staff on it first. On several occasions, I've walked away from their windows wondering what the point is in that person being in the ticket office - and I'm not the only one.

More concerning is TfL being under the misimpression that London Overground are training their ticket office staff properly - see this FOI request! I'm more than happy not to have to use their ticket offices until they choose to run them in a way that customers are able to do things other than top up an Oyster Card. The TVM improvements are certainly a step in the right direction.
 
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bicbasher

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I think there is still quite a way to go in terms of user acceptability testing, but good to see more functionality - especially as the ticket office is only open between 7am and 10am...!

Officially, but they can open at other times of the day. I was there last Wednesday to go to that very good Tescos you mention and the ticket clerk was there selling tickets at 2pm.

Since LOROL upgraded the TVM's, I've been using them more as the clerk at Forest Hill couldn't sell me a CDR to East Grinstead for the next day!
 
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