Why can’t ticket booth staff print out pre-booked tickets?

[allotments]

It ensures that you can actually collect a ticket from the station you’re planning to collect it from - whilst the list of stations that you can’t collect tickets from is relatively small compared to the list of stations that do, you don’t want to turn up at Dilton Marsh to collect your ticket only to find there isn’t a ticket machine to collect it from.

OK makes sense ! Thanks.

Many stations don't have a TVM (or booking office) from which tickets can be collected. The purpose was to ensure that customers were made aware of this by being forced to select somewhere that did have collection facilities. Whilst the problem is less acute now, it was significant 10 years ago when far more stations did not have collection facilities.

Now I understand why! Thanks.

It's a lot of repetitive work choosing collection station and sometimes the app interface doesn't work so that the required station can't actually be selected.

Maybe it's time to omit this step but show a warning before purchase if TVM not available at journey starting station.

Having selected a TVM doesn't guarantee that it will be online when the customer needs it... and that's been the frequent problem for me.

 

[Tallguy]

You, or whoever purchased the ticket would have had to nominate a station with a TVM to collect the tickets from. Why is it an issue?

If there’s a problem with the TVMs then the ticket office may be able to assist but they should be tried in the first instance.

To repeat myself again, if the TVM is broken, I want the ability to collect my pre-booked tickets from the ticket booth. I have been told categorically by Chiltern staff at High Wycombe and Princes Risborough that is not possible. It should be Possible.

 

[Starmill]

To repeat myself again, if the TVM is broken, I want the ability to collect my pre-booked tickets from the ticket booth. I have been told categorically by Chiltern staff at High Wycombe and Princes Risborough that is not possible. It should be Possible.

It is possible. The staff are very likely to be mistaken.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I usually direct customers to the working TVM when requested to issue TODs, unless they're unable to use the TVM.

If it's quiet I'll issue the tickets but point out that they should be obtained in future from the TVM.

 

[Skie]

Imagine our situation now for home based staff in Liverpool who are required to travel to other offices around the country:

Merseyrail won’t print ToD
Merseyrail flows wont allow e-tickets
Our office has a ticket printer, but to get there you need a ticket!

Its a rediculous situation that is leading to buying of walk up fares and then reimbursing these costs. Postal tickets are an option if you know you’re travelling 7 working days before, but often our travel is arranged quite sharpish.

 

[Tallguy]

It is possible. The staff are very likely to be mistaken.

I usually direct customers to the working TVM when requested to issue TODs, unless they're unable to use the TVM.

If it's quiet I'll issue the tickets but point out that they should be obtained in future from the TVM.

So what Do I need to tell the ticket booth staff to do in order to print out my tickets if the TVM is broken? If it is possible then I’m going to file a complaint with Chiltern that they need to train their staff better.

 

[alistairlees]

So what Do I need to tell the ticket booth staff to do in order to print out my tickets if the TVM is broken? If it is possible then I’m going to file a complaint with Chiltern that they need to train their staff better.

Just give them your collection reference and the card you paid with. You don’t need to tell them where you bought your ticket. It’s irrelevant.

 

[Tallguy]

Just give them your collection reference and the card you paid with. You don’t need to tell them where you bought your ticket. It’s irrelevant.

Tried that and have had the staff tell me they can’t print the tickets out…..I need to know what to tell the member of staff to do when they say they can’t print out my tickets. Many people on here say it can be done, but no one is posting the ‘how to’…..

 

[alistairlees]

Tried that and have had the staff tell me they can’t print the tickets out…..I need to know what to tell the member of staff to do when they say they can’t print out my tickets. Many people on here say it can be done, but no one is posting the ‘how to’…..

Chiltern ticket offices used to have Cubic ticket machines that couldn’t do ToD. I thought they were upgraded a few years ago though.

 

[Starmill]

Tried that and have had the staff tell me they can’t print the tickets out…..I need to know what to tell the member of staff to do when they say they can’t print out my tickets. Many people on here say it can be done, but no one is posting the ‘how to’…..

If you politely ask for your tickets by handing the ticket office staff your card and saying "I've got a booking reference and I need to collect my tickets please, but your ticket machine isn't working" and they respond "I can't do anything about that" I would ask them directly how they advise that I travel without a ticket. If they respond that you cannot, or that you need to buy a new ticket, then certainly this is grounds for a complaint.

Otherwise ask to be let through the ticket gates and just get on the train.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Chiltern ticket offices used to have Cubic ticket machines that couldn’t do ToD. I thought they were upgraded a few years ago though.

FasTIS could definitely do ToD, though Chiltern have now migrated to Worldline MTIS, which also has ToD functionality.

Tried that and have had the staff tell me they can’t print the tickets out…..I need to know what to tell the member of staff to do when they say they can’t print out my tickets. Many people on here say it can be done, but no one is posting the ‘how to’…..

Sounds like there's a training issue involved. I'm wondering if they also claim to be unable to do seat reservations or Advance tickets.

That aside, they need to tap on the menu button as if they were going to issue a Season ticket or Railcard, and select "TOD Recall". It should be self-explanatory from there.

 

[alistairlees]

FasTIS could definitely do ToD, though Chiltern have now migrated to Worldline MTIS, which also has ToD functionality.

Yes, I know. But I don't think they paid for the ToD recall feature, at least not initially.

 

[Haywain]

Yes, I know. But I don't think they paid for the ToD recall feature, at least not initially.

Yes, that is a configurable feature on Worldline MTIS.

 

[alistairlees]

Yes, that is a configurable feature on Worldline MTIS.

Sorry, crossed wires here. I was referring to the cubic ones.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It was several years ago now, but I've certainly had tickets printed by ticket office staff at London Victoria when about half the machines were OOU and long queues for the rest. Just had to show the code on my phone.

It also used to be the case (and presumably still is) that even though online retailers require you to nominate a station to collect your tickets, as long as you have the code and card you'll be able to print the tickets at ANY ToD-enabled machine, even with a different TOC from the one you nominated.

 

[alistairlees]

It was several years ago now, but I've certainly had tickets printed by ticket office staff at London Victoria when about half the machines were OOU and long queues for the rest. Just had to show the code on my phone.

It also used to be the case (and presumably still is) that even though online retailers require you to nominate a station to collect your tickets, as long as you have the code and card you'll be able to print the tickets at ANY ToD-enabled machine, even with a different TOC from the one you nominated.

Yes this has always been the case. So far as ToD goes, TVMs are dumb; they query a central database (LSM) to get the ticket details. The requirement to nominate a station is just to ensure that customers don’t turn up at a station without a TVM expecting to be able to collect a ToD.