Blind Hammer gives some credit where credit is due.
It was with some dread that I approached the purchase of tickets for the first game at the OS, the second leg of the Europa cup game today.
This apprehension was fuelled by the experience, earlier this year, of the complicated registration online process for Season Tickets. This may have been straightforward for non-disabled supporters but was anything but for disabled supporters. It was particularly difficult for those who also had a linked Carer’s Ticket. I had tried to get my normally helpful West Ham Disabled Supporters Line to help at that time. Unfortunately they told me that they did not have anything to do with Olympic Stadium tickets and all they could do was give me another booking number, which predictably was never answered. I represented these and other problems by email to the Accessibility Team at West Ham.
This morning I was steeling myself for a difficult online process, wondering how to link my Carer’s ticket again, but thought maybe I should just try the number I used last year for the West Ham Disabled Supporters Line, more in forlorn hope than anything else.
To my surprise the phone starting ringing and I was told I was in a queue as normal. There was still part of me braced for disappointment, expecting that I would get through to somebody only to be told I had to book online or that I had to use another booking number.
Instead to my relief I was answered by a familiar staff member who smoothly and efficiently took my details and arranged for my ticket, as well as my carer’s ticket without any issues.
Now this may seem a small thing but the fact that West Ham is retaining their Disabled Supporter’s Helpline has made my day. You should also not underestimate the work behind the scenes needed to make this happen. It would have been far easier for West Ham to have devolved all the responsibility for this to the new Ticket Agency. They could have told their disabled supporters to sort out any problems with that agency direct. Instead, they have obviously, at a time when they are frantically preparing for a new season in a new stadium, decided to give themselves extra work and do things not the easy way, but the right way. Anybody who manages a pressured service will know that accepting extra work is not easy unless your staffs are committed.
The fact is that my Club has obviously reflected on the feedback that I and other disabled supporters gave them earlier in the year. They have responded by re-instating their own support services. This makes me proud.
We all moan from time to time but today let’s just say Hats Off to West Ham and the Accessibility Team.
David Griffith