The uninitiated

[Merseysider]

Has anyone ever been in a queue/at an adjacent ticket desk/on a train and heard someone asking for a ticket for which they'd be paying more than they need to - and pointed this out to them/offered alternative tickets?

Or had a conversation with a stranger and ended up telling them about splits or cheaper ways of making their daily journey?

I'd be interested to hear any experiences as I often witness people overpaying whilst making the same journey as I. It just made me wonder.

 

[trentside]

I spent a couple of years working in a ticket office.

I regularly had people come up asking for more expensive tickets than they needed. I used to always ask for a few more details about their journey, to establish whether I could do anything cheaper for them. Quite often people used to ask for an SOR to London, when in fact they could get away with an SVR that carried no return restrictions - so this use to be a regular one I would advise people to purchase.

As booking office staff we weren't supposed to suggest splits, but me and couple of others used to do so where it was appropriate and wouldn't cause the passengers any issues (e.g. all trains stop, passenger changing anyway). Of course, you'd occasionally get passengers who would ask you to check various splits to see which was cheaper - always happy to save people money.

 

[yorkie]

Has anyone ever been in a queue/at an adjacent ticket desk/on a train and heard someone asking for a ticket for which they'd be paying more than they need to - and pointed this out to them/offered alternative tickets?

Yes. Some people are very keen to hear of a cheaper way of making the journey. Some people just get confused. Some don't want to know.

 

[RJ]

Has anyone ever been in a queue/at an adjacent ticket desk/on a train and heard someone asking for a ticket for which they'd be paying more than they need to - and pointed this out to them/offered alternative tickets?

Or had a conversation with a stranger and ended up telling them about splits or cheaper ways of making their daily journey?

I'd be interested to hear any experiences as I often witness people overpaying whilst making the same journey as I. It just made me wonder.

Yes, I have overheard such instances, but I don't say anything. A 3rd party voluntarily interjecting in a transaction is often unwelcome. People do this at my window when I sell tickets and it's annoying. The person who butts in usually doesn't understand the customer's needs and only succeeds in creating an awkward situation.

If an eavesdropper must put forward an opinion, they should do it away from the person selling the ticket, once the transaction has been completed.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I've known it happen on the platform, where passengers have got talking to each other, but not often known it at the ticket office, thankfully.

I've had the situation where a passenger enquired about a season refund so they could buy a cheaper split season after they'd heard about it, it's not a nice position to be put in, for the passenger or the staff on duty, especially if the staff member is not aware of the split.

 

[fowler9]

Yes, I have overheard such instances, but I don't say anything. A 3rd party voluntarily interjecting in a transaction is often unwelcome. People do this at my window when I sell tickets and it's annoying. The person who butts in usually doesn't understand the customer's needs and only succeeds in creating an awkward situation.

If an eavesdropper must put forward an opinion, they should do it away from the person selling the ticket, once the transaction has been completed.

I completely disagree. If you are completely sure about a cheaper option then why not tell someone, I would want someone to do the same for me. Most station staff I come across will do this for the customer anyway but some will not, I would never hesitate from providing advice.

If the passer by has heard someone say they need to get to West Allerton for example what have they not understood that the person in the ticket office has?

 

[RJ]

I completely disagree. If you are completely sure about a cheaper option then why not tell someone, I would want someone to do the same for me. Most station staff I come across will do this for the customer anyway but some will not, I would never hesitate from providing advice.

If the passer by has heard someone say they need to get to West Allerton for example what have they not understood that the person in the ticket office has?

If there is a transaction happening between two parties, it's none of the third party's business unless they're called upon to assist.

Being "helpful" when it's not your place to get involved can create awkwardness, cause the person being advised to feel confused or flustered and end up making you look silly if what you're saying is wrong. Even if you are right, the person you're advising might not necessarily get it there and then - so they'll either say "thanks but no thanks" or hold up the queue whilst you proudly impart your knowledge on them.

Save it for when the buyer is no longer in conversation with the seller.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....If you are completely sure about a cheaper option then why not tell someone, I would want someone to do the same for me...

Theory is nice, but whilst you are certain about something, or happy and confident in the knowledge that you know the limitations and can get out of a bad situation, many others aren't, and that creates problems.

 

[fowler9]

If there is a transaction happening between two parties, it's none of the third party's business unless they're called upon to assist.

Being "helpful" when it's not your place to get involved can create awkwardness, cause the person being advised to feel confused or flustered and end up making you look silly if what you're saying is wrong. Even if you are right, the person you're advising might not necessarily get it there and then - so they'll either say "thanks but no thanks" or hold up the queue whilst you proudly impart your knowledge on them.

Save it for when the buyer is no longer in conversation with the seller.

Yeah fair enough mate. But if I am stood behind someone at my local station who asks for a return to Lime Street when I know a return from South Parkway to Lime Street is cheaper (As it was for a while) or at Warrington Central stood behind someone asking for a single to South Parkway when a single to Cressington was cheaper should I keep quiet? I was chuffed when people gave me this info (actually station staff in my case), I really couldn't care if it extended my ticket buying experience by 20 seconds.

To put it another way, there is no way I am going to tell someone after they have spent their cash that they could have got it cheaper.

 

[bb21]

Yeah fair enough mate. But if I am stood behind someone at my local station who asks for a return to Lime Street when I know a return from South Parkway to Lime Street is cheaper (As it was for a while) or at Warrington Central stood behind someone asking for a single to South Parkway when a single to Cressington was cheaper should I keep quiet? I was chuffed when people gave me this info (actually station staff in my case), I really couldn't care if it extended my ticket buying experience by 20 seconds.

To put it another way, there is no way I am going to tell someone after they have spent their cash that they could have got it cheaper.

Yes, I think if you are absolutely sure about their journey requirements, there is no harm in offering them the suggestion, although not everyone would be grateful that they were given the option to save money.

I disagree that it is none of anyone else's business. If we don't have such a silly situation where one needs to do ample preparation in order to secure the best deals, there wouldn't be a need for such actions.

That said, these types of situations do not occur that often in my experience, since it is quite unusual to hear all of the conversation between the passenger in front and the clerk.

 

[fowler9]

Yes, I think if you are absolutely sure about their journey requirements, there is no harm in offering them the suggestion, although not everyone would be grateful that they were given the option to save money.

I disagree that it is none of anyone else's business. If we don't have such a silly situation where one needs to do ample preparation in order to secure the best deals, there wouldn't be a need for such actions.

That said, these types of situations do not occur that often in my experience, since it is quite unusual to hear all of the conversation between the passenger in front and the clerk.

Absolutely mate. I just couldn't in good faith do the same journey as someone else,get off at the same station and tell them afterwards I paid a quid less to travel further. I think it is about time a few more people helped people not in the know navigate their way around the crazy ticketing system. Some people still think they get the best deals on the Trainline.com.

 

[Merseysider]

Absolutely mate. I just couldn't in good faith do the same journey as someone else,get off at the same station and tell them afterwards I paid a quid less to travel further. I think it is about time a few more people helped people not in the know navigate their way around the crazy ticketing system. Some people still think they get the best deals on the Trainline.com.

This is precisely my view on the matter.

I don't see a major difference in advising people on the forum to avoid TTL & its fees - and advising someone next to you that a simple split saves them a few quid.

For example, I was at Salford Crescent ticket office some weeks ago and struck up a conversation with the man in front of me as we were waiting for the clerk to return. Turned out he was travelling to Burscough and a split at Appley Bridge (where 99% of trains stop) saved him money.

However, I'm not sure I'd have intervened if he had already asked for the ticket and the clerk was in the process of selling it.

In some contexts it's definitely appropriate to say something though.

 

[yorkie]

Yeah fair enough mate. But if I am stood behind someone at my local station who asks for a return to Lime Street when I know a return from South Parkway to Lime Street is cheaper (As it was for a while) or at Warrington Central stood behind someone asking for a single to South Parkway when a single to Cressington was cheaper should I keep quiet?

Some people will be delighted at the suggestion. Some will be confused. Some will get annoyed. OK, admittedly there will be more in the first category, but still...

To put it another way, there is no way I am going to tell someone after they have spent their cash that they could have got it cheaper.

I don't see why not. "You might be interested, for future reference...."

The only suggestion I used to give out when people were buying a ticket was if they asked for a return to Leeds coming back a different day. There used to be no such fare. So I would suggest a return to Bradford. Some booking clerks would offer it, but many would not.

It's different if there is a football game I find - most rail-travelling football fans are aware of the existence of split ticketing but not necessarily the best "splits" and tend to be more than happy for fellow football fans to make suggestions. (However it has been known for people running minibuses to be unhappy at the suggestion of "splits" as they like to say their minibus is £xx cheaper than the through fare!)

 

[maniacmartin]

I'm happy to let other passengers subsidise my fares. Initiative to research leads to rewards. I'm sure that in other areas that are not railway-related the inverse is happening and I'm the one being ripped off

 

[fowler9]

Ha ha. Fair play folks. I guess there is no right or wrong answer. I always feel better giving someone a heads up. I'm confident doing that and it works for me. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't sure and I would never go out of my way to make a member of staff look wrong.

 

[Flamingo]

I'll always ask further questions to make sure I am selling the passenger the most appropriate ticket for their needs and route. I rarely suggest splits, except if they are travelling across London where sometimes a ticket to Zone 1 and then on to their destination is significantly cheaper, and there would be no issues about peak/ off-peak.

I have had other passengers interject with information - sometimes useful, sometimes not. I don't object on principle, but as with all advice, a lot depends on how it is offered...

 

[RJ]

Yeah fair enough mate. But if I am stood behind someone at my local station who asks for a return to Lime Street when I know a return from South Parkway to Lime Street is cheaper (As it was for a while) or at Warrington Central stood behind someone asking for a single to South Parkway when a single to Cressington was cheaper should I keep quiet? I was chuffed when people gave me this info (actually station staff in my case), I really couldn't care if it extended my ticket buying experience by 20 seconds.

To put it another way, there is no way I am going to tell someone after they have spent their cash that they could have got it cheaper.

Why not? If they care enough, they will go back and get it changed.

I can just imagine someone doing this. "Uninitiated" passenger (I dislike this turn of phrase) then queries if they're allowed to buy a ticket from a different station, then queries if they're allowed to start short - then decides whether they should trust the word of someone not in uniform who is offering advice.

You don't know if that person is doing something which renders your advice useless. Then you're getting into the territory of asking them questions about their journey, which is what the person in the ticket office is paid to do.

After giving your advice, what if the ticket office clerk is of the variety who is selective about what they sell?

Absolutely mate. I just couldn't in good faith do the same journey as someone else,get off at the same station and tell them afterwards I paid a quid less to travel further. I think it is about time a few more people helped people not in the know navigate their way around the crazy ticketing system.

Yes - TOCs pay people to do this and people will ask if they need help. Anyone interested in saving money will do their own research into it - which might involve anything from making use of resources online, to asking somebody for their opinion.

Where there is a genuine need, people will seek assistance. Why ram it down their throats?

 

[Tom B]

I'm generally wary about interjecting into other people's conversations. Occasionally I do when I'm on the tube or bus and people sitting next to me are trying to work out how to get somewhere or wondering out loud if they're on the right bus to X. And when there's a long wait people get talking although not so much in London. I've told several people, who weren't informed, about the delay repay scheme when stuck in various intercity holdups.

It's especially difficult with an employee who may or may not be offended by somebody else butting in and revealing information which he does not know. A few weeks ago, having been turfed off a bus, I got on the next one. The gentleman in front of me spoke little English and had difficulty trying to explain what had happened to the second driver, so when he looked around hopefully I tried to tell the driver - but he insisted that "You don't get involved, you let this guy speak".

I have witnessed a passenger get involved in a disagreement with a guard which had nothing to do with him - I'm in two minds of the matter, it may have been that the guard was wrong and the passenger was standing up for what he thought was right - or perhaps the passenger was misinformed and the guard was now faced with an unhelpful interjection.

And in the case of ticketing it may be that you overheard part of a conversation but not a key fact!

 

[RJ]

I'll always ask further questions to make sure I am selling the passenger the most appropriate ticket for their needs and route. I rarely suggest splits, except if they are travelling across London where sometimes a ticket to Zone 1 and then on to their destination is significantly cheaper, and there would be no issues about peak/ off-peak.

I do the same thing - people making long distance one way journeys on the Western Region, I sell them a ticket to Paddington then one on to their destination. A Croydon to Cardiff single is £75, while a Paddington - Cardiff single is £42!

 

[fowler9]

Well I'll back anyone up. Maybe it comes with age, I don't know, astonishing as it may seem to people who have seen me on here I won't geg in if it is something I know nothing about.

 

[Hyphen]

The one time I've ever got involved in something like this (I usually keep my nose out)...

I was on an XC service Nottingham-Cardiff. At Nottingham a 2-car 170 came in, and they bolted a second set onto the back. On this route, the train reverses at Derby, so the new unit (without reservations) was now at the front. My sister and I are sat in the small area at the very front (in the end that's not first class).

At Birmingham the train gets rather full rather quickly. A group of 5 people come up to us demanding we move, as they have reservations. I tried to explain that we weren't going to move, as these seats aren't reserved. I offer that their reserved seats will be in the rear half of the train, as there are two units together - hence two coach As. That wasn't good enough for them though. They were adamant we were sat in their reserved seats, as they were at the rear of the train on the way up, and so should be at the front on their way back.

They ended up standing in the vestibule area, and I overheard them (probably purposefully loud enough for me to hear) saying how ridiculous it was they paid all that money for a seat reservation, and that we wouldn't move for them. Another traveller piped up saying they once paid £19 for a seat reservation, and nobody would move. They agreed and said the joke would be on us when the guard came through (who was in the rear unit on non-corridor stock...!)

After Gloucester, the train emptied out enough for them to sit at the table adjacent to us. Rather snarkily, one of the group piped up with "Would you like to see our reservations then?" I said yes, and the look on their face was rather priceless when I pointed out the big fat £0.00 on their reservation coupon

 

[34D]

The one time I've ever got involved in something like this (I usually keep my nose out)...

I was on an XC service Nottingham-Cardiff. At Nottingham a 2-car 170 came in, and they bolted a second set onto the back. On this route, the train reverses at Derby, so the new unit (without reservations) was now at the front. My sister and I are sat in the small area at the very front (in the end that's not first class).

At Birmingham the train gets rather full rather quickly. A group of 5 people come up to us demanding we move, as they have reservations. I tried to explain that we weren't going to move, as these seats aren't reserved. I offer that their reserved seats will be in the rear half of the train, as there are two units together - hence two coach As. That wasn't good enough for them though. They were adamant we were sat in their reserved seats, as they were at the rear of the train on the way up, and so should be at the front on their way back.

They ended up standing in the vestibule area, and I overheard them (probably purposefully loud enough for me to hear) saying how ridiculous it was they paid all that money for a seat reservation, and that we wouldn't move for them. Another traveller piped up saying they once paid £19 for a seat reservation, and nobody would move. They agreed and said the joke would be on us when the guard came through (who was in the rear unit on non-corridor stock...!)

After Gloucester, the train emptied out enough for them to sit at the table adjacent to us. Rather snarkily, one of the group piped up with "Would you like to see our reservations then?" I said yes, and the look on their face was rather priceless when I pointed out the big fat £0.00 on their reservation coupon

Not sure I understand this?

 

[Hyphen]

Not sure I understand this?

Most of it's waffle...

TL;DR - a woman was complaining that she'd paid money for seat reservations that she thought I was taking up (there were no reservation labels). When she confronted me, I'd pointed out that her reservations were free.

I suppose it's the exact opposite of what should be in the thread, and I shall therefore shut up

 

[Merseysider]

Another traveller piped up saying they once paid £19 for a seat reservation, and nobody would move. They agreed and said the joke would be on us when the guard came through (who was in the rear unit on non-corridor stock...!)

Made my day!

You'd think people would at least double check their facts/make sure they know what they're on about before making a t*t out of themselves

 

[Flamingo]

Most weeks I get a complaint of the "Somebody is in my reserved seat" variety. Sometimes one or other is in the wrong coach, most of the time they are in the wrong train. Sometimes the people sitting down are insisting there were no reservations in the seat - usually incorrectly!

I have only once seen a double-booking that appeared genuine.

 

[bb21]

The one time I've ever got involved in something like this (I usually keep my nose out)...

I once pointed out to a woman in an argument that her reservation says £0.00 and I was told to stop being a smart-a*se and shut up. So promptly I did, put my ear plugs on for the rest of the journey totally blanking her.