please empty your brain below
Poor DG, you've failed the recent 'comply with the system' test, but don't worry, there will be more training opportunities, and you will be grateful or agree to be microchipped.

Still Anon | 18.10.21 - 7:15 a.m. | #

I think I'm old enough to claim that I don't have a smart phone or computer. That's a ruse worth a try!

100andthirty | 18.10.21 - 7:19 a.m. | #

I was helping my parents with some online forms this weekend - I was finding them frustrating to use, and I'm a digital native with a computing science degree. Good UI shouldn't be hard to provide.

martin | 18.10.21 - 7:48 a.m. | #

Oh DG, you have our sympathy. If there is one phrase used in answer to a computing query, that is guaranteed to drive us up the wall, it’s that one. After letting the green steam out of our ears, our answer is “ No it’s not, That’s why we’re asking.” 😠

Jo W | 18.10.21 - 7:51 a.m. | #

It's the same system at the Science museum. I have my doubts if walk up and enter will ever return, pre booking provides a lot of data for the venue which can be sold on.

coffin dodger | 18.10.21 - 8:00 a.m. | #

So, out of curiosity I’ve just tried booking a ticket just to see how hard it is.

It’s no harder than for exhibitions at the National Gallery or for the Crystal Palace Film Festival, much easier than Anglia rail, and only a little bit harder than Japan House.

Plus I can save the ticket direct to the iPhone’s wallet, rather than the downloads folder, which IMHO makes it better than any of them!

(OTOH I was booking for a week in advance, so there was no risk of it being sold out. That’s gotta make a difference.)

solar penguin | 18.10.21 - 8:11 a.m. | #

The online booking and one-way systems have been in place at TM since it reopened last year. It is a faff but the positive on each occasion I've visited has been far fewer people milling about, and hardly any tourists/kids simply ticking off another London venue without any discernable artistic interest. For me, the faff justifies the benefits.

Frank F | 18.10.21 - 8:12 a.m. | #

the other week, I looked at visiting the Queens House in Greenwich. I decided I didn't want to give all my details to make a booking so just turned up. No problem.

Fred | 18.10.21 - 8:39 a.m. | #

Just re-read your post: will you really wait until walk-up entrance is reinstated before visiting? That could be quite some wait. An unusually minty response to your unsatisfactory experience yesterday. Hope you have a better Monday.

Frank F | 18.10.21 - 8:39 a.m. | #

I hate any need to fill forms in on a mobile phone screen, it's far too small and fiddly. And yes, selecting a time then having to go through so much that the chosen time is no longer available; this happened when trying to book Covid jabs on line.

Keith | 18.10.21 - 8:43 a.m. | #

I was there last Wednesday afternoon to see the Rodin exhibition. We hadn't booked ahead as availability was shown for all time slots, and we didn't want to constrained to an exact half hour.

The same faff occurred at the door and we were just about to give up when we were told to go to the ticket counter (through another general security check inside!) where we were issued tickets for immediate entry, and without handing over one's þlife history.

It seems that their software moves onto the next time slot rather than offer the remaining tickets from the one just passed. Note to coders: exhibitions are not trains...

Ken | 18.10.21 - 9:19 a.m. | #

The National Trust have a members resolution question for this years AGM. It is suggested the NT adopt timed entry.How does that work ? NO you can't come in,and pay the entry fee. NO you can't eat a cream tee in the cafe, NO you can't spend money in the gift shop.
Don't see that working.

coffin dodger | 18.10.21 - 9:19 a.m. | #

I was watching my mum try and book tickets for the swimming pool a few weeks ago and it was painful. The system my leisure centre uses is even worse...

I wonder if the people who design these systems ever try watching real people use them. I'm convinced by how much people struggle, the answer is a resounding "no".

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 18.10.21 - 9:37 a.m. | #

Has anyone tried sending them a stamped addressed envelope with a ticket request?

RogerB | 18.10.21 - 9:41 a.m. | #

Having thrown away my pay as you go phone a year ago (because I had Paid, but after months of disuse, didn't Go), I guess that will now be excluded from Tate Modern and all those other attractions.

I can live simply, and happily, without a mobile now, thanks.

Petras409 | 18.10.21 - 9:47 a.m. | #

I was able to just turn up at Tate Britain last Thursday morning week as I first visited the two new Northern Line stations, then walked round the exterior of the American embassy before getting the bus to the Tate Britain on the off-chance. There was no queue and I asked a flunkee outside who directed me to the main desk where I was issued a ticket. No phone was used. But I fear for future museum and gallery visits.

Doug Robinson | 18.10.21 - 9:48 a.m. | #

This sounds very frustrating. Ive had my moments of trying to book on the spot and my internet just wouldn’t work. Mobile friendly versions of websites are often full of errors. And I wouldn’t be surprised if after all that they didn’t even ask to see your ticket. Happened quite a few times to me in different venues.

Renata | 18.10.21 - 9:52 a.m. | #

Booking in advance is the main reason I have yet to visit the Sky Garden.
I always forget about it until I find myself in the area and there is no way on earth I'd manage to do it on my phone!
Smart phone to me means it tells me when the next bus is coming and provides me with a handy map if I'm lost. Nothing else!

Cornish Cockney | 18.10.21 - 10:11 a.m. | #

I always say that my mobile phone doesn't connect to the internet, and what is their (repeatable) advice? Put the burden on them instead of you suffering.

I have yet to find somewhere that has refused me entry and/or assistance. 'Please' and 'thank you' (regardless of whether I mean it in these cases) help a lot.

Joel | 18.10.21 - 10:21 a.m. | #

Well, they say "Advance booking is recommended, particularly for exhibitions as they may sell out, but tickets for both free collection routes and paid exhibitions are often available on the door." "Tate has designated Ticket and Membership sales points, and a Ticket Collection point. These are currently on Level 0 in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern"

Perhaps they should tell this to the staff.

MK | 18.10.21 - 10:58 a.m. | #

I met a lady the other week who although she has a smart phone refuses to use it for anything other than calls out, won't even accept incoming calls. She also doesn't own a computer. I've spoken to her a couple of times since and she is full of woes about the problems she's having with bureaucracy. Which brought home to me how difficult life is for the un-digitally-connected.
Tesco have a service where such people can ring up and do home delivery order over the phone.

Caroline | 18.10.21 - 11:05 a.m. | #

The London museums and galleries seem to be sticking to timed entry, but outside London it's far less widespread. For example I visited Liverpool's World Museum a couple of weeks ago, and walked straight in.

Mikey C | 18.10.21 - 11:19 a.m. | #

Feeling smug, because I’m a Tate member, I decided to book a ticket to see the Turbine Hall commission tomorrow. Except it wouldn’t accept my password. So I reset it, and it wouldn’t accept that either. So I tried some other possibilities and it locked me out.

I eventually booked using another email account, but it’s safe to say that I’ve joined you in the ranks of Tate Booking System Haterz…

Baldassaro | 18.10.21 - 11:32 a.m. | #

I sympathise. The last time I was in London I had a few places I wanted to visit but as someone who likes to amble without a clear route and then stop en route in a cafe, pub or shop that looks interesting, I rarely know when I'm going to get somewhere. So I'm hoping that pre-booking tickets disappears in the near future.

The other month I visited the Serpentine Gallery where they insisted on booking and I then had to stand outside and book a free online ticket even though it was clear the place wasn't busy. Quite frustrating.

Anders | 18.10.21 - 1:44 p.m. | #

This is the problem with the modern world where we have all rushed down the digital highway behind Amazon, Facebook and Google. One terrorist bomb, one power outrage or disgruntled hacker and it will all go up in smoke.

Tones | 18.10.21 - 3:15 p.m. | #

Sadly I found all this out the other day when I decided to nip in to the Tate after an appointment at St Thomas'

Couldn't be arsed. Sod 'em.

Chris | 18.10.21 - 4:27 p.m. | #

I think this is representative of a general assumption that everyone has a smartphone and continuous internet access (eg West End theatres moving entirely to phone ticketing). Of course, computers cost far less to run than people, but the cost-saving is almost entirely financed by making customers do all the work instead of venues providing a service.

Labourer | 18.10.21 - 5:24 p.m. | #

The timed entry nonsense really ought to stop now. With no legal restrictions and most visitors to these galleries packed into crowded Tubes on their way into town, it's now very evidently just virtue-signalling nonsense - and a chance to make a few bob by upselling.

barbicanman | 18.10.21 - 7:15 p.m. | #

Agreed barbicanman, I wonder how many people arrive at the Tate, give up trying to go in and instead go into the Founders Arms pub next door instead!

Mikey C | 18.10.21 - 8:09 p.m. | #

Frank F - That's nice for you , and for anyone else who happens to be in there, but general revenues are going to fall if the casual passer by is effectively barred. As for the cultural elitism in the 2nd half of your comment... Not everyone was born clutching a copy of Brian Sewell's collected works, y'know.

Graham | 18.10.21 - 9:02 p.m. | #

I had my second vaccination in Tate Modern back in July when they had a one-off pop-up centre there (in the Turbine Hall, so we felt a bit like a mass artwork ourselves). That was a lot easier to book than this exhibition, by the sound of it!

James Matcham | 19.10.21 - 9:31 a.m. | #

The Turbine Hall commission is fascinating and delightful (even though the smells element doesn’t seem to work). A major upgrade on Philippe Parreno’s floating fish of a few years ago. Well worth a fight with the Tate website to see.

Baldassaro | 19.10.21 - 11:53 a.m. | #

After your post I booked (on my computer) a slot for the next day (late Tuesday afternoon). Well worth it, those "creatures" by Anicka Yi are brilliant, and fascinating to watch as they fly around the space. A pain to have to book in advance, but don't miss out as a result

Mikey C | 20.10.21 - 10:37 a.m. | #

So, if I've read your ticket booking attempt chronology right, you have to select if you are going to donate or not before before seeing if there is a time slot available. Seems like they want to filter out non-payers, making them the lowest priority.

I hate using using a mobile for internet related things. Something that is straight forward on a desktop often becomes a nightmare when using the same internet address on a mobile. Selecting 'request desktop mode' rarely makes a difference.

rogmi | 20.10.21 - 10:59 a.m. | #











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