[Albion] Goodbye Ticket Office, Hello Customer Services.

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 17, 2021

Well after all these years, pretty much since the advent of the club l suppose, the Albion ticket office that we all knew and loved has all but disappeared. Replaced now, in part anyway, by "customer services", a generic name if ever there was one, and a department that covers several areas, all only contactable by phone or email, normally taking an age to get through to.

Obviously now that almost everything ticketing wise is being done digitally and without the need for any real human contact, there just simply isn't the need for a ticket office. Even on a matchday it isn't possible to purchase tickets for the game, and the few people still employed in the old ticket office, are simply there to answer queries, nothing more.

A shame, l got to know a few of the guys and girls that wsorked there over the years, nearly all of them very helpful.

R.I.P. Ticket Office, as we knew it anyway.

Nobby Cybergoat · Sep 17, 2021

Has anything, other than the name, actually changed?

Couldn't Be Hyypia · Sep 17, 2021

I'm not too worried about the nomenclature, but a ticket office, for me, isn;t a ticket office if there aren't steps down to it. I blame this beauty......

FA Cup final tickets, buying low grade crap at the shop, getting a replacement for my season ticket book. So many times. Happy, happy memories of a simpler time.

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 17, 2021

Nobby Cybergoat said:
Has anything, other than the name, actually changed?

The key is in the "as we knew it", obviously still possible to obtain tickets for games, home and away, but almost everything is being done digitally now, so almost no need for staff really.

The ticket office, "as we knew it" at the Amex has all but gone, open only on match days now, and even then not to sell tickets for the game.

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 17, 2021

Couldn't Be Hyypia said:
I'm not too worried about the nomenclature, but a ticket office, for me, isn;t a ticket office if there aren't steps down to it. I blame this beauty......

View attachment 140489

FA Cup final tickets, buying low grade crap at the shop, getting a replacement for my season ticket book. So many times. Happy, happy memories of a simpler time.

Sue Townsend, Margaret Sanderson, Sue Huffer, where are you now? Happy memories indeed.

Icy Gull · Sep 17, 2021

Couldn't Be Hyypia said:
I'm not too worried about the nomenclature, but a ticket office, for me, isn;t a ticket office if there aren't steps down to it. I blame this beauty......

View attachment 140489

FA Cup final tickets, buying low grade crap at the shop, getting a replacement for my season ticket book. So many times. Happy, happy memories of a simpler time.

Queues around to the East terrace for Cup tickets, happy days…I think :lolol:

As well as a big crowd post Lincoln (?) night game. “What the **** is going on” and “Sack the Board”

Memory is a bit shot but Jimmy Case as manager at the time of the toxic demonstration too?

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 17, 2021

Icy Gull said:
Queues around to the East terrace for Cup tickets, happy days…I think

As well as a big crowd post Lincoln (?) night game. “What the **** is going on” and “Sack the Board”

Memory is a bit shot but Jimmy Case as manager at the time of the toxic demonstration too?

Well there were many toxic demonstrations! Jimmy Case was certainly manager for some of them, Liam Brady others.

Guinness Boy · Sep 17, 2021

Icy Gull said:
Queues around to the East terrace for Cup tickets, happy days…I think

As well as a big crowd post Lincoln (?) night game. “What the **** is going on” and “Sack the Board”

Memory is a bit shot but Jimmy Case as manager at the time of the toxic demonstration too?

I managed to join the queue for the Liverpool cup game in 91 at about the middle of the North Stand. Still got one to see Crumps keep John Barnes in his pocket for 90 mins

One of the protests was definitely after Lincoln in the evening game. Think that was an on the pitch one as well. My memory isn't what it used to be :lolol:

Bozza · Sep 17, 2021

Are you sure it is Customer Services and not Supporter Services?

Barrow Boy · Sep 17, 2021

Remember queuing for our Cup Final tickets and Jimmy Melia popped out of his office and chatted to us for a few minutes, not exactly a stunning anecdote, but one that stuck in my memory. (bought my Cup Final rosette at the same time).

:ascarf:

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 17, 2021

Bozza said:
Are you sure it is Customer Services and not Supporter Services?

Quite right, supporter services it is, although to the club that's just what us supporters are . . . customers.

BNthree · Sep 17, 2021

It was handy to be able to pop into the shop and speak to someone on the ticket office desk, especially as I'm often in Falmer area for work so was easy to get things sorted out that way. Much preferable to being on hold on the phone.

nwgull · Sep 17, 2021

I remember the huge queues for purchase of a real ticket from an actual person as recently as 2004 for the play-off final, which were sold on a first-come-first-served basis. I also remember being able to buy our group's FA cup semi final tickets 2 years ago, hassle free in about 5 minutes using my smart phone, when sales opened for the appropriate loyalty points band. Things move on and change, and the convenience of being bale to buy (or exchange) a ticket online is definitely a change for the good in my opinion.

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 17, 2021

nwgull said:
I remember the huge queues for purchase of a real ticket from an actual person as recently as 2004 for the play-off final, which were sold on a first-come-first-served basis. I also remember being able to buy our group's FA cup semi final tickets 2 years ago, hassle free in about 5 minutes using my smart phone, when sales opened for the appropriate loyalty points band. Things move on and change, and the convenience of being bale to buy (or exchange) a ticket online is definitely a change for the good in my opinion.

Of course, and a lot to be said for what you say, but nostalgia plays it's part too!

studio150 · Sep 17, 2021

Barrow Boy said:
Remember queuing for our Cup Final tickets and Jimmy Melia popped out of his office and chatted to us for a few minutes, not exactly a stunning anecdote, but one that stuck in my memory. (bought my Cup Final rosette at the same time).

I trust you asked him about leaving two up front when defending corners.

drew · Sep 17, 2021

Cowfold Seagull said:
Quite right, supporter services it is, although to the club that's just what us supporters are . . . customers.

Terry Butcher Tribute Act · Sep 17, 2021

To be fair I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did, I can't imagine there are many businesses that quadruple in size and don't expand/outsource their customer service desk. While there are undoubtedly cock ups (see putting Brentford tickets to everyone regardless of loyalty points) they must be using an impressive system to deal with thousands of tickets per game, a loyalty point scheme for thousands of members, the ticket exchange and now the new controversial ticket sharing package. And generally, they reply pretty quickly and don't put you on hold for 15 mins like they did in Queens Road.

A sign of the times. I'm all for club bashing where warranted but I don't see it here.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

chaileyjem · Sep 17, 2021

Cowfold Seagull said:
Quite right, supporter services it is, although to the club that's just what us supporters are . . . customers.

I think you're teasing but The fans/customers schtick to beat the club with is getting a bit tired. As is the very idea that the club might be losing anything by dragging itself into the 21st century and using the internet or deploying customer service techniques (as if !!)
I spent the afternoon last Saturday with the club owner sitting amongst the fans, posing for selfies with fans of all ages and seemingly having the time of his life. (bloody hell what a day)
You telling me he hasn't ploughed in £300m of his money over the last decade because he's a fan, wants the club to be more successful to transform the lives of other fans and makes decisions all the time from the point of view of being a lifelong fan. (and smart business decisions too - he's running a multi million pound business after all).

Hamilton · Sep 17, 2021

Cowfold Seagull said:
Well after all these years, pretty much since the advent of the club l suppose, the Albion ticket office that we all knew and loved has all but disappeared. Replaced now, in part anyway, by "customer services", a generic name if ever there was one, and a department that covers several areas, all only contactable by phone or email, normally taking an age to get through to.

Obviously now that almost everything ticketing wise is being done digitally and without the need for any real human contact, there just simply isn't the need for a ticket office. Even on a matchday it isn't possible to purchase tickets for the game, and the few people still employed in the old ticket office, are simply there to answer queries, nothing more.

A shame, l got to know a few of the guys and girls that wsorked there over the years, nearly all of them very helpful.

R.I.P. Ticket Office, as we knew it anyway.

I thought we were fans or supporters. Are we customers now?

Will the media be using the same language.

"Just listen to the sound of the Brighton customers in the North Stand. They are loving that goal. I don't think I've ever heard customers in such good voice."

Nobby Cybergoat · Sep 17, 2021

Couldn't Be Hyypia said:
I'm not too worried about the nomenclature, but a ticket office, for me, isn;t a ticket office if there aren't steps down to it. I blame this beauty......

View attachment 140489

FA Cup final tickets, buying low grade crap at the shop, getting a replacement for my season ticket book. So many times. Happy, happy memories of a simpler time.

Mate, i've never been quite as nostalgic to be standing in a massive queue

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[Albion] Goodbye Ticket Office, Hello Customer Services.

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