The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-17
Guy Gardner U. p. G. p. A. Of
Topeka Wins First Prize.
Writes Best Article on How to
Run Ticket Office.
GIVEN BY GERRIT FORT
Passenger Traffic Manager Was
Judge of Articles.
Other Items of General Inter-
est in Traffic World.

Not long ago Gerrit Fort, passenger
traffic manager of the Union Pacific,
offered to the agent writing the best
article on How to Conduct a Ticket
Omce.'' a new SIS hat.
Now it wasn't the hat that spurned
the Union Pacific agents on to liter
airy work but it was the fact that the
head of the passenger department of
one of the greatest railroads in the
world offered the prize and read the
articles.
This is enough to make an agent sit
up and take notice.
Guy Gardner passenger agent of the
Union Pacific in Topeka, entered the
contest. Now Agent Gardner has al
ways known the movement of all ex-
cursions, the prospects. for car and
trainloads of tourists here ana there
and he even is in touch with the Kan
sas National Guard to such an ex-
tent that he knows just where the war
in Mexico will break out next-but no
one has been nervy enough to accuse
Gardner of writing.
But he has written-and as a re-
suit Gerrit Fort has bestowed the first
prize on the head of the Topeka agent.
The current issue Of the Monthly But
letin of the passenger traffic depart
ment prints the Gardner article in full
it carefully.
Here is the Gardner article:
How to Conduct Ticket Office.
There are important duties and ar
engagements necessary for the proper
handling of the actual work OF the
ticket office, but in addition to the plans
made for the conduct of the work,
there are other things to be thought
of and followed if your office is to be
lined up with the real ''Boster'' offices
of your company.
All of the equipment should be IN
good shape, with stamps and perfora-
tors and punches in working order ana
a full line of tariffs on hand ana pro
perly filed Tariffs. should be studied
so that they may be thoroughly I'M
derstood. With a good working know
ledge of the tariffs and the Guide ana
current folders of your own and con-
Meeting lines, intelligent and satisfac-
tory answers may be given to the IN
quiries of your patrons. Buneolal 1oar ra
should be kept properly posted, re-
ports. correspondence and acquisitions
kept in good shape.
These things are necessary, out they
do not make your ticket office a sue
cess. You may quote the rates, and
sell the tickets, and get the work done
on time and in good order, but If you
do not boost the line'' by making and
holding friends, after all you haven't
done much in the way OF running
ticket office. Little stations as we'll as
large are in the running as far as So
lfcitation of business is concerned and
in the business of making friends Tips
on passenger travel are easy for agents
at large stations to secure, but the
agent at the small place often hears Oh
passenger movements, too, sometimes
even where his office is not directly
concerned and should make an effort to
secure the business for our lines. The
general office, feel sure, wants to hear
from the agent at any station abou<
business of any kind. The newspapers
often tell of this party coming, or that
one going, and if some of these people
are seen, it is bound to result in a
ticket now and then, at least.
Pleased passengers really spell the
success CT your office. There is nothing
quite so important as courtesy and
kindness and perfect willingness to
give full and correct information. And
where you get a good share of your
passenger business over the telephone,
as we do at our station, your answers
on the phone go far toward making
and keeping friends. Maybe there is
not much time to talk over the phore
and perhaps a train is due, and pas
sengers waiting at the window, but
give your friend on the telephone as
much time as you can spare and talk
to him as if you are more than pleased
to think that he has called to ask you
for information.
After all, the ticket man has
been placed in his position to sell
railroad merchandise, which in this
case consists of tickets, just the
same as the clerk in the store or the
man on the road selling goods, whose
duty it is to meet the public and con-
vince them that he has something
they want And a railroad ticket man
ought to think of himself as a sales
man and try to study up new ways
and new talk to sell the goods. Much
ticket business may be lost to the line
you represent if the agent for some
other line takes more interest with the
prospective passenger or perhaps has
smile or a pleasant word where you
did not have it.
Give just as close attention to the
man who wants small ticket as to
the one who wants a long one. Who
knows when he will make another
trip or how far he will go the next
time? Who knows how many people
he will tell that he likes your treat
1nent, and can recommend it? A good
word from a we'll pleased passenger
certainly can do you and your road
no harm, and in many cases results in