SWT Ticket Offices - closed

[30909]

Do any of the industry insiders know why, yesterday and today there are so many South West Trains ticket Office closures? Haslemere, Liphook, Liss, Petersfield, Rowlands Castle, Portsmouth Harbour and Fratton short staffed. At least four other stations have vending machine problems, just curious.

 

[Matt Taylor]

My understanding is that there is just a shortage of staff in general.

 

[Pumbaa]

Too busy splashing their backdated payrise?

 

[philjo]

Have some staff temporarily moved to provide extra support for the stations that have sevices to Ascot?

 

[Greenback]

It could well be a combination of Ascot, annual leave, sickness and the fact that they don't want to recruit many more staff to cover vacancies while they think ticket offices are in decline and they want everyone to move to using the internet and TVM's instead.

 

[Monty]

Too busy splashing their backdated payrise?

That's next month.

 

[30909]

Thanks all, I assumed as much but it seemed strange that a whole group of stations had unmanned offices, wondered if it was a local technical issue. Certainly there was at least one staff member issuing tickets from a portable machine at Petersfield onThursday afternoon so there was enough manpower for that activity.

 

[Matt Taylor]

That's next month.

Mine went into my account last night

 

[Monty]

Mine went into my account last night

Ah nice one! I had been told it would be next month.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Petersfield and Liss were both open again today.

 

[maniacmartin]

Perhaps SWT were trialling an improvement to customer service by closing the offices?

 

[Sleepy]

TOC like to avoid overtime for tickey offices ? Holidays/sickness= TVM or take your chances on train IMO !!

 

[paul1609]

Do any of the industry insiders know why, yesterday and today there are so many South West Trains ticket Office closures? Haslemere, Liphook, Liss, Petersfield, Rowlands Castle, Portsmouth Harbour and Fratton short staffed. At least four other stations have vending machine problems, just curious.

Portsmouth Harbour customer service overall is pretty appalling. Ticket office often shut. In times of disruption no information with trains being turned back at Portsmouth and Southsea.
Ive even once had to remonstrate with staff in their secret hideout at the end of platform 5 to get a wheelchair passenger rescued from a train from Waterloo.

 

[island]

Perhaps SWT were trialling an improvement to customer service by closing the offices?

That was what I was thinking! I prefer SWT booking offices when closed.

 

[3141]

Perhaps SWT were trialling an improvement to customer service by closing the offices?

Cynic! They've just built a new one at Overton, which is only part-time, and have recruited a new member of staff to operate it.

 

[30909]

Reports in local press say that on 17 June staff found the office had been raided and a large or substantial amount of cash was stolen from the safe. This led to closure for two days followed by other random closures for scenes of crime investigations. BTP interviewed staff and examined CCTV footage, burglar alarm did not activate.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Reports in local press say that on 17 June staff found the office had been raided and a large or substantial amount of cash was stolen from the safe. This led to closure for two days followed by other random closures for scenes of crime investigations. BTP interviewed staff and examined CCTV footage, burglar alarm did not activate.

Thanks for that, can't find any news story on the web related to this so we don't know any more detail I guess, but it'd certainly explain why the Ticket Office there is still closed!

If it's true that the alarm didn't activate, that is rather suspicious, someone has slipped up seriously here, but without knowing further details we shouldn't speculate I suppose.

 

[30909]

Thanks for that, can't find any news story on the web related to this so we don't know any more detail I guess, but it'd certainly explain why the Ticket Office there is still closed!

If it's true that the alarm didn't activate, that is rather suspicious, someone has slipped up seriously here, but without knowing further details we shouldn't speculate I suppose.

When the Petersfield Post update their Website it might have this week's front page story "Thousands stolen in station raid" but as the item is already 9 days old they may not bother, they have enough Fetes and dog shows from the weekend to report!:roll:

 

[wessexen]

I've only just spotted this so I am replying to information late.

Do any of the industry insiders know why, yesterday and today there are so many South West Trains ticket Office closures? Haslemere, Liphook, Liss, Petersfield, Rowlands Castle, Portsmouth Harbour and Fratton short staffed. At least four other stations have vending machine problems, just curious.

My understanding is that Haslemere was open Wednesday (19th) as far as I remember, I was on the gate line that day in the morning, although I couldn't do the Thursday as I could not do the morning shift.

Reports in local press say that on 17 June staff found the office had been raided and a large or substantial amount of cash was stolen from the safe. This led to closure for two days followed by other random closures for scenes of crime investigations. BTP interviewed staff and examined CCTV footage, burglar alarm did not activate.

I've heard about this too, it was circulating to someone I spoke to today, obviously, not even the insiders know anything more and I daren't ask, but its kind of worrying what is actually happening. (I'll have to remember to direct everyone to the ticket office for Petersfield.)

Another thing I've notice, is Liphook office rarely open these days?

 

[30909]

When the Petersfield Post update their Website it might have this week's front page story "Thousands stolen in station raid" but as the item is already 9 days old they may not bother, they have enough Fetes and dog shows from the weekend to report!:roll:

Not on website also now published page 3 of Petersfield Herald where it states there is a "press release from BTP and SWT-NR Alliance" but I canot link to it or the Herald see attachment for Petersfield Post story