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Went to the ticket office today.
seth plum
Posts: 53,448
Not a moan, but a description.
I was asked to get two adult tickets for the Wolves game next Monday, so knowing that the ticket office was closed on a Thursday afternoon, and thinking that I'd heard that it also closes Wednesday afternoon, I thought I would travel there this morning to get the two tickets.
When I arrived in the car park I saw the shutters were down, and thought that maybe they were about to open, I also thought maybe the place was closed for the staff Christmas party, it was quiet round and about.
I went to the main entrance, and there was a quite young man sitting in reception and I explained that I'd come to buy tickets.
He said the shutters are down, it doesn't open Wednesday, they've moved upstairs. For a brief moment I thought he was directing me to go upstairs, but that didn't seem to be the case. I asked 'what, I should just go?'. He said 'you can phone'. I stepped outside to get the number which was written above the shuttered windows and tried on my mobile phone, after the intro I selected option 6, but it wasn't answered, or even connected.
I went back inside and said to the young man it wasn't answering. After enquiring what number I had tried, he then kindly used the phone at the reception desk to call the ticket office, which is indeed 'upstairs'. The very pleasant lady then processed my purchase over the phone and brought them down to me. The cost was £52, no card charge applied which I suppose was a nice thing too. By this time another supporter had arrived in reception for the same reason as me.
When I spoke to the young lady she said they close on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but open the shutters Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and though they had moved upstairs, somebody sits at the window on those days.
I said it all seems to make it difficult and she suggested using the phone, but also added we have been told to move upstairs and we have to do what we're told. Which in the context of our conversation a completely reasonable thing to say. She was very nice, and overall I ended up being looked after and left with the two tickets as the bloke behind me began his similar quest.
I was asked to get two adult tickets for the Wolves game next Monday, so knowing that the ticket office was closed on a Thursday afternoon, and thinking that I'd heard that it also closes Wednesday afternoon, I thought I would travel there this morning to get the two tickets.
When I arrived in the car park I saw the shutters were down, and thought that maybe they were about to open, I also thought maybe the place was closed for the staff Christmas party, it was quiet round and about.
I went to the main entrance, and there was a quite young man sitting in reception and I explained that I'd come to buy tickets.
He said the shutters are down, it doesn't open Wednesday, they've moved upstairs. For a brief moment I thought he was directing me to go upstairs, but that didn't seem to be the case. I asked 'what, I should just go?'. He said 'you can phone'. I stepped outside to get the number which was written above the shuttered windows and tried on my mobile phone, after the intro I selected option 6, but it wasn't answered, or even connected.
I went back inside and said to the young man it wasn't answering. After enquiring what number I had tried, he then kindly used the phone at the reception desk to call the ticket office, which is indeed 'upstairs'. The very pleasant lady then processed my purchase over the phone and brought them down to me. The cost was £52, no card charge applied which I suppose was a nice thing too. By this time another supporter had arrived in reception for the same reason as me.
When I spoke to the young lady she said they close on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but open the shutters Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and though they had moved upstairs, somebody sits at the window on those days.
I said it all seems to make it difficult and she suggested using the phone, but also added we have been told to move upstairs and we have to do what we're told. Which in the context of our conversation a completely reasonable thing to say. She was very nice, and overall I ended up being looked after and left with the two tickets as the bloke behind me began his similar quest.
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Comments
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School boy error Seth, assuming the ticket office will be open.3
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Glad you got it sorted Seth.
Just goes to show how farcical the situation is down there and how out of touch the CEO is with her customers.2 -
Were programmes available for purchase?
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Don't you read the programme,the opening hours are in there.16
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Good for them in helping you but the club doesn't do itself any favours does it!0
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"I was asked to get two adult tickets for the Wolves game next Monday"
Kids been naughty this year seth ?4 -
It's the modern way of customer service. Everything is done to save cost, labour and inconvenience to the company. The customers themselves are a secondary consideration and they are expected to work around it all or go without.5
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There are times when I genuinely wonder whether RD and his show pony are actually trying to drive the club into the ground and drive away every last one of us. I really do.
If I'd turned up to see empty shutters iid have gone away. And I wouldn't have come back or phoned. Even monopoly suppliers can't afford to make it difficult for their customers.0 -
The OS says the ticket office is open today: http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/charlton-athletic-club-shop-christmas-2864400.aspx3
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A football team that cant win, a manager that cant manage, a CEO who couldnt run a bath let alone a football club, and a ticket office thats shut more often that its open. At least the club is progressing aye.4
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I would say if they're not being forced to go to see Charlton play they've likely been very goodAtletico Addick said:"I was asked to get two adult tickets for the Wolves game next Monday"
Kids been naughty this year seth ?0 -
First task for Target 20,000 - get them to open the effing ticket office. It's farcical. Would be funny if it wasn't so sad. No reason why they can't open and someone do their work behind the glass, serving when necessary.9
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My reflections are that Wolves is supposed to be kids for a quid, so maybe people with a bit more time at this time of year, and being out and about, might want to turn up this opportunity close to the game to get their tickets sorted and also to get more tickets because of the offer.
I also wonder how a cash purchaser would manage. I suppose they would have to risk queuing up as a walk up on matchdays, which has implications anyway, or be obliged to visit the ticket office only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Now with the ticket office upstairs, bur somebody at the window three days a week, presumably taking calls if window trade is slow, what is to stop somebody being at the window five days a week?
Would it really cost money? I mean is one extra person employed three days a week to simply be the window bod?0 -
I was there yesterday, and the office space behind has been partitioned off, so behind the windows is now a little cubbyhole with a desk and a computer, where presumably someone gets sent to sit away from their colleagues to keep an eye on the windows, and is also presumably left on their own if there are any difficult questions are problems. Stupid way of running things.seth plum said:
When I spoke to the young lady she said they close on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but open the shutters Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and though they had moved upstairs, somebody sits at the window on those days.
The last VOTV claimed that the old ticket office space may be being leased out.2 -
How long before the club sell it off to a ticket agent?1
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If it ain't broke don't fix it obviously not something this ownership believes in.0
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Has anyone from the club actually explained the rational behind the decision to close the ticket office? - its seems completely bizarre on any sort of commercial level.0
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Leased out to who? I mean, who would want to lease that space, Ticketmaster??? Surely you can't run much of anything other than a Charlton ticket office out of a purpose-built ticket office at the Valley?0
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Some sort of NHS call centre.LoOkOuT said:Leased out to who? I mean, who would want to lease that space, Ticketmaster??? Surely you can't run much of anything other than a Charlton ticket office out of a purpose-built ticket office at the Valley?
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Closing the shutters and having people work up stairs saves Rolland £10 a year! worth all the effort in many supporters minds! we wouldn't want the man leaving us without any cash after all! No need to protest!
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I believe it is going to be leased to a call centre0
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Mental health unit in case RD comes over again?Henry Irving said:
Some sort of NHS call centre.LoOkOuT said:Leased out to who? I mean, who would want to lease that space, Ticketmaster??? Surely you can't run much of anything other than a Charlton ticket office out of a purpose-built ticket office at the Valley?
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On further thought, it's just RD being proactive; he knows no one wants to watch us play Football so no one will purchase our tickets.. Cut our outgoing costs and bring in another income through leasing, RD is a genius..2
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Samaritans?Henry Irving said:
Some sort of NHS call centre.LoOkOuT said:Leased out to who? I mean, who would want to lease that space, Ticketmaster??? Surely you can't run much of anything other than a Charlton ticket office out of a purpose-built ticket office at the Valley?
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An emergency call centre worker has been dismissed from her job, much to the dismay of colleagues who are reportedly unhappy with her treatment.paulbaconsarnie said:
Samaritans?Henry Irving said:
Some sort of NHS call centre.LoOkOuT said:Leased out to who? I mean, who would want to lease that space, Ticketmaster??? Surely you can't run much of anything other than a Charlton ticket office out of a purpose-built ticket office at the Valley?
It seems a male caller dialled 999 from a mobile phone stating, “I am depressed and lying here on a railway track. I am waiting for the train to come so I can finally meet my maker.”
“Remain calm and stay on the line” was not considered to be an appropriate or correct response.
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Patient: Doctor, I've got bi-polar disorder and I've been on a massive downer for a couple of years now. What would you suggest?Henry Irving said:
Some sort of NHS call centre.LoOkOuT said:Leased out to who? I mean, who would want to lease that space, Ticketmaster??? Surely you can't run much of anything other than a Charlton ticket office out of a purpose-built ticket office at the Valley?
Doctor: We run an encounter group for people like you every other Saturday. Just pop along at 3pm and you can meet lots of other sufferers. I'd sell you a ticket, but I can't at the moment. It is a Wednesday, you know.5 -
Only just seen your link. Hmmmn.InspectorSands said:The OS says the ticket office is open today: http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/charlton-athletic-club-shop-christmas-2864400.aspx
So the ticket office ought to have been open. I arrived at about 10.40, so maybe I was there at the wrong time, but on the face of it I ought to have been able to make a straightforward cash purchase at the window today, which as I have reported above didn't happen.
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don't think a manned ticket office is a necessity mon-fri however a phone system does need to be in place the online ordering system isn't for everyone, and its quite a annoyance to use, i think 9am-5.30pm on matchdays 12.15/3.00pm kick offs 1.00pm - 10.00pm 7.45/8.00pm kick offs would be sufficient or have a manned ticket office under extreme cirumstances ( a big away fixture with high demand).0
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The story says "Wednesday, December 23rd: Normal working hours (shop open until 7.30pm)"seth plum said:
Only just seen your link. Hmmmn.InspectorSands said:The OS says the ticket office is open today: http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/charlton-athletic-club-shop-christmas-2864400.aspx
So the ticket office ought to have been open. I arrived at about 10.40, so maybe I was there at the wrong time, but on the face of it I ought to have been able to make a straightforward cash purchase at the window today, which as I have reported above didn't happen.
Wednesday's normal working hours are 9am-1pm (phone lines only). So the shutters were shut as planned and advertised.3 -
A friend went last Wednesday to buy a ticket for my grandson and others.
Fortunately he went back again on Friday. Club could have lost these ticket sales.2
