OhNoAPacer
Member
I had some rail vouchers to use and as I was at Whitehaven station anyway earlier this week I decided to book return tickets standard class off peak return Whitehaven (WTH) to Northampton (NMP) at the station. The journey out starts on the 11:51 from WTH on 23/5 and the return on 2/6 starting from NMP at 07:55.
There was a bit of an issue in that initially the booking clerk could not find the 11:51, but with help, he did say he was under training, finally my journey was found. However I was told that no reservations were possible, which I must admit surprised me. At home I logged on to Virgin trains and, apart from having to force it to avoid sending me via man picc, got the offer of reserved seats.
The whole thing does make me wonder given that I, as a rank amateur, could easily find the train I wanted and could have gotten reserved seats as to what is the reason trained staff could not do so.
The reasons that have sprung into my head are:
1. The system installed at WTH is complicated so in effect it is easier for me on a TOC site to find a train.
2. Virgin hold back some seats that can only be reserved via their site.
3. The staff were having a 'mare and just made an error.
These of course are not mutually exclusive.
I am not about to rush of to Northern and ask for the staff to be sacked, (which I know goes against all internet forum rules
) especially as sitting at WTH waiting for trains I have often heard the staff being very good with passengers and offering really good advice, but it does make me less likely to book at the station office, in fact any station office, as I felt a little powerless even though I was fairly sure that it must have been possible to reserve seats, but short of calling the poor chaps in the office some sort of unpleasant names then there was not a lot I could do.
Only saving grace is that the virgin trains are both booked to be pendo's, so hopefully there won't be any trouble in my getting a seat.
There was a bit of an issue in that initially the booking clerk could not find the 11:51, but with help, he did say he was under training, finally my journey was found. However I was told that no reservations were possible, which I must admit surprised me. At home I logged on to Virgin trains and, apart from having to force it to avoid sending me via man picc, got the offer of reserved seats.
The whole thing does make me wonder given that I, as a rank amateur, could easily find the train I wanted and could have gotten reserved seats as to what is the reason trained staff could not do so.
The reasons that have sprung into my head are:
1. The system installed at WTH is complicated so in effect it is easier for me on a TOC site to find a train.
2. Virgin hold back some seats that can only be reserved via their site.
3. The staff were having a 'mare and just made an error.
These of course are not mutually exclusive.
I am not about to rush of to Northern and ask for the staff to be sacked, (which I know goes against all internet forum rules
) especially as sitting at WTH waiting for trains I have often heard the staff being very good with passengers and offering really good advice, but it does make me less likely to book at the station office, in fact any station office, as I felt a little powerless even though I was fairly sure that it must have been possible to reserve seats, but short of calling the poor chaps in the office some sort of unpleasant names then there was not a lot I could do.Only saving grace is that the virgin trains are both booked to be pendo's, so hopefully there won't be any trouble in my getting a seat.
