Bristol Temple Meads travel centre (a little rant)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Closed again yesterday morning, Friday 2nd March at 0830, with sign on the window saying only open between 1100-1500.

Spoke with the station manager, Glyn Beck about this, who seemed totally dismissive of any concerns I raised. He was unable, or unwilling, to give a straight answer. I pressed him on whether today's reduced hours were again down to staff sickness/annual leave, but he wouldn't say. So I asked whether it was just down to insufficient staff, full stop, as the travel centre is far too often not open as advertised. Again, no real answer.

So I asked, directly, "Why isn't it opened as advertised today?"

"I don't know", was the reply!

"Could you find out?" I asked.

"No. It's open 1100-1500, that's all I can tell you."

I got the impression Glyn Beck couldn't care less about travel centre opening times at Bristol and perhaps he is in agreement with what appears to be wider policy across many TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) that sees them closing dedicated travel centres. If Bristol goes though, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) or its sucessor will be alone of the inter-city TOCs in only having one dedicated travel centre.

I also got the impression that Glyn Beck doesn't care for passengers approaching him to raise issues such as this. OK. I won't in future. I'll go through Customer Service channels, making it clear that my local station manager appears dismissive of customer complaints.

A shame really, because the team under Glyn Beck, his Duty Station Managers, are a generally approachable bunch who will listen, understand and find out wherever possible.

[John R]

The last three occasions I have passed through Temple Meads booking office (2pm Friday, 10am Sat, 2pm Sat, so differing times) the queues have been to the door into the Brunel shed. So I pity any unsuspecting passengers turning up with less than 15 minutes to their train needing to buy a ticket (or retrieve an advance ticket, which clearly has its own issues if the train is missed).

It seems wrong that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have clearly got inadequate ticketing facilities at one of their largest stations. How many times, every day, are passengers inconvenienced by missing their train because of it?     

[Timmer]

Whilst on the subject of booking offices. Popped into Bath Spa last weekend to see if they had any of the new Sunday timetables (white as opposed to blue) on the racks. Wasn't surprised to see they weren't. Do they have them available at the travel centre at Bristol Temple Meads or at any other FGW^▸ (First Great Western) station?

It's good that FGW make the effort to produce them but they need to be put on display or they will end up in the bin come May tt change. Think FGW HQ^▸ (Headquarters) need to let their station managers know that they need to be put out.

[inspector_blakey]

Very disappointing to see a dismissive response like that from a senior manager. Probably too much to hope that any other FGW^▸ (First Great Western) management reading this will act on it but you never know...

[JayMac]

May I just re-iterate that my bugbear, in this thread, is the failure of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to open their travel centre at Bristol Temple Meads as advertised.

A side issue is the fact that BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) only has (most days) four ticket windows (extremely rarely, five) and maybe one additional 'floor walker' with an Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains). What also doesn't help is only four FastTicket machines, with only two of those geared up to accept cash.

When the travel centre is closed during its advertised opening hours, this puts additional pressure on the already meagre ticketing provision. Particularly when those four open windows all advertise 'Today's Tickets Only'.

I appreciate that many of this forum's members may look upon my moaning and compare it with what is on offer at their local station, but it's worth pointing out that Bristol Temple Meads is the third busiest station on FGW's network (after PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) and RDG^‡(resolve)) and it really does need more POS opportunities than it currently has. I agree that their are some constraints with the layout of the booking hall area, but that merely highlights the need for FGW to actually use all the POS they currently have in place. Open the travel centre as advertised. Simples.

When it is actually open as advertised I've never seen it bereft of customers/passengers.

I'm a great believer of 'use it or lose it'. Not easy to do though when you turn up expecting it to be open, as advertised, only to discover that it isn't. Staff sickness I can excuse. A Station Manager saying, "I don't know", and refusing to find out why, I can't. That gives me the impression that management don't care, or, more sinisterly, know what's coming and wish to continue with closure by stealth and just dismiss the odd moan from someone who cares.

It is annoying to be on the receiving end of a dismissive response from senior management. I was polite when I appraoched Mr Beck, but it was difficult to accept his (lack of) explanation without further questions. That may've got us going round in circles for a brief moment, and I probably didn't help my point of view by saying I would take my concerns higher up the 'chain of command'.

However, I took the opportunity to raise the issue there and then, as Mr Beck was right there near the gate line, not obviously busy doing something else. So, that seemed like the ideal opportunity to raise the issue.

For the record, I have taken my concerns higher up the chain of command....

[Oxman]

I was disturbed by the recent posts on this thread. I thought there was a policy not to name individuals below Director level in FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but this is clearly highly critical of Glyn Beck, who is the Station Manager for Bristol Temple Meads and some way below Director level. I can't find that policy statement, so I may be wrong but, nonetheless, I need to express my concerns.

I know Glyn very well. I used to work with him, and he is a top man in my experience. He knows what it is all about, and his heart is entirely in the right place. He has been Station Manager at various times at Reading, Bath, Oxford, Didcot and other locations in the Thames Valley. One incident I recall demonstrates his commitment to the job. A few years ago, a charter train bound for Birmingham with 400 school kids on board was terminated late one Saturday night at Oxford due to a technical fault. Glyn, as the on call manager, turned out to look after the 400 kids until coaches and parents could get to Oxford to pick them up. What a fantastic effort that was - it was an EWS^▸ (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK^▸ (United Kingdom))) charter, not even booked to call at Oxford, but he saved the day by providing food and shelter for the kids. Any suggestion that he is not customer focused, based on one encounter, is dangerously wrong.

Glyn is one of the good guys. If he could not answer your question, there was a reason. Station Managers, as I well know, have little influence over policy, and yet have to present that policy to the public and their staff. Its the worst of both worlds.

I only hope that your criticism is not too damaging to him. If it was, it would be sad loss for Bristol.

As I'm retired now, I can speak more openly!

[inspector_blakey]

Just a couple of points (I have to catch a train in a minute, but thought this was worth a bit of input):

1. Station managers' names are publicly available, being posted at stations and quite possibly on the internet as well, so at least in this case naming the staff member involved may not be as bad as in others.
2. I would hope that, should any action follow as a result of this, the company will look at the member of staff as a whole, taking in to account all the good things they have done in the past and not simply penalizing them based on an "off day".

Like I said, limited time so not able to respond as fully as I would like right now, sorry.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thank you to all of those who have posted here, for your commendably restrained comments.

I have personal knowledge of this particular 'interraction', having met some of those involved yesterday (Saturday).

Firstly, I don't think there is criticism of Glyn Beck (who I know) personally - it's more a criticism of the 'corporate response' he chose to put forward, in his role as 'Station Manager' at Bristol Temple Meads, to a genuine query posed by a passenger;

Secondly, I know that this matter was raised with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) at Director level: with Mark Hopwood, Managing Director, actually.  I was there when it was discussed.

On that basis, I'm suggesting that we await further developments in due course - which I will be happy to post, whatever they are.

Chris 

[grahame]

I rather share(d) the concern with Oxman with the way this thread was going.

When members sign up, they agree to the forum's terms and conditions which includes:

You remain solely responsible for the content of your posted messages. Furthermore, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the owners of this forum, any related websites to this forum, its staff, and its subsidiaries.

Those terms and conditions of use are available for all to read under Newcomers start here ... and a reference for older hands in our http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?board=1.0 board.   It's a sticky topic - always stays in the top group - so that it's always easy for you (and me) to refer back to.

I thought there was a policy not to name individuals below Director level in FGW^▸ (First Great Western),

That's a good "shorthand", Oxman, and errs on the side of caution.  However, there are other cases where naming an individual isn't ruled out - a prime example is that we've often named managerial spokesmen - people in the media role who have appeared on TV to put the First case - names such as Andrew Griffiths and Julian Crow spring to mind such as in my post here, and that extends to other who's role is named and public facing;  that's something that First have chosen to do (and I personally think it's a good decision) with their station / area managers.  It would be absurd for us to have a discussion forum where we didn't use names, faces, places that are plastered all over station notice boards.  But at a management rather than a director level, these people are all the more working to the company's policy rather than making policy themselves. And evidence points to a relatively low priority to travel centres in the FGW area - topic for discussion here (I won't dilute my admin post by doing so).

Two further thoughts - in spite of the responsibllity remaining with the individual poster, the moderators and admin team here will lock / quarantine / delete posts and threads when that's appropriate.  And our moderator / admin team can go back and edit / amend old posts - something we do very rarely, but it has been know. For example,  where a member has come back to us - perhaps for personal reasons - and suggested that his / her personal details which someone else has quoted should be removed.

Topic in hand - should the provision of Travel Centres in the FGW area that are manned to advertised hours be a priority for FGW?  How about ticket office hours?  There was indeed a very interesting public question / answer exchange with Mark Hopwood earlier in the day  yeaterday (Taunton meeting) about the cost of providing extra staff (train crew in this case) to reduce still further the remaining cancellation rates.  And on that side, I would rather agree with FGW that the cost of having an extra crew on standby at every shift-change / clock on point could be a huge expense, potentially without a major performance gain.

By the way ... I get to manage in my own little way at times.  And there are times that I don't know everything that is happening within the team / area I manage.   I try to keep atop of things, I want to hear about exceptions, but I can't always (and neither can any manager) 100%. And there are times, too, where my answer has to be an unpopular "no" - not good use of resources, not our business, I have answered that already, I can't offer you a limitless ongoing free online support service, etc ... I have a great deal of respect for area managers with FGW - I've know both a longstanding one at Westbury (now elsewhere), and the current one - excellent people the both;  I also have a great deal of sympathy for them in some of the circumstances I see them having to handle on occasions, and to do so with a smile.   I don't know how they do it!

[JayMac]

I took the decision to name the Station Manager at Bristol Temple Meads, primarily because the name is in the public domain, I knew I was approaching Mr Beck because his name and photo are all over posters at stations in my area. Also because it would've been widely known to whom I was referring by saying 'Bristol Temple Meads Station Manager.' Of course, If I'd been talking to a Duty Station Manager I would not have named them.

I don't doubt Mr Beck's dedication to his job and I appreciate I may've caught him on an off day, I also understand that only my side of the story is being aired and Mr Beck may not have, or choose, the right to reply to my public criticism.

As Chris from Nailsea said, it did appear that I was getting a corporate response.

This isn't a new issue regarding the travel centre opening times in Bristol, I've seen it closed during advertised opening hours on many occasions in the last few years. I've often enquired of other staff or the DSM as to why it is closed on a particular day. I've also bought the matter to the attention of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Customer Services in writing. In the past it has been the understandable excuses of staff sickness/maternity leave. This time though the answer appeared to be, 'that's just the way it is.' That's what got me moaning here again and I think justified my naming of the senior manager who gave that response.

I'm not going to war with the station manager at Bristol Temple Meads, just being critical of this one response. I've thanked him in the past for the actions of one of his DSMs, and I will continue to offer praise when it's justified.
 

[clevedonian]

Just a little rant. For the past couple of months or so every time I want to get a ticket (peak times) I have had to queue for over an hour and a half, missing several trains, into the car park quite often. 

Not all of the ticket windows are open and the ones that are open are serving people who want tickets for next week or something, because the travel centre is closed.

When i asked about extra staff to the "flagship station manager" LOL^▸ (laughing out loud) he was rather abrupt and told me they were getting more ticket machines, in a few months.

They need more staff and more machines, so annoying and the station manager attitude didn't help. Surely the could train up some of the gate line assistants to do ticket duties.

Anyway rant over!! just very frustrating.

I know I should book and collect in advance, but don't alway know when i am travelling.

[inspector_blakey]

As it happens we have an eerily similar thread already running on this very topic: I'll merge it in for the sale of tidiness

Incidentally, it's very disappointing to read from two independent sources about the problems this is causing and the apparently dismissive attitude of senior management to it. Paging FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Towers, are you listening...?

[tramway]

BNM, have your concerns borne fruit and a new yellow travel centre recently appeared on the car park next to the station. 

I can't find anything about it elsewhere on the board so thought I might as well post here rather then a new thread. Mods feel free to modify as you wish.

[JayMac]

Closed again today at 3pm. 

Staff sickness again.

[Jest mode on] Is there some sort of communicable disease going round the Travel Centre staff? [/Jest mode off]

I bottled approaching Mike Holmes with my concerns (he was wandering around P3). Instead I had a pleasant, constructive chat with today's DSM. He apologised and assured me that there are no plans to permanently reduce opening hours in the Travel Centre and went on to say that there are new staff currently being trained. I have heard this before though so I remain deeply sceptical.

I am getting a little exasperated by this ongoing situation.....

[JayMac]

Well..... what's this? The Travel Centre at Bristol Temple Meads was open this morning on a bank holiday!!!!.

I was SHOCKED^ and STUNNED^ (Trade Marks ^Btline 2012)

So I thought I'd pop in later in the day to see if I couldn't grab a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Network Timetable. I already have one in the post to me (after moaning about the inability to actually purchase one of these rare valuable items - they keep 'em locked away at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)), but I also have a friend, out of the area, who wants one too.

So I go into Broadmead, do a bit of shopping and head back through Temple Meads. I arrive at the Travel Centre at 1305 to find it now closed with the dreaded notice pinned to door apologising for early closure. The notice says, "This office will be closing at 1315 today, we apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Well it wasn't bleedin "closing at 1315" (by the way, this note wasn't there when I passed the office earlier, around 1100), it was already closed by 1305.

Someone is taking the p155.

Lesson learned. If you see it open, damn well get yer ass in there and avail yourself of the facilities. Don't plan on coming back later based on the opening times they advertise. You'll likely be out of luck.

Sorry for ranting on again and being a little more base with my language, but this issue really does get me mad. 

At least I wasn't in any way FLEECED^.