Elaine - Ticket Office

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:02 pm

You might have seen that the club are advertising for a Head of Ticketing.

The reason is that Elaine will be leaving the club at the end of the year. She's helped countless supporters over the years. She'll be missed.

durhamclaret · Post by **durhamclaret** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:05 pm

Best wishes for the future Elaine and thanks for your help over the years, you did a great job.

DAVETHEVICAR · Post by **DAVETHEVICAR** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:11 pm

Elaine will be sorely missed and I hope her successor is equally brilliant in the post.
Beast wishes to Elaine and to a long and happy retirement

claretonthecoast1882 · Post by **claretonthecoast1882** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:13 pm

If the club has any sense they should ask Elaine to choose her replacement, considering she seems one of the few at the club who understands how ticketing should work.

Weird really as it isn't hard to do.

ŽižkovClaret · Post by **ŽižkovClaret** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:22 pm

Bloody hell she's been in the ticket office as long as i've known where it was. She's been a great servant to the club and will be missed!

beddie · Post by **beddie** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:34 pm

She will be missed, that’s for sure. I wonder if she’s moving onto pastures new?

Bosscat · Post by **Bosscat** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:37 pm

Elaine has always sorted any problem I encountered with a smile and little fuss ... she will be missed.

All the best Elaine for a long and happy retirement

ŽižkovClaret · Post by **ŽižkovClaret** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:38 pm

beddie wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:34 pm
She will be missed, that’s for sure. I wonder if she’s moving onto pastures new?

She was my uncle's ex when i was a nipper, and i'm 40 this year, so i'm making an educated guess that it is retirement

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:43 pm

I’m not quite sure that the club realise just how brilliant an asset they are losing here. She will be massively missed. Dare I say it, she actually understand ticketing and more, understood how the customer felt!

claptrappers_union · Post by **claptrappers_union** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:58 pm

The club have lost a lot of great assets over the past 9 months. It’s a completely different atmosphere there now.

Ashingtonclaret46 · Post by **Ashingtonclaret46** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:03 pm

Elaine was a real gem as far as I am concerned. Just under three years ago, I suffered a severe head injury on Christmas Eve and, because of a bleed in my brain, I had to relinquish my driving licence for 6 months so was stuck to complete my 300 mile round trip to the Turf.
A good friend in Ashington knew of my plight and that I held a season ticket and volunteered to drive me down so that I would not miss a game. I contacted Elaine and she ensured that I was able to get tickets for my friend for the rest of the season/
Although he was a big Toon fan, he bought a season ticket for the next season and was enjoying visiting the Turf until the Pandemic put an end to all that.

Many thanks, Elaine, for everything you have done to help me over many years. You deserve a good retirement and I sincerely hope that you are able to enjoy it for a good number of years.

Burnley1989 · Post by **Burnley1989** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:10 pm

One of those members of staff that everyone knows, big boots to fill

ALP · Post by **ALP** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:23 pm

Elaine has been magnificent over the years I've known her; I wish her all the very best in her future. Thanks for the help down the years Elaine, you've been a star.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:31 pm

I hope she is retiring of her own volition, not forced into it.
Lovely person.

CaptJohn · Post by **CaptJohn** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:40 pm

Have a long and happy retirement Elaine. You've deserved it for putting up with us lot for a long, long time.

claretgimmer · Post by **claretgimmer** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:52 pm

Met Elaine in the nineties whilst we were helping Bernard out with certain tasks, she was part of the old guard as we used to call them and as has already been said she was, besides being a nice person good at her job, basically she knew what was what and solved most ticketing problems with ease. Have a good retirement Elaine you`ve earned it.

Claret Till I Die · Post by **Claret Till I Die** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:09 pm

Hope Elaine isn't missed as much by the club as she will be by the fans. Hope you have a long & happy retirement Elaine

Red Fox Rocks Socks · Post by **Red Fox Rocks Socks** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:16 pm

What a shame she’s going as said above one of the permanent fixtures at the club throughout the leagues and always did as much as she could for anyone who needed it.

Is her other half Jon going too?

The Enclosure · Post by **The Enclosure** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:21 pm

A real gem, she will be a great loss to the club.

Fretters · Post by **Fretters** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:45 pm

Club legend. All the best, Elaine.

Yorkshirelad · Post by **Yorkshirelad** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:56 pm

I have to say like probably the majority of the fans, Elaine is one of the best. My son is a wheelchair user and Elaine as always been there for us helping us sort out our seating.

I have to say this is just another change of many- Darren Bentley, Pete Oliver. Like previous posts in this case I hope it is Elaine who has made the decision and not someone else who is making the decision for her, somehow I don't think it will be the latter knowing Elaine.

I have to say whoever it is who is going to do the job in the future has some big shoes to fill.

If she is retiring I hope she has a long and happy retirement, I will miss the banter we have when I have to get in touch

MACCA · Post by **MACCA** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:55 pm

The ticket office/system has been shoddy for a while now.
If Elaine is the only good one in there, I Hope the axe hasn't fell on her head, and the rest are allowed to continue to run it how it has been.

Hopefully this is the start of the ticket office getting at least out if the 90s, and an upgrade from the corner shop mentality, to more a Spar type place.

Good luck Elaine, sounds like you were one of the good ones and helped many

Leisure · Post by **Leisure** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:27 pm

MACCA wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:55 pm
The ticket office/system has been shoddy for a while now.
If Elaine is the only good one in there, I Hope the axe hasn't fell on her head, and the rest are allowed to continue to run it how it has been.

Hopefully this is the start of the ticket office getting at least out if the 90s, and an upgrade from the corner shop mentality, to more a Spar type place.

Good luck Elaine, sounds like you were one of the good ones and helped many

Unfortunately, many (if not all) of the ticketing decisions eg allocations taken, prices for cup games, information on how ticket sales are going, online sales information etc seem to have been taken by others in the Club and not the Ticket Office staff. My fear is that unless that policy changes we won't see many changes/improvements.

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:36 pm

Just mentioned this to MrsClarets4me, who had a significant birthday last Saturday ... without being ungallant, she's known Elaine for years and all factors seem to point to a well deserved retirement ... Lovely lady, always helpful.

Pat McKeirnon was another fantastic asset to the Club when he was head of " Player welfare " at the Academy, although he left for family reasons.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:59 pm

Clarets4me wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:36 pm
Just mentioned this to MrsClarets4me, who had a significant birthday last Saturday ... without being ungallant, she's known Elaine for years and all factors seem to point to a well deserved retirement ... Lovely lady, always helpful.

Pat McKeirnon was another fantastic asset to the Club when he was head of " Player welfare " at the Academy, although he left for family reasons.

Pat's been gone a few years now. I got on really well with him but not spoken to him for a while.

standishclarets · Post by **standishclarets** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 5:07 pm

I needed help before this season started, transferring my season ticket to my granddaughter because of my hip problems. Thanks to Tony S, who put me in touch with Elaine, the transfer took place with the least amount of fuss. I have to say I was expecting a bit of a battle but as I said at the time, Elaine could not have been more helpful or understanding. Yes, from my point of view, she will be a very hard act to follow! God bless her!

Eloise Laws · Post by **Eloise Laws** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 5:30 pm

The lovely things that fellow clarets are saying about Elaine are well deserved and very true. Enjoy your future Elaine whatever you get up to. You will certainly be missed in that ticket office

Wuggawumphwumph · Post by **Wuggawumphwumph** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 5:45 pm

Bought two tickets in BLS about 20 years ago and Elaine escorted me from the ticket office to the actual seats so l could ‘road test’them. Absolutely brilliant person

Awayfromburnley · Post by **Awayfromburnley** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:59 pm

I never met Elaine, though I wish i had now after all these comments!

Without wanting to sound disrespectful, sometimes someone who knows everything is a big loss(retained knowledge) but them going by default encourages new ways and processes.

Best wishes to her.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:09 pm

jdrobbo wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:43 pm
I’m not quite sure that the club realise just how brilliant an asset they are losing here. She will be massively missed. Dare I say it, she actually understand ticketing and more, understood how the customer felt!

Couldn't agree more. A jewel in the sometimes rusty crown that is our club

DCWat · Post by **DCWat** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:52 pm

I’d just like to echo the sentiments on this thread.

Various fan facing aspects of the club have had their critics over the years, quite rightly too, we in many instances.

On the few occasions I’ve needed assistance, Elaine has always been fantastic - friendly, understanding and damn good at what she did.

Here’s to a long, happy and healthy retirement.

A post further up the thread (Claptrappers?) mentioned many people leaving and a different atmosphere at the club…. I read that to be a negative rather than a positive.

We certainly need the club to improve in all areas and it was perhaps inevitable that there would be plenty of departures. It’ll be a shame though if efficiencies and improvements have to come at the expense of having people that care, about the club and about it’s supporters.

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 8:36 pm

I have known Elaine for a long time, she is a fairly close friend of my sister. I also used to work with her dad. She has also been a great help with tickets and seating many years back. She will be missed but good luck to her.

dougcollins · Post by **dougcollins** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 8:44 pm

Don't they call it 'loss of corporate memory', when all those years of experience are lost overnight.

I'm not sure how they'll replace her.

midlander63 · Post by **midlander63** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:02 pm

My Son went over to Athens to watch Burnley at Olympiakos - he said the funniest thing was walking into the hotel to get his ticket and seeing all the ladies from the ticket office sat there just like it was Turf Moor.
I assume she'd have been there handing out the tickets
On a related note I can't understand the criticism directed at the ticket office sometimes - maybe I've been lucky but never had a single issue ever.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:07 pm

claptrappers_union wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 16, 2021 12:58 pm
The club have lost a lot of great assets over the past 9 months. It’s a completely different atmosphere there now.

Look like they’ve brought in a lot of new people as well. What’s the atmosphere like now compared to previously?

BedfordsDad · Post by **BedfordsDad** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:14 pm

Nothing has been too much trouble for Elaine, even at the busiest of times. Many years ago whilst watching Northants v Derbyshire I saw Elaine, who was there to see her son play, and asked her if she could check the availability of two well located seats. This was done within a few days and season tickets issued.
Thanks for all your help Elaine and very good wishes for your retirement.

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:23 pm

When Burnley played Blackburn at home in 2000, I wasn’t a season ticket holder at that time and if you recall, the demand for tickets to see our rivals for the first time in a long time, was extremely high.

On the way that tickets went on general sale, I joined the ticket queue at silly o’clock….probably about 6:30 or 7am. There were about ten people ahead of me in the queue and Elaine, I’m pretty sure it was her, came and checked up on us when she clocked in at about 8am and then made us all a brew! By the time ticket office opened, the queue was through the other side of the lights!

Pstotto · Post by **Pstotto** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:36 pm

You might have to bang three times on the ticket office window CT, to graduate further.

CaptainKirk · Post by **CaptainKirk** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 10:21 pm

Just to add my bit.
Had a query a while ago regarding our 4 Season Tickets and was struggling to make sense of it. Then received a personal email from Elaine who had sorted my query.
Real customer service.
Enjoy your retirement!

Goobs · Post by **Goobs** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 3:26 am

midlander63 wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:02 pm
My Son went over to Athens to watch Burnley at Olympiakos - he said the funniest thing was walking into the hotel to get his ticket and seeing all the ladies from the ticket office sat there just like it was Turf Moor.
I assume she'd have been there handing out the tickets
On a related note I can't understand the criticism directed at the ticket office sometimes - maybe I've been lucky but never had a single issue ever.

Same here. I have seen people moaning about the ticket office but generally a lot seem to fail to mention the actual issues they have had other than being unable to use the online sales portal (user error?)

Either way it's good that many people appreciated this member of staff and I hope she has a long and happy retirement.

Brucefanclaret · Post by **Brucefanclaret** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:52 am

Happy retirement, Elaine! Always pleasant and always helpful. Arranged a car parking pass & seat swap for me and my husband when I broke my ankle and needed a more accessible seat to see our last home match of the season Promotion year.

Backofthenet · Post by **Backofthenet** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:07 am

Out of interest, was she head of ticketing, or is this a new role that's being advertised

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:21 am

I really and sincerely hope she is leaving of her own volition, either for pastures new, illness or retirement.

If it transpires to be anything other than the above then that will be extremely bad form
by the club and they would need to hang their heads in shame.

She has been exremely helpful to me over many testing and trying times and years and she deserves the
utmost respect.

Good luck Elaine in whatever you do. xx

EDIT :- haven't read the whole thread so these comments may not apply.

NewClaret · Post by **NewClaret** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:35 am

Some great stories on here. I’ve spoken to Elaine many times on the phone, and she’s always dealt with them brilliantly. She’s fantastic at her job and a real asset to the club.

Certainly deserves another programme cover for her years service…