Restricted ticket service even at a manned ticket counter

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Chippenham station ... just one ticket desk open and offering a limited service last saturday:



"Tickets for today only.
No underground tickets.
No enquiries.
No monthly or longer season tickets."

Sign at eye level on the ticket office glass making it hard to see the booking clerk.
No explanation or apology for the restricted service.

I'll be going up to Chippenham to buy advanced tickets in the next few days (for the Santa Special). Does anyone know if the restrictions have been lifted?  Does the ticket machine at Chippenham let me buy Melksham to Swindon tickets yet?

P.S. I have cropped off the image of the chap who was behind the counter to avoid identification. He was not someone I have seen before, and I would like to go on the record to say that the regular staff at Chippenham Ticket office are very helpful / very good.

[moonrakerz]

But I bet they still had 3 people on the footbridge checking tickets !

[Cornish Traveller]

Judging by the Advantix machine in the picture (guards/RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector, or Retail Price Index, depending on context) use them) either the booking office machine was faulty or no booking office trained staff available and this person was sent to sell tickets from another location.

[Super Guard]

Judging by the Advantix machine in the picture (guards/RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector, or Retail Price Index, depending on context) use them) either the booking office machine was faulty or no booking office trained staff available and this person was sent to sell tickets from another location.

It is definately Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) selling as the booking office chip & pin is not there, and the loveable Error 6 "Dione" model is there with the Avantix.  As Avantix machines cannot do anything bigger than a 7-day season, and would be unable to check advance availability or sell LU Tickets, then I think the 'restricted' service is this instance would have been preferable to no service at all.

[IndustryInsider]

...then I think the 'restricted' service is this instance would have been preferable to no service at all.

Though the sign could have conveyed the message in a slightly less blunt way.

[vacman]

Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) CAN issue underground tickets though?

[Chris from Nailsea]

... but would this apparently last-minute relief operator at Chippenham have been trained on selling underground tickets?

I rather got the impression this is a 'stop-gap solution' - that notice seems to have been prepared rather hastily, just setting out what the temporary operator is able to offer.  As Donkey Guard posted, even such a limited service is better than no service at all?

[JayMac]

... but would this apparently last-minute relief operator at Chippenham have been trained on selling underground tickets?

I rather got the impression this is a 'stop-gap solution' - that notice seems to have been prepared rather hastily, just setting out what the temporary operator is able to offer.  As Donkey Guard posted, even such a limited service is better than no service at all?

However even such a limited service can be notified with an apology. 4 extra words to type ('Sorry for the inconvenience'). Not that difficult.

[Chris from Nailsea]

My personal favourite: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4618.0 

However, as you say, bignosemac: a bit more care in the preparation of that notice at Chippenham would have presented a rather more professional approach: even just printing it on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) headed paper, for example? 

[noddingdonkey]

Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) CAN issue underground tickets though?

They certainly used to be able to but last time I went to sell a one day travel card from Exeter it had disappeared! Couldn't even sell one from Reading/Paddington - nobody I asked can do it either!

[Ollie]

Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) CAN issue underground tickets though?

They certainly used to be able to but last time I went to sell a one day travel card from Exeter it had disappeared! Couldn't even sell one from Reading/Paddington - nobody I asked can do it either!

Should be able to, although they do not show as Zones R1256* anymore, it's just London Zones 1-6. Try doing it with the NLC^▸ (National Location Code) which is 0035

[noddingdonkey]

will give it a go! Would be nice if they told us when these things are changed! We might only sell one travelcard every few months down our way!

[JayMac]

Sucessfully purchased a BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to '0035' on board a train from Shirehampton yesterday. Couldn't do a SHH to 0035 though. Nice conductor let me off the SHH-BRI fare, reasoning that the SHH-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) Off-Peak fares are the same price as BRI-PAD

And yes, me, Joe Public had to tell the conductor what to input into his Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains)....

[Chris from Nailsea]

Perhaps he appreciated the novelty of not being told where to put his Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) by rather less reasonable travellers on the line ... ? 

[JayMac]

Perhaps he appreciated the novelty of not being told where to put his Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) by rather less reasonable travellers on the line ... ? 

Tis rather large to stick it where the sun don't shine. Although probably easier to do so than requesting of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) that they stick their Sh*t*, sorry, Scheidt TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)'s in a suitable orifice.