Ticket office didn't know how to sell ticket

[LisaH]

I buy a rail season with a tram add-on at Altrincham Station every week. Three weeks ago, GMPTE took over from Northern Rail in the ticket office. This week I went to renew my ticket and the only staff member present didn't know how to print out the ticket. I asked him whether there was anyone he could ring for assistance but there wasn't. I then asked if he could write a note saying I had tried to buy a ticket, thinking I could then get permission to get the tram into Altrincham tomorrow morning and buy the ticket then - he wouldn't do this. The only option he gave me was to ring GMPTE - I tried this hoping someone there might be able to explain how to issue the ticket.

Fortunately while I was waiting for them to answer he had a flash of inspiration and was able to issue my ticket - but had he not done this what would my position have been? And what should I have done?

 

[causton]

I would have written a large letter of complaint and expected any compensation for extra tickets that had to be bought in lieu.

If the clerk said they were alone they were either lying or they have really poor management. Any reputable ticket office would know where to find it, i.e. a ticket office manual which tells you pretty much how to issue anything, and if not who to call, be it a supervisor, manager, other station with more experienced staff, etc etc. There is also a large amount of information on the ticket office computers which I am sure they could find if they were bothered to look!

 

[Starmill]

Which tickets do you get? For reference, GMPTE has now changed its name and function slightly to TfGM, since we became a combined authority. My understanding of the situation at Altrincham is that the new travel centre there will be jointly run.

Do you get a CountyCard or Traincard, or something else? Altrincham ticket office is capable of issuing tram-only tickets, perhaps a rarity! http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=ALT&dest=G234 these must normally be purchased from a Metrolink TVM.

 

[LisaH]

I buy a Knutsford to Timperley season (Think it's complicated as it crosses the border between GM and Cheshire.) To be fair this is the first time I've had a problem buying the ticket and the seller was as frustrated as I was - and just as pleased when he did finally work it out - I won't be complaining!

 

[Starmill]

Yeah - that's unorthodox, but it is not that difficult if you know what to expect. The origin is Knutsford and the destination is 'TIMPERLEY MTLK' - quite specific. Routed 'ALTRINCHAM MTLK' £33.40 a week Glad you got it sorted. You can also get it issued at Hale, Knutsford or Stockport if you are in the area. Having an old one handy will assist usually in getting a new one sold for you.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....If the clerk said they were alone they were either lying or they have really poor management....

Probably the latter, more so if it's now a TfGM office, but many 'out stations' are 'single man operation'.

....Any reputable ticket office would know where to find it,....

A reputable railway ticket office in Manchester, maybe, but then if this person was new to the office and/or was not employed by the railway, they genuinely might not be aware of the 'odd' tickets. I've seen GPRs working on the opposite side of Manchester (to their normal stations) in recent weeks.

....i.e. a ticket office manual which tells you pretty much how to issue anything,...

I genuinely do not know of a Northern Rail ticket office that has one of these, in fact, I can't say I have seen one since the demise of the NFM and Retail Manuals.

....and if not who to call, be it a supervisor, manager, other station with more experienced staff, etc etc....

Again it depends if we are talking about Northern Rail or TfGM staff.

....There is also a large amount of information on the ticket office computers which I am sure they could find if they were bothered to look!

Northern has password protected internet access. iKB is restricted by IP address. If it's a new member of Northern staff, they may not have their password yet (and that assumes that the training department did there job right), if it's TfGM staff they may not have iKB access. The STAR ticket machines, that Northern use, tell you very little about tickets, even if you know how to use them.

 

[northwichcat]

Yeah - that's unorthodox, but it is not that difficult if you know what to expect. The origin is Knutsford and the destination is 'TIMPERLEY MTLK' - quite specific. Routed 'ALTRINCHAM MTLK' £33.40 a week Glad you got it sorted. You can also get it issued at Hale, Knutsford or Stockport if you are in the area. Having an old one handy will assist usually in getting a new one sold for you.

The station staff at Knutsford are very familiar with issuing tickets from origins other than Knutsford. When a RPI is present they usually sent any passengers alighting a train from Chester without a ticket to the ticket office window, while a lot of business people buy London tickets with origins such as Crewe and Wilmslow.