Written requests for tickets

[maniacmartin]

Sometimes I want to buy an odd assortment of various tickets from a ticket office. The tickets may need different dates, railcards, number of passengers travelling etc.

On several occasions I have written these details on a piece of paper in a list (typed as my handwriting sucks) to hand to the ticket clerk. On every occasion across multiple TOCs, the clerks insist I read out the ticket requirements. One clerk even got very annoyed that I'd written down the station codes as it was 'internal information'

Then, possibly due to difficulties hearing through their counter glass, I end up having to repeat myself and sometimes end up with some incorrect tickets, such as a missing railcard discount, which then need voiding and re-issuing.

It always strikes me that it would be much quicker, easier and less error-prone to just hand over the details so the clerk can key it all in and issue the tickets. Why are clerks so averse to this?

 

[Be3G]

I used to do something similar when buying daily tickets a week at a time for commuting to uni. Most SWT clerks were happy with the lists I printed off, though there was a right grumpy git who told me that asking him to refer to the list himself would be like teaching a grandmother to suck eggs. Charming.

 

[Lrd]

I went to Waterloo to get some sleeper reservations. I asked for some reservations and the clerk saw me read off the paper I had so I handed it over and he worked through it, just asking me to confirm what I needed. He seemed happy to do this and was able to get through them quickly.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Are the conversations through a screen recorded?

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I often do this, particularly if I'm buying complicated ranger/rover tickets. I too get mixed reactions, where most are fine with it and actually appreciate it, I have had one tell me 'he knows how to do his job' followed by 'smart arse' and also had the thing about CRS codes, myself being told that codes are 'personal to staff'. What utter rubbish.

 

[Crossover]

I did it at Dewsbury a couple of years ago and they were ok with it, but haven't had much need to do it since

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I have no problem with people writing their requests down, in fact a few of my regular Advance ticket buyers will just write down what I need to know and then produce it at the window, for just one Advance. I really can't see what the fuss would be about, just get on with issuing the tickets!

 

[trentside]

As a former ticket clerk, I used to quite like people doing this for complex transactions. What I did object to, were people who would just shove the paper through and use it as an excuse not to speak to me - they were a minority though!

 

[Merseysider]

...had the thing about CRS codes, myself being told that codes are 'personal to staff'. What utter rubbish.

Me too! This is despite the fact CRS codes are plastered all over NRE...

 

[janb]

I don't see why anybody would get upset about it. When our customers do it I find it helpful, especially given the acoustics in our booking hall!

 

[Yew]

also had the thing about CRS codes, myself being told that codes are 'personal to staff'. What utter rubbish.

Indeed, they are definitely not displayed on the NRE website to the public

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/not.aspx

 

[hassaanhc]

I don't see why anybody would get upset about it. When our customers do it I find it helpful, especially given the acoustics in our booking hall!

That's what i was thinking. I did it once at Southall, had no issues with it (Z1-6 off-peak and a BZ6-Aldershot return :P )

 

[Merseysider]

Surely the clerk doesn't have the right to complain anyway, as writing things down could be a deaf person's only effective way of communicating. Any huffing and puffing about having to read off a list is unacceptable.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Indeed, they are definitely not displayed on the NRE website to the public

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/not.aspx

You can also use them on every online ticket site and journey planner I've ever come across. So, pah, moody ticket office staff.

 

[richw]

You can also use them on every online ticket site and journey planner I've ever come across. So, pah, moody ticket office staff.

FGW's online booking site works better if you know the 3 digit station code I've found.

 

[maniacmartin]

It seems I've just been unlucky then, given all of the positive experiences upthread. Maybe its a London thing.

As an aside, CRS codes don't work on some sites, including I believe Northern and Raileasy.

 

[Crossover]

It seems I've just been unlcuky then, given all of the positive experiences upthread. Maybe its a London thing.

As an aside, CRS codes don't work on some sites, including I believe Northern and Raileasy.

Next time claim you can't hear them very well and see if any mention of DDA makes them just get on with it

 

[Starmill]

I've quoted a code in the past and been told "Yes, I do know how to spell it thanks". I'm very wary of quoting things like that now. Luckily I can do it with my home station as it's reasonable that it will be asked how to spell it when I say it, and the first three letters of the station name are its code.

I've often taken notes with me and read them out to ask for my tickets, but never handed the paper over on the presumption that I'd get the reaction maniacmartin describes. I assure you it isn't a London thing... I was thusly very surprised when I was at Dewsbury once with Crossover who simply passed some train times on a piece of paper through the slot and asked for 'Advance tickets on those three, please' (or wtte).

Lots of mistakes have been made that could have been averted if I had used this technique. I once used 4 RTVs to buy a FONE, but one of the RTVs had a £xx.x7 on it so the price I paid by card was totally random and I didn't recognise that it was lower than what I had calculated the difference I'd need to pay would be. It transpired that I had actually been issued a FONW (NORTH WEST ROVER rather than NORTH EAST ROVER). This proved an un-easy thing indeed to rectify, and I was basically blamed for it for not realising the price difference, which was of course down to it ending in a random digit.

I suppose this could be because my approach to ticket buying is a rather scared one, as I never ever know what reaction I might get from my requests - though I think I do a reasonably job of saying hello etc!

 

[Crossover]

I was thusly very surprised when I was at Dewsbury once with Crossover who simply passed some train times on a piece of paper through the slot and asked for 'Advance tickets on those three, please' (or wtte).

I had forgotten that I had done it then too! To be fair, I have often found Dewsbury to be very customer friendly when it comes to ticketing and I think it does help as acoustics can be a bit odd and it saves having to keep re-iterating dates and times and such like (without forgoetting oneself)

I have used CRS codes a number of times - most recently on Saturday at Wakefield Westgate asking for a Strood (Kent) to Sheerness on Sea ticket, which was met with "A what ticket"..."oh, just put in SOO to SSS" and the ticket was promptly located and issued. Sometimes they help too with stations that have awful names to spell (another at Westgate, possibly by the same guy as I had on Saturday, was to Coleshill parkway - he couldn't find that as suspect he may have been putting Coalshill!)

 

[TEW]

I've always found staff happy to be given a reference to a CRS code sometimes. Asking for a ticket to Newton St Cyres at Guildford was much easier once I said the code was NTC! I've had clerks ask me if I know the CRS code before too when asking for some particularly obscure location.

 

[yorkie]

It seems I've just been unlcuky then, given all of the positive experiences upthread. Maybe its a London thing.

It is indeed.

You'd likely not have any problems up here - well, if you did, it would only be a small minority I'm sure.

It's not always easy to know (or recall) exactly what the best order to provide your requirements is, as it may vary by ticket issuing system (TIS), and avoids being misunderstood (e.g. I once asked for Cheddington, but was issued with Teddington)

I've also known someone say they wanted a Leeds-Sheffield, Sheffield-Derby, Derby-... well, you get the idea. The problem was, after going through all that, they then said they wanted the combination for another passenger. If it had been written down, the clerk could have done it quicker.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I never jump in with all this fancy CRS code stuff or simply slide the list under and expect them to rustle up some tickets, I always start off with something like "Hi, I want a bit of an odd ticket combination" then state the tickets, then I will say "I have a list if it is of any help" or something to that effect. The same goes for codes, if it is a station that may be unusual or not heard of, I will mention I have the code if needed.

This way I have less chance of annoying the clerk and starting off all this 'don't tell me how to do my job' kind of bull****.

 

[maniacmartin]

Then there are the clerks who can't find the Rover you want, and point blank refuse to look it up using the code, making you leave empty handed. This has only ever happened to me at Southeastern offices.

 

[Starmill]

There's no easy way around it. I've asked for a number of different tickets from a guard by asking for one first and then having them walk off before I could get to asking for the second. I have also asked up front if I could buy more than one ticket, and was given a look like I was crazy because he must have thought for more than one person and there was only me in the whole carriage.

 

[RJ]

I've done this a couple of times. Start date, origin, destination, their CRS codes, ticket type, railcard discount type and price are the columns I use.

I recently did it when I bought a job lot of tickets. Asides from one having the wrong date (02nd instead of 20th of the month) and two being printed upside down, it all went smoothly. I paid for them with RTVs. For this reason, those clerical errors proved impossible to rectify anywhere, so I had to write them off. The experience taught me that some ticket offices do a disservice to those who might find it difficult to communicate. Someone might have their requirements printed out because they have a reading or speech impediment. Staff not paying attention get it wrong, then say they can't put it right. Very poor show, I'd never be unhelpful like that to someone in the same situation.

 

[Starmill]

I once asked for a CDR from Burley Park to Frizinghall at Shipley having travelled there from Burley Park. I was issued with a ticket from Burley-in-Wharfedale to Frizinghall. Understandable I suppose as it is far more likely that someone would have travelled from there than where I actually came from, but I had again paid with an RTV. This meant that there was apparently no way to rectify the problem - even though it wasn't my fault.

I believe in the end a workaround was made up, which involved using an excess to change the ticket type to an Anytime Day Return, and also changing the origin on the ticket with the excess. Completely random and meant I had to pay the price of the SDR Burley Park - Frizinghall.

I have no idea what the problem might have been, but I can't believe that was the most customer friendly solution both people who work there (there was nobody else waiting at the time) could come up with!

 

[razor89]

Are the conversations through a screen recorded?

As far as I'm aware they're not, at least in the area I work. Usually just simple microphone systems that are a bit rubbish, specially if there's even the slightest hint of background noise. If the customer has got everything written down it makes my job easier so don't really see what the problem is.

 

[craigwilson]

Staff not paying attention get it wrong, then say they can't put it right. Very poor show, I'd never be unhelpful like that to someone in the same situation.

I once asked for a CDR from Burley Park to Frizinghall at Shipley having travelled there from Burley Park. I was issued with a ticket from Burley-in-Wharfedale to Frizinghall. Understandable I suppose as it is far more likely that someone would have travelled from there than where I actually came from, but I had again paid with an RTV. This meant that there was apparently no way to rectify the problem - even though it wasn't my fault

It's ridiculous that this is the case - fundamentally, when the mistake is not the passenger's, it should need to be no business of theirs how the accounting is or isn't dealt with - the ticket issuing staff should find a way to fix the problem, and not say "Oh, because you paid this way, we can't fix it" :roll:

 

[razor89]

It's ridiculous that this is the case - fundamentally, when the mistake is not the passenger's, it should need to be no business of theirs how the accounting is or isn't dealt with - the ticket issuing staff should find a way to fix the problem, and not say "Oh, because you paid this way, we can't fix it" :roll:

Our staff our told that any refund must be paid in the same method of payment as the customer used to buy their ticket, eg. If they bought their ticket on card, refund must be paid back onto the card. Unfortunately it's not possible to refund to RTVs, which is where the problem is. There are ways around it but it's not something staff are trained to do.

I should say I'm talking about refunds because the usual procedure (assuming no excess is available to fix) is refund the incorrect ticket and issue the new one.

 

[maniacmartin]

I've never had a problem when a ticket has been misissued when paying by RTV. Clerks I have encountered have just keyed a fake RTV into the TIS with code '00000000' or similar, and then stapled the RTV receipt thing the TIS makes onto the misissued ticket to keep for their accounting purposes. This is probably not official policy, but means the passenger doesn't have much hassle.