LOROL station couldn't sell me a RTN for tomorrow

[bicbasher]

I attempted to purchase a CDR to East Grinstead from the infamous Forest Hill station for tomorrow.

The clerk tried three times on FasTIS and could only bring up the single fare.

On another note, the TVM's are now able to sell BZ tickets, although I couldn't buy tickets for tomorrow, although I think LOROL TVM's can sell tickets from 1600?

 

[maniacmartin]

Boundary zone tickets from TVMs is definitely a big bonus.

As to the ticket office staff, I've noticed that LO seem to be getting better. There are still too many times when they get things wrong, but in the ELL core at least, there are now times when I'm able to buy the ticket I need.

 

[bicbasher]

I also forgot to mention that like Southern, you can now buy tickets from the Forest Hill TVM's starting from any station.

 

[maniacmartin]

BZ and buying from other random stations has also appeared in the ELL core.

 

[bicbasher]

BZ and buying from other random stations has also appeared in the ELL core.

Excellent!

I went back to Forest Hill and used the TVM at 5.20pm. (There was a massive queue, while hardly anyone used the ticket office) and was able to buy my ticket and also a BZ6 to East Grinstead.

 

[hassaanhc]

Excellent!

I went back to Forest Hill and used the TVM at 5.20pm. (There was a massive queue, while hardly anyone used the ticket office) and was able to buy my ticket and also a BZ6 to East Grinstead.

View attachment 18812

That is some interesting ticket stock with the TfL roundel as the background, doesn't seem to be a recent batch due to the old "Rail Settlement Plan" text in the background, which for a while has been changed to "National Rail"

 

[bicbasher]

That is some interesting ticket stock with the TfL roundel as the background, doesn't seem to be a recent batch due to the old "Rail Settlement Plan" text in the background, which for a while has been changed to "National Rail"

Indeed, Forest Hill appear to have tons of the old stock. No problems getting it on new stock at East Dulwich.

All London Overground managed (inc. those owned by TfL) and London Underground stations owned by Network Rail have the roundel on the stock.

 

[maniacmartin]

Surrey Quays have a TVM at the moment that has old stock in one printer and new stock in the other

 

[bicbasher]

I wrote to LOROL about this issue and this is their reply.

Thank you for contacting London Overground.

I have discussed your query with one of our experienced ticket office clerks. He has advised that you can only be sold an advanced day return for a Forest Hill - East Grinstead ticket. If you are returning on a different day, then the only option would be two singles. With single tickets you can choose between flexibility and cost for each leg of the trip which tends to be more convenient for some passengers.

You attempted to purchase tickets for the next day using the ticket vending machine at approximately 1235. This is not possible. The machines can only process this type of request after 1600. I am sorry the inconvenience caused to you.

The reply doesn't answer that I requested a CDR for that date. It seems that they're right even when they're in the wrong.

 

[maniacmartin]

So in their letter they have got the ticket you wanted wrong and state you used a TVm when you approached a clerk? Very poor response

 

[bicbasher]

So in their letter they have got the ticket you wanted wrong and state you used a TVm when you approached a clerk? Very poor response

I explained to them that I approached the clerk, then used a TVM.

I can't even be bothered to complain about the PA system at Forest Hill which isn't working properly since they 'upgraded' it.

 

[RJ]

You really couldn't make this stuff up. It's not only frustrating for customers, but it must be frustrating for staff too - they must continually be arguing with customers because they don't know how to provide basic services that are reasonably expected of them. I know not everybody likes to play with software to familiarise themselves with it, but if you are employed as a ticket office clerk and can't work out how to change the ticket type of a ticket to be issued, why are you on the window?

 

[maniacmartin]

My all-time LO favourite (not from Forest Hill) was only being able to offer a ticket for the first few trains of the day, because the clerk didn't notice the scrollbar on the list of itineraries!

 

[causton]

My all-time LO favourite (not from Forest Hill) was only being able to offer a ticket for the first few trains of the day, because the clerk didn't notice the scrollbar on the list of itineraries!

My favourite is a list of discounts showing a PRIV discount, and yet the clerk denied it was there and would not sell it to someone with a PRIV card, despite the discount being next to the 16-25 discount they offered me on the list!

 

[bicbasher]

It's a mess. I've used this station for most of my life, where I'd regularly buy tickets between there and St. Leonards Warrior Square in the 90s and had no problems whatsoever having a simple CDR sold for the next day with a Network Railcard.

Even during the Connex and Southern management eras, buying train tickets wasn't an issue. Since the upgrade to FasTIS and the Oyster focused selling, they've seem to have simply lost interest in selling anything NR unless it's a season to London Terminals.

Incidentally, only recently I saw an elderly couple ask for a Senior Railcard single to St. Pancras Thameslink, the clerk tried to sell them a travelcard as he didn't know the London Thameslink ticket.

 

[yorkie]

LO are a joke.

They've told me they are "not part of National Rail" and therefore "cannot issue" excesses/reservations etc.

One of them told me there is only one type of excess fare and that's excessing a single to a return.

Nothing will ever be done about it! There is no effective regulator or ombudsman!

 

[bicbasher]

That reminds me of this classic LOROL ticket office clanger. Back in 2011, I asked for a CDR to Waterloo East. I received a SOUTHERN ONLY ticket to London Terminals, which was the same price as the Any Permitted, yet wasn't valid between London Bridge and Waterloo East on Southeastern.

 

[bb21]

My all-time LO favourite (not from Forest Hill) was only being able to offer a ticket for the first few trains of the day, because the clerk didn't notice the scrollbar on the list of itineraries!

It does make you wonder where they get their ticket office staff from, doesn't it?

In terms of customer service, LO are by far the worst TOC in my book, with SouthEastern a close second, and these two outstretch the rest of the field by a very very long margin. At least SouthEastern have some competent staff and a reasonably good twitter team.

 

[tractakid]

Dunno what you guys are on about. My one LO ticket office transaction involved a Merseyrail Saveaway being issued Sure, the request took the seller by surprise and he wasn't sure he could issue it, but his attitude was right and he tried and succeeded and enjoyed the challenge. So LO have good staff as well as bad.

 

[bicbasher]

Stickers have been placed on the TVM's at Forest Hill informing passengers that they can buy tickets from other stations using the machine.

 

[maniacmartin]

Stickers have been placed on the TVM's at Forest Hill informing passengers that they can buy tickets from other stations using the machine.

At Surrey Quays too. They're quite prominent stickers too.

 

[PermitToTravel]

It might be all south ELL stations. Sydenham has them too

 

[Sleepy]

Clueless Muppets - had a chap with BZ 6 - Colchester super off peak return on my train today, at 0800 !! (Valid after 1200) If they can't even sell walk up tickets correctly then I give up. :roll::roll::roll: Thankfully the excess on that journey is not too bad.

 

[yorkie]

Clueless Muppets - had a chap with BZ 6 - Colchester super off peak return on my train today, at 0800 !! (Valid after 1200) If they can't even sell walk up tickets correctly then I give up. :roll::roll::roll: Thankfully the excess on that journey is not too bad.

From a ticket office? Was the passenger issued with an itinerary?

 

[Clip]

At Surrey Quays too. They're quite prominent stickers too.

I was at Norwood Junction the other day and Im sure that its now on teh scrolling display too.

Its odd about their TO staff though as surely most of them were transferred over from Southern??

 

[bicbasher]

At Surrey Quays too. They're quite prominent stickers too.

The ones at Surrey Quays which have in my opinion the better TVM's have larger stickers, which are more detailed, such as informing Freedom Pass holders they can use it to buy BZ tickets.

The older (Southern legacy) TVM stickers are tiny.

Its odd about their TO staff though as surely most of them were transferred over from Southern??

At Forest Hill, at least three of the ex Southern clerks are still there. Yet it was one of those who couldn't sell me the ticket originally. However, I suspect if Shere SMART had been kept, the correct ticket would have been sold.

 

[Sleepy]

From a ticket office? Was the passenger issued with an itinerary?

No not that I was made aware off - pax knew he had paid less than normal and quite happy to pay excess.