Pre-booked ticket collection - something needs to be done!

[Mike]

In the pre-booked ticket queue yesterday, I was waiting in the region of 35 minutes - over twice as long as the main ticket-buying queues which were on average 10-15 minutes.

There are 2 separate but related issues that need to be dealt with I feel.

Firstly, in my opinion, something needs to be done about the process for collecting tickets (and annual pass purchases for those with vouchers or who dont wish to pay the normal entrance fee on top then get it refunded.) In this day and age, I honestly don't know why a few automated kiosks can't be set up for collecting pre-booked tickets where people have opted not to print at home.

In addition, it is absurd that people requiring annual passes have to queue twice! As they don't print them for you at the ticket collection point (as done ay every other UK Merlin attraction), you then have to queue again at the Box Office inside the park to get the actual AP printed! I must admit I don't understand the logic of this - just one or two printers within the office would be easy to implement and improve guest satisfaction.

What are other people's thoughts on this?

 

[hotdog]

I think cinema style automatic ticket collection machines would be a very good idea. It is quite frustrating the length of the pre-booked queue in comparison to the other.

 

[delta79]

I have wondered why they have not added prebooked ticket collection screen onto the EPOS systems in all ticket booths. So they can issue them anywhere.

As for AP's due to the printing of them this make it a bit more problematic. As you said, investment in a couple of printers and then set up a couple of ticket booths as AP issuing would get around double queuing you bring up.

 

[Tom]

They have your money, there is no real incentive to shift the queues for pre-paid collection, it's as simple as that. They way they channel annual pass holders through a single gate entry is also the same concept.

 

[Bambi]

To be fair, we arrived around 10.30/11am and queued in the main queue line and it definately wasn't 10-15mins, more like 40!!! I understand your point though and believe there could be more automated collection points such as you now get in the cinema.

However, queue lines in general need to be looked at as I think, as shown yday, the busiest time to buy tickets is between 10.30am and 12pm and it is pretty bad that you have to queue as long as you do to just get in the park!! There should be more places to buy or a revamp of the existing booths where more staff can be put in. The biggest faff is people umming and ahhing over whether to buy maze tickets there and then - just let them buy in the park!!!!!

I felt quite sorry for staff yday especially the 'litter pickers' who were getting a lot of stick from people who were not happy about queuing for so long and the general organisation of the queue lines - a few people were told quite abruptly that "no, the queue line does not start from there. Why do you think we're all standing around this way!?!" due to the queues having to loop around just for the room for people to fit in

 

[djtruefitt]

I think more and more people are now booking online before hand, especially with the deals and offers towers do online and with ERT. Pretty much every guest who will go to towers will now own a computer and can therefore book in advance, where as a few years back they wouldnt have.

They could do with completly re-designing the whole of the ticket booths, they are currently all a bit random and dotted around, and there are only a few for pre-booked tickets. They either need more desks for prebooked tickets, or do like Drayton do, and let you go to any counter with your reference number and they will do it there.

I seem to remember last year Thorpe had some ticket machines but I never really saw them being used, but this year they have been replaced by ticket booths. Im surprised Merlin dont invest in some, as it would save them alot of money on staff costs. They could quite easiorly get the same kind of machines that train stations have.

 

[WillPS]

Alton Towers actually had self-service machines for collection in 2002. They were out of action the next season and removed shortly after.

 

[Dave]

They need to push print at home tickets really, add a £2 discount if you use print at home and lots will choose it.

 

[Dar]

I'm not sure if this is advertised, but I found out at the Scarefest preview, with a pre-booked collection queue that stretched to the far end of the corkscrew, that if you booked your ticket through the official site then you can collect it at any pay booth!

EDIT: Although I do agree that to make people trying to buy APs queue twice is absurd, surely if you've bought it online then you could show your receipt to the entrance host and they would let you down to the Box Office?

 

[cotda]

You know the portakabiny building on the far right of the plaza, never actually tried it, but I would have thought you could get your M/AP's (the ticket to get to the box office) from there. Its a special passes section and during scarefest I bought some BOGOF tickets from there cause I had my MAP, just an idea

 

[Dave]

You know the portakabiny building on the far right of the plaza, never actually tried it, but I would have thought you could get your M/AP's (the ticket to get to the box office) from there. Its a special passes section and during scarefest I bought some BOGOF tickets from there cause I had my MAP, just an idea

The portacabin always used to be cash only sales, no idea if thats changed

 

[cotda]

You know the portakabiny building on the far right of the plaza, never actually tried it, but I would have thought you could get your M/AP's (the ticket to get to the box office) from there. Its a special passes section and during scarefest I bought some BOGOF tickets from there cause I had my MAP, just an idea

The portacabin always used to be cash only sales, no idea if thats changed

There's a little bit on the end side of it that does special pass sales.

so like

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^ Thats the one

 

[djtruefitt]

Alton Towers actually had self-service machines for collection in 2002. They were out of action the next season and removed shortly after.

I think ten years ago many people were still not that up to grips with self service and machines, but now most people are, with most supermarkets having self service tills and various other places like train stations and airports. They should trial them next year (and update the main ticket booths while they are at it.

 

[Scott]

If people are (and have been for years) happy to collect pre-booked cinema tickets on machines then they can do so at Towers!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[thefatone]

Dunno whether they'd be used though - Thorpe Park had some a couple of years ago, for all their tech-savvy guests to use, and everyone bypassed them. They were removed.

London Eye has a few of them, and again even with good signage and people telling them to use them, people queue up to get their tickets. Think they just prefer seeing a person in this aspect - most people do it at cinema to avoid lengthy queues and to avoid those who are just buying food as well.