When is an open ticket office not an open ticket office?

[stut]

When it's closed? Well, yes. But also when there's nobody there.

My local station has taken to having extended periods of absence at the ticket counter - they started off being around 10-15 minutes, but it's now not uncommon to see a "back at [whenever]" sign up for 30-45 minutes. Which is rather annoying when you need to do something you can't do online or at the ticket machine, or for the town's large older population, who aren't always the most confident with the machines.

I assume this has to do with there being minimal staff, and their (quite rightly) needing breaks, or having to carry out other duties, but... I am being overly unreasonable in expecting a) for there to at least be someone there in the 10 minutes before a train leaves and b) for any breaks to be planned and advertised?

 

[Greenback]

Breaks should usually be planned, but this can't always happen for obvious reasons. IS there any apparent pattern to when the sign appears? At Llanelli, different members of staff appear to take their short break at different times, the most popular being around 1000, or following the departure of the train at 1030.

This suggests to me that staff there are given discretion to decide when is the best time to be off the window.

 

[maniacmartin]

You can find out when your office is supposed to be manned in Schedule 17 of the TSA.

 

[stut]

Well, according to that document, it's supposed to be open continuously until 14:15.

In terms of patterns, well, they always used to time it so it avoided the fast London trains (xx:19) and was generally limited to 10 minutes. They're a good bunch, and I've no doubt that they know when the slack periods are - thing is, that's exactly when I'd choose to head to the station to do more complex transactions

 

[Tetchytyke]

I am being overly unreasonable in expecting a) for there to at least be someone there in the 10 minutes before a train leaves and b) for any breaks to be planned and advertised?

I don't think it is unreasonable at all. My local station is single-staffed and it's a complete lottery as to whether it will be open at the published times. It is supposed to be open until at least 1900 during the week, but I'm yet to see it open that late in the two months I've lived here and used it every day. I'm yet to see it open on a Saturday either, though have seen it open on a Sunday- once. When the staff member is actually there they are incredibly helpful, it should be said.

I ask London Midland about it and they couldn't actually care less. There's a card-only TVM and Penalty Fares for anyone who wanted to pay cash. Why on earth would they want to spend money on having enough staff to cover holidays and sickness?

 

[richw]

Redruth off peak when a train is due.

The ticket office staff also do dispatch at Redruth so the ticket office closes 5 minutes before a train is due. Off peak times only one person works at Redruth so does ticket office and dispatch.

Take a guess when most people want a ticket, and thus the ticket office to be open.

When they go out a tatty A4 sign goes up telling people to buy on board. 75% of the time if travelling Penzance bound there is no such opportunity on board so plenty of ticketless travel in west Cornwall.

 

[Greenback]

More needs to be done as regards the staffing of ticket offices. The problem is that it costs money to employ more people to cover breaks, despatch and so forth. It is much easier and cheaper to inconvenience the public, particularly as TOC's seem to believe that no one wants to use a ticket office any more.

 

[pt_mad]

At stations I have worked at, all have allowed staff to time in their own break.

It would be awkward for the opening times to read for example:

0615 - 1000
1000 - 1430
1445 - 1800
1815 - 2245

Instead it reads:
0600 - 2245 and breaks or shift changes are not listed.

One problem with this however is when customers automatically assume that if a staff member is not there (on break etc) they can pay on board for whatever ticket even though there is a TVM. However central controls/conductors etc will be unaware of a ticket office closure for a break etc.


The other major problem (especially at stations I have worked) are that many weekday off peak travellers (the elderly etc etc) do not want to or have no desire to use a machine. The same happens with large family groups on Saturdays.

 

[route:oxford]

When it's closed? Well, yes. But also when there's nobody there.

My local station has taken to having extended periods of absence at the ticket counter - they started off being around 10-15 minutes, but it's now not uncommon to see a "back at [whenever]" sign up for 30-45 minutes. Which is rather annoying when you need to do something you can't do online or at the ticket machine, or for the town's large older population, who aren't always the most confident with the machines.

I assume this has to do with there being minimal staff, and their (quite rightly) needing breaks, or having to carry out other duties, but... I am being overly unreasonable in expecting a) for there to at least be someone there in the 10 minutes before a train leaves and b) for any breaks to be planned and advertised?

Are you in Scotland?

If so, transport Scotland have very strict SLAgs for station cleanliness and litter-picking etc. This means that staff will often be out and about tidying up after passengers.

 

[Harpers Tate]

Where this is most likely to cause a problem is when a combination of factors
- ticket office scheduled to be open
- staff member is taking a physical needs break
- passenger thus boards a train without a ticket
- train staff or RPIs refuse to accept passnger's reason
causes a passenger to be "disciplined" when they are without fault.

 

[SPADTrap]

very strict SLAgs

Sorry

 

[stut]

Are you in Scotland?

If so, transport Scotland have very strict SLAgs for station cleanliness and litter-picking etc. This means that staff will often be out and about tidying up after passengers.

Nope, in an odd region of England that the BBC describes as "East West". AFAIK, you have to pay for strict SLAgs here.

 

[duffield]

Where this is most likely to cause a problem is when a combination of factors
- ticket office scheduled to be open
- staff member is taking a physical needs break
- passenger thus boards a train without a ticket
- train staff or RPIs refuse to accept passnger's reason
causes a passenger to be "disciplined" when they are without fault.

It shouldn't be necessary, but if this is an issue you could always take a picture of the ticket office with the 'back in 15mins' sign or whatever visible and show this to the on-train staff. It would make it much more difficult for them to disbelieve you.

Edit: Obviously based on the assumption that you have (e.g.) a mobile capable of taking pictures!

 

[pt_mad]

The ticket office role at many smaller stations is a wider one nowdays.

As well as selling tickets duties can include:
Providing assistance to the disabled
Station security searches
Litter picking and cleaning up nasty spills
Checking and replenishing public toilet facilities
Making announcements
Photographing / reporting any maintainance defects around the station
Signing in visitors/maintainance staff and showing them where to go
Gritting in winter

This can often take staff away from the window for extended periods.