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> Thatcham Station - Ticket Office Automated, Good news perhaps...
On the edge
post Sep 5 2011, 06:27 PM
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This evenings BBC local news said Thatcham with several other stations in the region would loose a staffed ticket office. Every cloud and all that - perhaps there is a silver lining. This must mean that FGW will be able to put staff on trains in future. Far more effective and efficient. Good thinking! Deploy customer service staff on the train to sell / check tickets and keep order.


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Blue
post Sep 5 2011, 07:23 PM
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Nothing on the BBC website about this..........??
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On the edge
post Sep 5 2011, 08:11 PM
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Was on the TV news - may have been Meridian, never can tell. Fred Dinage the presenter I think.


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post Sep 5 2011, 09:21 PM
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QUOTE (On the edge @ Sep 5 2011, 09:11 PM) *
Was on the TV news - may have been Meridian, never can tell. Fred Dinage the presenter I think.


Great, so what will happen to the little ticket office that's normally open in the mornings, when it's freezing cold and peeing with rain? Will it be locked all the time? Or what...

I find the guy who normally works in the ticket office, the one who reminds me of David Tennant, to always be friendly and happy. I've not been in there for about 8 months though, so it's likely he doesn't work there anymore.
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On the edge
post Sep 6 2011, 06:22 AM
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You'll be able to buy tickets at the easy to use machines or on the trains. I'm sure the Rail Regulator who would have had to approve this wouldn't have agreed if customer service was at risk - after all that's why we pay them.


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wabbit
post Sep 6 2011, 07:39 AM
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QUOTE (On the edge @ Sep 6 2011, 07:22 AM) *
You'll be able to buy tickets at the easy to use machines or on the trains. I'm sure the Rail Regulator who would have had to approve this wouldn't have agreed if customer service was at risk - after all that's why we pay them.


Thatcham station is incredibly busy at peak times - maybe you don't use it 'on the edge'?

'Easy to use machines'? Have you ever tried to use the ticket machine on Thatcham station? In any kind of bright sunlight, the screen is almost impossible to see, the machine won't take cash (because of repeated vandalism, according to staff at Reading) and is so 'easy to use' that you often have to stand behind a confused passenger for ages (sometimes having to board without a ticket) as they attempt to find the appropriate option.

More importantly though, isn't this another example of cost cutting at the expense of customer service, like 'self-service' tills at supermarkets? The young guy in the ticket office at Thatcham station (and yes, he is still there) is a credit to his employers - polite, smiley and very patient. Closing the ticket office, as has already been mentioned, will make Thatcham station even more bleak than it is... which is pretty much so when the (part-time) ticket office isn't manned.

So, if repeated vandalism is already acknowledged at Thatcham station, shouldn't Thatcham be considered for more manning, rather than none?


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post Sep 6 2011, 07:57 AM
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QUOTE (wabbit @ Sep 6 2011, 08:39 AM) *
The young guy in the ticket office at Thatcham station (and yes, he is still there) is a credit to his employers - polite, smiley and very patient. Closing the ticket office, as has already been mentioned, will make Thatcham station even more bleak than it is... which is pretty much so when the (part-time) ticket office isn't manned.


Agree with all of your points Wabbit. Also it's good to read he's still there. So many miserable rail attendants...moody, old people with upturned faces. Someone a bit younger who's happy instead of in a permanent state of "ohh, let's worry about my pension and be moody" is far nicer to deal with first thing.
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JeffG
post Sep 6 2011, 09:34 AM
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Perhaps Ken Clarke could give the vandals a good talking to.
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Blue
post Sep 6 2011, 12:20 PM
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QUOTE (JeffG @ Sep 6 2011, 10:34 AM) *
Perhaps Ken Clarke could give the vandals a good talking to.



Did you mean to post this here JeffG?
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On the edge
post Sep 6 2011, 01:35 PM
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QUOTE (wabbit @ Sep 6 2011, 08:39 AM) *
Thatcham station is incredibly busy at peak times - maybe you don't use it 'on the edge'?

'Easy to use machines'? Have you ever tried to use the ticket machine on Thatcham station? In any kind of bright sunlight, the screen is almost impossible to see, the machine won't take cash (because of repeated vandalism, according to staff at Reading) and is so 'easy to use' that you often have to stand behind a confused passenger for ages (sometimes having to board without a ticket) as they attempt to find the appropriate option.

More importantly though, isn't this another example of cost cutting at the expense of customer service, like 'self-service' tills at supermarkets? The young guy in the ticket office at Thatcham station (and yes, he is still there) is a credit to his employers - polite, smiley and very patient. Closing the ticket office, as has already been mentioned, will make Thatcham station even more bleak than it is... which is pretty much so when the (part-time) ticket office isn't manned.

So, if repeated vandalism is already acknowledged at Thatcham station, shouldn't Thatcham be considered for more manning, rather than none?


Personally, particularly as my sight isn't as good as it should be, I agree. However, the Rail regulator wouldn't let FGW get away with this unless he was satisfied that customer service (which includes all the things you mentioned) was maintained. The Regulator will have known about this for some time - FGW wouldn't have just sprung it on him.

Perhaps we ought to invite him to a public meeting in Newbury so he can explain exactly what he does for the salary he extracts from our taxes. Would make an for an entertaining evening at least!


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JeffG
post Sep 6 2011, 07:04 PM
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QUOTE (Blue @ Sep 6 2011, 01:20 PM) *
Did you mean to post this here JeffG?

Yes, why not? Vandals were mentioned, and since Ken Clarke's statement has been all over the news, I thought it was topical and, who knows, slightly amusing. Presumably the humour passed you by.

(I notice someone else picked up on the news and posted a new thread elsewhere after I posted my comment.)
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Strafin
post Sep 6 2011, 07:46 PM
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I got it Jeff.
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wabbit
post Sep 7 2011, 07:39 AM
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Here is my personal experience of Thatcham station yesterday - during its 'unmanned' off peak hours.

Firstly, you could actually see the screen on the ticket machine (as it was tipping with rain!) but no, it still won't take cash.

As I waited on the platform, a Community Police Support Officer rushed past me, talking frantically on her phone (clearly on a call)... not sure what the problem was... but was obviously responding to an alert at the station.

There was a ticket inspector on board the train, selling tickets (which was good) but he failed to notice the puffa-jacketed fare-dodger who hid in the toilet and made his exit at Reading.

Both trains outward and inward bound were packed, despite this being off-peak. My return journey was shared with a youth with a 'Status Staffie' and a group of men swigging Strongbrew (this was 2.30pm).

So - there is just one small example of the type of experience to be had on this line...

Unmanned station? Absolute madness.


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Blue
post Sep 7 2011, 08:39 AM
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QUOTE (JeffG @ Sep 6 2011, 08:04 PM) *
Yes, why not? Vandals were mentioned, and since Ken Clarke's statement has been all over the news, I thought it was topical and, who knows, slightly amusing. Presumably the humour passed you by.

(I notice someone else picked up on the news and posted a new thread elsewhere after I posted my comment.)



It did I'm afraid, sorry.
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Bofem
post Sep 7 2011, 10:53 AM
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Perhaps some of you commuters could start a 'save the ticket guy' campaign. Like they do in Bucklebury when their postie got sacked....if it's a service worth saving, don't sit back....do something.


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wabbit
post Sep 7 2011, 11:08 AM
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QUOTE (Bofem @ Sep 7 2011, 11:53 AM) *
Perhaps some of you commuters could start a 'save the ticket guy' campaign. Like they do in Bucklebury when their postie got sacked....if it's a service worth saving, don't sit back....do something.


I'm not actually a regular commuter - just an infrequent user but I do agree that Thatcham commuters really should mount a Save Our Stationmaster campaign!! Come on NWN, why not use your media powers and get on to it? rolleyes.gif


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On the edge
post Sep 7 2011, 02:26 PM
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QUOTE (wabbit @ Sep 7 2011, 08:39 AM) *
Here is my personal experience of Thatcham station yesterday - during its 'unmanned' off peak hours.

Firstly, you could actually see the screen on the ticket machine (as it was tipping with rain!) but no, it still won't take cash.

As I waited on the platform, a Community Police Support Officer rushed past me, talking frantically on her phone (clearly on a call)... not sure what the problem was... but was obviously responding to an alert at the station.

There was a ticket inspector on board the train, selling tickets (which was good) but he failed to notice the puffa-jacketed fare-dodger who hid in the toilet and made his exit at Reading.

Both trains outward and inward bound were packed, despite this being off-peak. My return journey was shared with a youth with a 'Status Staffie' and a group of men swigging Strongbrew (this was 2.30pm).

So - there is just one small example of the type of experience to be had on this line...

Unmanned station? Absolute madness.


Did you complain? Probably still not too late. The response I often get is that 'you are the only one who ever moans' - would be nice to know that simply ain't true!


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post Sep 7 2011, 03:52 PM
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I remember the ticket machine not working in the wet - the touch screen was broken!
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Biker1
post Sep 7 2011, 04:44 PM
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QUOTE (wabbit @ Sep 7 2011, 12:08 PM) *
I'm not actually a regular commuter - just an infrequent user but I do agree that Thatcham commuters really should mount a Save Our Stationmaster campaign!! Come on NWN, why not use your media powers and get on to it? rolleyes.gif

Better get used to it if the government decides to implement the recommendations in the McNulty Report.
There will be manned ticket offices at just the main stations. (And fewer of those.)
The rest who decide to pay will have to make do with ticket machines which, as we all know, are prone to vandalism and malfunction, and no-one on the trains (yes, even less than now!) except the driver.
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On the edge
post Sep 7 2011, 06:21 PM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Sep 7 2011, 05:44 PM) *
Better get used to it if the government decides to implement the recommendations in the McNulty Report.
There will be manned ticket offices at just the main stations. (And fewer of those.)
The rest who decide to pay will have to make do with ticket machines which, as we all know, are prone to vandalism and malfunction, and no-one on the trains (yes, even less than now!) except the driver.


Yes, this is amazing! This time it's NOT First Great Western but ....the Government. What a way to run a railway - to spin a phrase, you couldn't make it up. No wonder the Regulator can get away with doing nothing.


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