Amtrak Customer Service

[jebr]

I would be surprised if any customer service gave a real name over the phone rather than an assigned nickname or badge number.

When I worked in a help desk (working directly with customers over the phone) for an ISP, I always just used my real (first) name. The help desk was (still is) small enough that if there was ever a complaint/compliment that would be enough for that feedback to get to the right representative. I don't know how common that is, but I think a lot of places (particularly if it's US-based) will just have people use their real first names unless that particular rep would rather not do so.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

When I worked in a help desk (working directly with customers over the phone) for an ISP, I always just used my real (first) name. The help desk was (still is) small enough that if there was ever a complaint/compliment that would be enough for that feedback to get to the right representative. I don't know how common that is, but I think a lot of places (particularly if it's US-based) will just have people use their real first names unless that particular rep would rather not do so.

That is what my son did when he worked help desk to outside customers.

I have heard that people at call centers overseas e.g. India often use American names when dealing with US customers. Perhaps they feel it would sound better if Sam was answering the call than Sudeep. Wouldn't make any difference to me having worked with people from India and other countries for my entire career but some may be more xenophobic.

 

[tgstubbs1]

When I worked in a help desk (working directly with customers over the phone) for an ISP, I always just used my real (first) name. The help desk was (still is) small enough that if there was ever a complaint/compliment that would be enough for that feedback to get to the right representative. I don't know how common that is, but I think a lot of places (particularly if it's US-based) will just have people use their real first names unless that particular rep would rather not do so.

I did a couple years phone tech support for a major computer company and we were not to give our real names.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I did a couple years phone tech support for a major computer company and we were not to give our real names.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it.

Sort of like our AU Tags!

 

[cassie225]

Sudeep or Sam just help me solve my issue in a good way and if you do Sudeep or Sam will get a glowing compliment to his or her manager lol

 

[tgstubbs1]

I wonder if Amtrak outsources any of their calls? Maybe they have their own core teams but when call levels reach a certain point they rollover to a second party service.
The time of day might be a factor. If you call at night you could get someone in a different time zone.
It's not in a call reps best interest to annoy customers but if they are new or uninformed they could be an obstacle to getting a good resolution.

 

[Amtrak709]

Wow. It had never dawned on me until reading this post that call center staff would not use their real names. Although I am an avid passenger train Amtrak fan, my real job right now takes me many days to work at a call center for 14 specialty practices at a moderate size hospital operation. I am proud and willing to take responsibility for the answers and for the service I provide. The first words out of my mouth are "Good Afternoon....(practice name).....this is Larry". I guess I should have realized that all call center and customer service operations are not necessarily equal.

 

[pennyk]

I had another call with AGR Customer Service today with an extremely positive result. Although the wait was a little more than the predicted 15 minutes, I lucked out with an excellent agent. I wanted to change rooms on my trip on train 92. When making my reservation (middle bucket), I requested an odd number car (V1 with toilet) and an odd numbered roomette (bedrooms were sold out and I wanted the larger seat facing forward). The agent who made the original reservation informed me that there was only one such room. It was room 11 (which I believe is over the trucks). I have been trying to change this reservation for a while and check the website to see if more rooms are available. For the last few days, and as of this morning, there has been only one high bucket room available. However, this afternoon, the website indicated low bucket rooms. I phoned this afternoon and there was a V1 room 7 available and the agent was able to switch rooms and put a refund on my credit card (without question).
I am happy! However, I will keep looking for the next couple of weeks to see if a bedroom B opens up.
(I am thinking that possibly some passengers may have canceled spring break plans (to my benefit) after learning the mask mandate was extended).

 

[tgstubbs1]

Wow. It had never dawned on me until reading this post that call center staff would not use their real names. Although I am an avid passenger train Amtrak fan, my real job right now takes me many days to work at a call center for 14 specialty practices at a moderate size hospital operation. I am proud and willing to take responsibility for the answers and for the service I provide. The first words out of my mouth are "Good Afternoon....(practice name).....this is Larry". I guess I should have realized that all call center and customer service operations are not necessarily equal.

I know they recorded all calls and we gave our badge number. I'm not sure what they did in Customer Care. Many of the operations were in different states. I bet it's a reasonably good stay at home job these days for some people.
If Amtrak is having call backlogs maybe they are using some big call center outsourcers and they may not be as informed. If they aren't outsourcing calls could they are swamped at times because of staff shortages?

 

[Bob Dylan]

I know they recorded all calls and we gave our badge number. I'm not sure what they did in Customer Care. Many of the operations were in different states. I bet it's a reasonably good stay at home job these days for some people.
If Amtrak is having call backlogs maybe they are using some big call center outsourcers and they may not be as informed. If they aren't outsourcing calls could they are swamped at times because of staff shortages?

Staff Shortages plus lots of "Newbies"being hired.

 

[west point]

How many new agents if any is Amtrak hiring?

 

[joelkfla]

About Amtrak Customer Service ---

About 3 weeks ago, I asked the following question on the website (I know the answer now):

Message:

Am I eligible to use the Metropolitan Lounge if I have a ticket that includes sleeping accommodations on a connecting train? For example, if I am travelling from Boston to Florida with a sleeper on the Silver Service from NYP, can I enter the Boston lounge?

Amtraks emailed response:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for telling us about your positive experience with our employees. At Amtrak we are working hard to exceed each customer's expectations and your feedback is critical to achieving this goal. We will pass on your comments to the appropriate managers.

Thank you again and we hope to see you aboard Amtrak soon.
Please do not reply to this message.

Sincerely,
Amtrak Customer Service

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Perhaps they feel it would sound better if Sam was answering the call than Sudeep. Wouldn't make any difference to me having worked with people from India and other countries for my entire career but some may be more xenophobic.

A hidden factor that makes low-fidelity communications like phone calls practical are the shared cultural norms that help our brains fill in blanks caused by a lack of auditory precision. This is one reason indistinct radio communications (such ATC over VHF) are often regimented about language and phrasing. Being given an obscure name in a foreign accent over a low-fidelity connection wastes time and promotes confusion. Better to stick to what people already know and are likely to expect.

 

[UserNameRequired]

A hidden factor that makes low-fidelity communications like phone calls practical are the shared cultural norms that help our brains fill in blanks caused by a lack of auditory precision. This is one reason indistinct radio communications (such ATC over VHF) are often regimented about language and phrasing. Being given an obscure name in a foreign accent over a low-fidelity connection wastes time and promotes confusion. Better to stick to what people already know and are likely to expect.

The key to understanding ATC is to know what they are supposed to be saying before they say it.

 

[Eric in East County]

On 8/14/22 which was one week ago today, we e-mailed Amtrak Customer Relations requesting help in rescheduling a round trip bedroom reservation that had been downgraded to coach. (We figured that, right now, their phone line is probably swamped, and an e-mail might bring a sooner response.) Our e-mail was quite detailed and specific, giving the reservation number, the dates we wanted it rescheduled to, etc. We also provided our phone number so that someone could call us if necessary.

After the e-mail was sent, we received an immediate acknowledgement that it had been received along with the usual caveat about how e-mails are answered in the order they are received, etc., etc., etc.

As of today (one week later) we still have not received a reply or even a short response recommending that we call and ask to speak to a representative.

We will be calling Customer Relations this week. (Since we’re in the West Coast time zone, we’ll be calling at 5:00 a.m. our time which is 8:00 a.m. Eastern time. That early, we might not have to wait too long to speak to an agent.)

If anything, we learned that e-mailing Amtrak Customer Relations regarding an important matter is a waste of time.

 

[pennyk]

On 8/14/22 which was one week ago today, we e-mailed Amtrak Customer Relations requesting help in rescheduling a round trip bedroom reservation that had been downgraded to coach. (We figured that, right now, their phone line is probably swamped, and an e-mail might bring a sooner response.) Our e-mail was quite detailed and specific, giving the reservation number, the dates we wanted it rescheduled to, etc. We also provided our phone number so that someone could call us if necessary.

After the e-mail was sent, we received an immediate acknowledgement that it had been received along with the usual caveat about how e-mails are answered in the order they are received, etc., etc., etc.

As of today (one week later) we still have not received a reply or even a short response recommending that we call and ask to speak to a representative.

We will be calling Customer Relations this week. (Since we’re in the West Coast time zone, we’ll be calling at 5:00 a.m. our time which is 8:00 a.m. Eastern time. That early, we might not have to wait too long to speak to an agent.)

If anything, we learned that e-mailing Amtrak Customer Relations regarding an important matter is a waste of time.

In recent years, I have had little luck emailing Customer Relations, however I have had decent luck reaching them at 8am eastern time. Unfortunately, I think the experience of the current Customer Relations phone agents is not as good as it used to be.

 

[bratkinson]

I've largely given up on phoning Amtrak. Given my hearing loss and despite upgraded hearing aids and trying several telephone devices for the hard of hearing, I still have significant trouble understanding people on the phone. Throw in a foreign accent, and I simply can't communicate.

So, about 4-5 months ago, when I wanted to book a 5-leg multi-city trip on points, after discovering that multi-city can't be booked using points regardless of browser or even my cell phone, I tried calling the AGR Select Exec number. After 40 minutes or so, I gave up waiting and booked each leg separately with points as trying to book an indirect here-to-there (SPG-WAS-CHI, for example with an overnight in WAS to catch #51 in the morning wasn't offered with just SPG-CHI, etc. And although their website has changed a bit as of last night when I booked a trip on points, I suspect it still will not handle multi-city with points.

 

[Bonser]

About Amtrak Customer Service ---

About 3 weeks ago, I asked the following question on the website (I know the answer now):


Amtraks emailed response:

That Amtrak response says it all!!!

 

[railiner]

About Amtrak Customer Service ---

About 3 weeks ago, I asked the following question on the website (I know the answer now):


Amtraks emailed response:

That Amtrak response says it all!!!

Agreed! Although it is not just Amtrak...I have recently received a similar totally irrelevant 'form letter' response to an issue I experienced on a cruise line.
They must just read the first phrase, and quickly select from a menu of 'canned responses' to answer back with. Makes it sound like they get paid by the number of cases they handle....

 

[Eric in East County]

I've largely given up on phoning Amtrak. Given my hearing loss and despite upgraded hearing aids and trying several telephone devices for the hard of hearing, I still have significant trouble understanding people on the phone. Throw in a foreign accent, and I simply can't communicate.

We just ordered a speech to text telephone to deal with this same problem. Once it arrives and we've had a chance to try it out, we'll let you know how well it works when calling Amtrak.

 

[MARC Rider]

WOW, that's going to hurt Redcaps tips for sure!

I hope this is a one off occurrence, Nickel and Diming Passengers is an Airline SOP, but then consider who's been running Amtrak the past few years!

I took two Acela trips from South Station, one in July and one in August, and they didn't ask for a baggage storage fee, they just put the bags behind the locked door of the lounge. And, both times, they took me (and my bags) to the train.

 

[dlagrua]

We don't call AGR all that much as we have always been able to book online. Unfortunately not last month. The website was really out of wack. It was showing rooms at 0 points and when I tried to book for cash there was nothing available. Finally called AGR to book our 2023 trip PHL-WLO and return. We had about a 30 minute wait but the agent was super nice and courteous. He got it all done and said that we even had a companion coupon available. It may not always be this way but for us it was a good experience. Now for Amtrak to get the booking site fixed. It really has some very serious problems.

 

[elisap]

I am a webmaster and am very proficient on the internet. I tried purchasing 2 tickets from Sanford to Lorton during a promotion but was unable to because the "Purchase" button remained inactive. I tried with Chrome and Safari and the same issue. Being that we can not sit around to connect to their customer service and I am unable to wait for a phone call I had to wait to call. As soon as I was able (2nd day after) I tried to purchase the tickets again but the Purchase button still remains inactive. I finally had time to call and was passed to the Customer Relations dept. All she could say is I missed the promotion and apologize as if they went to class and were taught to respond to any issue with an apology. She directed me to write [email protected]. And now I am reading that they do not respond to emails. Does anyone else have at least an hour to sit on hold waiting for Customer Relations only to use the typical, I apologize? I've never used the services of a company that is as lax and non-helpful as Amtrak. Did anyone have success getting a response from corporate?

There is a saying, that to succeed in business aside from a great product or service you must serve your customer well. I won't buy Amtrak stock.

 

[PaTrainFan]

I am a webmaster and am very proficient on the internet. I tried purchasing 2 tickets from Sanford to Lorton during a promotion but was unable to because the "Purchase" button remained inactive. I tried with Chrome and Safari and the same issue. Being that we can not sit around to connect to their customer service and I am unable to wait for a phone call I had to wait to call. As soon as I was able (2nd day after) I tried to purchase the tickets again but the Purchase button still remains inactive. I finally had time to call and was passed to the Customer Relations dept. All she could say is I missed the promotion and apologize as if they went to class and were taught to respond to any issue with an apology. She directed me to write [email protected]. And now I am reading that they do not respond to emails. Does anyone else have at least an hour to sit on hold waiting for Customer Relations only to use the typical, I apologize? I've never used the services of a company that is as lax and non-helpful as Amtrak. Did anyone have success getting a response from corporate?

There is a saying, that to succeed in business aside from a great product or service you must serve your customer well. I won't buy Amtrak stock.

Trusting that you are indeed proficient with the internet, but wanted to suggest: Did you click on accepting terms before purchasing? That click box is not readily evident and a couple of times I forgot about it and became frustrated because I was not able to finish the purchase until I finally realized what I had forgotten to do. Just a thought.

 

[zephyr17]

I've experienced a "dead" Purchase button several times in various conditions, the most common being mixed room types on a multiple trains, but not limited to that.

It happens on the site. The current "modernized" UI is very buggy and appears to have been designed and implemented by a thousand monkeys pounding away on a thousand IDEs.

With @elisap's background and my own experience with dead Purchase buttons, I'll assume he clicked the T&C box and tried other things like clearing cache as well as trying multiple browsers. A dead Purchase button is a not uncommon occurrence. I'll usually hammer away at it until I figure the exact entry and selection sequences that trigger it. I really hate poorly implemented apps and try to beat them into submission.

@elisap, you need not worry about buying Amtrak common stock, it is all held by the US government. And Amtrak's customer service is notoriously uneven and has been for decades.