Sounds like real pain in the arse situations, however niche they might be. It then begs the question that should progress/change be halted for a small minority who have challenges (most of which are solvable albeit with a reasonable amount of pain in the process). Like I said earlier no agenda - despite my previous employment - just a genuine interest from someone who embraces technology at all opportunities. Am sat here in Ontario, organising a food shop to be delivered when I get home on Sat (using a VPN on my smart phone to use the App), then will download mine and my wife's boarding passes to smart phones for tomorrow's flight etc etc - The ide of paper tickets, visiting a physical shop or entering a ticket office to ask a person to print me a ticket seems alien to me.Progress is not necessarily positive on this front from a customer efficiency perspective. Some examples I've experienced, buy a smart card with 10 journeys from East Lothian to Haymarket, tap in and at each barrier to get through with a change at Waverley. System doesn't work and terminates journey at waverley and then won't let you through to train from Waverley to Haymarket. Get guy to let you through who implies you haven't tapped in East Lothian when you have, nice start to the day. Return journey, Haymarket to Waverley, no problem then barrier to get on East lothian train doesn't let you through guy lets you through after minor similar discussion, tap out at East Lothian and welcome to your new journey, net result is 3 tickets used for 2 journeys and sometimes can't tap in again in morning because evening Journey hasn't tapped out because it didn't happen aaaargh!!!! This happened many tomes and no-one at station, challenging me or on phone to Scotrail could ever tell me what I was doing wrong but Scotrail could see I was using tickets weirdly when just going to work and back like everyone else. Had to give it up to reduce stressful arguments, spending more money than standard and wasting time. Next innovation Qr code tickets sold on train, don't work to get through barriers in middle of journey at Waverley so have to queue up until someone lets you through. Old school cardboard tickets work perfectly. None of this has been fixed in over a year. Not more efficient in my experience.
SAFC e tickets, took ages to buy my ticket and one for my elderly dad and two kids none of who have email or smartphones. No turnstile number on these new improved tickets and stewards didn't know either. Only 3 of the 4 tickets would scan, guy begrudgingly let me in rather than send me to ticket office leaving dad and kids inside, fair play to him, not more efficient or improved in my experience.
Talking to parents neighbour before match and his 85 year old pal had been going to eppleton to watch the reserves since played there. One day turns up and told his money is no good and needs to buy tickets online. Doesn't have computer or smartphone and doesn't want one, told go to ticket office and talk to them. Nice, not more efficient and convenient for him.
Brother trying to buy tickets for reserves for him and kids, total cost £6. Got error messages that buying for wrong age group. Had selected under 16 and they are 12. messaged whoever at ticket office and told select U14. He said not an option, told yes it is, said no it isn't, said ah should be there now, no it isn't, try again now etc. etc. no apology, assumed he was wrong throughout, took 7 emails from him over 2 days. Not more convenient or efficient in my opinion.
Just 3 examples where efficient for the company but with little thought for the customer and fine to have snags but sticking with it and not fixing things as they arrive because presumably it only affects 5 percent of luddite numpties. Again not correct in my opinion.
Slightly longer response than I anticipated but I've not gone looking for these examples and they are all recent. Am I and those I speak of thick, unwilling and deserving of poor service and hassle or is it as I think that these things are not built with a customer lens in the current parlance?
All about opinions eh?
FWIW - the unions have too much power so they will never get rid of Ticket Offices


