Posted 21st July 2010 | 11 Comments
Operators defend ‘confusing’ ticket machines
CRITICISM of automatic ticket machines by the watchdog Passenger Focus has prompted a swift response from some train operators. Passenger Focus is calling for an 'overhaul' of the design and operation of the machines, because it said too many passengers are confused by them.
The chief executive of Passenger Focus, Anthony Smith, said: "Ticket machines can present bewildering jargon, a barrage of information and choices as well as incomplete information about ticket restrictions. This is the most frustrating of all. The exact details of off peak restrictions are not always displayed, and they are not printed on the tickets. As a result some passengers would rather queue to speak to a member of staff, buy more expensive tickets than they need to or just give up and join the ticket office queue.”
Passenger Focus has also unveiled research about queueing times at stations, which it said were sometimes longer than the industry standard of a maximum of five minutes in the peak and three minutes at other times.
The watchdog said: 'The longest queues were observed at Guildford, Winchester and Basingstoke. At these stations at least a third of queues at the ticket office are longer than recommended by the industry standard – despite ticket machines standing empty. Researchers observed that passengers were more likely to face queues at off-peak times.'
Mr Smith added: "“Passenger Focus’s research on ticket queuing times confirms that at some stations industry guidelines on queuing times are not being met – as pressure to reduce staff numbers increases it is even more important that the industry sorts this out soon.”
However, some train operators have been defending their positions. South West Trains is responsible for Guildford, Winchester and Basingstoke, the stations named by Passenger Focus.
A spokesman for SWT said: "We sell a million train tickets a week through our automated ticket machines. They are our most popular purchasing method with customers and most transactions are very fast and easy. This is supported by Passenger Focus research, which shows around seven in every 10 customers are satisfied with rail ticket purchasing facilities.
"But we recognise further improvements can be made to the technology so it works better for the minority of passengers who are less frequent travellers.
"We are, however, disappointed at the selective and unrepresentative picture painted by Passenger Focus on queuing times. The detailed research covered less than 5 per cent of our stations and no queue observations were carried out for two-thirds of the total daily period covered by the survey.
“The fact is that in the key morning peak, the research shows that around 90 per cent of customers at our bigger stations got their ticket within three minutes, most far more quickly. For people who had a wait at a ticket office longer than our standard, the average excess waiting time was a matter of seconds. The key finding is that there are pinch points at very specific points of the day, such as when cheaper off-peak and super off-peak tickets become available. This is an issue we will be following up."
ATOC chief executive Michael Roberts told the BBC: "Seven out of 10 passengers satisfied is a pretty good record. But there will always be some people who have inherent problems using the machines."
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Anon, Reigate, UK
To Michael Roberts of ATOC:
7 out of 10 passengers satisfied means that 3 out of 10 passengers are not satisfied.
That means that 30% of passengers are not satisfied - which is abysmal.
No other company, industry body or industry I know of would regard 70% customer satisfaction as "a pretty good record".
This says even more about your attitude to customers than the survey does about the performance of the machines.
Anon, Reigate, UK
To Michael Roberts of ATOC:
7 out of 10 passengers satisfied means that 3 out of 10 passengers are not satisfied.
That means that 30% of passengers are not satisfied - which is abysmal.
No other company, industry body or industry I know of would regard 70% customer satisfaction as "a pretty good record".
This says even more about your attitude to customers than the survey does about the performance of the machines.
Sam, Richmond, UK
The SWT three minute figure might be technically true, over the whole network and including those who purchase from ticket machines.
But customers who actually have to wait to see an actual person will generally wait a lot longer - certainly at Richmond. I try to allow 20-30 minutes if I actually want to catch the train. In a hurry I've often had to buy a Richmond-Waterloo ticket from the machine, even though I have a pass as far as Vauxhall, simply because I don't have the time to queue up to get an OEP to use my Oyster card in Zone 1.
The machines don't sell super off-peak, don't sell any returns except day returns, and don't read Oyster cards, even though in the case of Richmond underground/overground services actually run from the station.
To deter Oyster use further, they make you fill in a great long form when you first use a new card at the ticket window, meaning you have to queue up twice. It's hardly surprising local people queue out the door at the local newsagent (5 mins walk away) for Oyster card purchases - it's much quicker, and no doubt that's the intention. Keeps the queue down.
anon, southampton, hampshire
Working in the rail industry i have to say the ticket vending machines are daunting to many people for the reasons mentioned above also the fact that they are selective about what money they take and in my opinion are designed to be deliberatly misleading. The first screen on the vending machine seems to offer a selection of the most expensive tickets, most people dont realise that there are other fares to select. And as for 90% of customers are satisfied with south west trains ticket machines, passengers simply don't trust them.
Ben Oldfield, Kilkenny, Ireland
You have to remember that all the operators are in the business of making as much money as possible so it not in their interest to let you purchase the cheapest ticket. In fact if you buy a ticket which is not valid on the train they could get even more money out of you.
Terry Piper, Altrincham, England
Fast Ticket machines are meant to be easier however I used to find at Stockport they could be very slow or didn't work at all.
That said they are generally better than the new machines on Manchester Metrolink which are slower, struggle to take notes or credit cards and are often exposed to the elements! You try putting a £10 note into a machine when it's tipping it down and blowing a gale...
James Fox, Derby, UK
I have had a couple of occaisions when tickets that I have purchased from ticket machines have not been valid for a particular carrier on the same line of route. There was no way to find this out before buying the ticket.
The machines also do not always offer the cheapest tickets on offer, I would say an overhawl is required
James Hutton, Oxford, UK
I agree with passenger focus. At Oxford Station the ticket machines were recently made more difficult to use, presumably by FGW, so as to discourage users trying to buy an off-peak ticket. Any why would anyone want to use a machine to buy a ticket in advance? (Well, you can't - at least in Oxford.) Any mobile phone with a menu as bad as these ticket machines would be out of business. If you try and buy more than one senior railcard ticket you can't, presumably to prevent senior citizens buying lots of tickets and selling them to their younger friends :-) If the marking is 7 out of ten satisfied, one wonders if any of these were actually pleased with the arrangements - i interpret satisfied as 'well, I did manage to buy a ticket'.
andy ganley, cheam, england
What a patronising response from SWT and the ATOC! tell you what dont use a ticket machine if a) your in a hurry or b) your over a certain age im pretty
adept at them but still find them slow and long winded,the older ones were much better.
David Spencer, Bolton, Lancashire, UK
Passenger Focus are correct in challengiing use of ticket machines. Buying a ticket should be as easy as filling up with petrol.
My local station of Bolton, Lancs has a ticket machine that nobody uses but the queues in the morning at the ticket office are horrendous.
Our ticket machine cannot even delivery pre-paid online booked tickets. Northernrail seem to be unable to appreciate this.
It has been suggested that Fasticket machines are easier (they are) but Northernrail show a major reluctance to installing them.
Well done Passenger Focus.
Martin, Teddington, UK
Having to queue for three minutes to buy a train ticket is unaccepatble.