How secure are booking office jobs

[Scotrail314209]

I think there is a case for a 'station agent' type role at single-staffed stations with a wider range of duties than (merely) ticket sales behind a window.

This is something Scotrail do at some commuter and rural stations with staff. They deal with the ticket sales and information, but they also do things like litter picks, bin bag changes and sprinkling salt on the platforms in the winter.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is something Scotrail do at some commuter and rural stations with staff. They deal with the ticket sales and information, but they also do things like litter picks, bin bag changes and sprinkling salt on the platforms in the winter.

That's what Merseyrail ticket office staff used to do up to the introduction of PFs, with those they have to be in the booking office pretty much all the time because otherwise someone may not be able to buy a ticket.

 

[Haywain]

I believe we have seen mention in these forums before where ticket office staff also despatch trains, so this multi functional approach is not by any means unheard of. However, it does also mean it reduces the amount of time that member of staff is available for dealing with ticket related matters.

 

[Cuemang78]

Someone wanting to buy a super off peak ticket. Hardly "extremely complex".

The transaction was eventually completed after lots of dire warnings about how they shouldn't be doing it, so clearly the staff know how to issue such a complex ticket.

Isn't the whole point of having staff available is to help when there are extremely complex tickets? As it stands it seems that booking staff only want to sell the simplest of tickets for immediate travel from that specific station, and then only grudgingly.

Given the railway needs to cut costs dramatically, if it's a matter of closing stations or lines, or getting rid of people at Surbiton ticket office, I know where I'd want my tax income to go.



The railway is not a jobs program. Why spend £100k a year subsidising needless jobs at Surbiton (one where the staff member doesn't even sell the ticket asked for) when that £50k could instead employ a nurse or policeman?

With not a care for people losing jobs clearly, nice.

 

[Bletchleyite]

With not a care for people losing jobs clearly, nice.

Could be done by natural wastage (i.e. not replacing anyone who leaves or retires) I suppose. Or perhaps ticket office staff could work harder to justify their positions by spending the time to understand the system and to know when to look up/ask rather than guessing?

 

[miami]

With not a care for people losing jobs clearly, nice.

Not sure if you've seen the state of the economy, millions are at risk of redundancy, 200,000 have already lost their jobs, and most don't work for a customer-hostile industry.

Times change, technology means jobs become obsolete, whether its coal mines or high street stores or starbucks. How many BA cabin crew have been let go in the last 6 months?

 

[Cuemang78]

Not sure if you've seen the state of the economy, millions are at risk of redundancy, 200,000 have already lost their jobs, and most don't work for a customer-hostile industry.

Times change, technology means jobs become obsolete, whether its coal mines or high street stores or starbucks. How many BA cabin crew have been let go in the last 6 months?

As long as people are looked after, then there is no issue.

 

[Meerkat]

Are there really non-disabled people who genuinely can’t operate ticket machines? We shouldn’t be subsidising Luddism!
I bet most of those scared of the machines would find they prefer them after a couple of goes - especially as the options are on screen and they can take their time assessing them rather than answering grumpy/sarcastic questions that are hard to hear, let alone understand (I know ticket office staff aren’t all like that, but quite a few seem to be (understandably considering the repeated dumb questions they get asked whilst a queue forms)).
If they are struggling there is almost always someone who will help - even if it’s just because they are stuck behind waiting for the machine!
And of course if they are confused by ticketing and how to get the cheapest ticket they really should be nudged toward asking an independent person who knows rather than asking someone who has limited motivation to go out of their way to save the customer money!

 

[Taunton]

I think there is a case for a 'station agent' type role at single-staffed stations with a wider range of duties than (merely) ticket sales behind a window.

That's how it was long ago at WR country stations, with just one member of staff on duty who did everything. Nominally a "porter", but they did the lot - at a time when everyone bought tickets at the window. Gave out 'to be called for' parcels, saw trains away, shovelled snow, cashed up, everything. Supervisor of a station group turned up once a day or so.

One could even call them "stationmaster" nowadays.

 

[RT4038]

That's how it was long ago at WR country stations, with just one member of staff on duty who did everything. Nominally a "porter", but they did the lot - at a time when everyone bought tickets at the window. Gave out 'to be called for' parcels, saw trains away, shovelled snow, cashed up, everything. Supervisor of a station group turned up once a day or so.

One could even call them "stationmaster" nowadays.

Probably only at stations that are now long since closed, or unstaffed at best.