Customer Service

[VentureForth]

Many of our threads focus on customer service and the excessive lack thereof. It's been mentioned that Management can't always ride every train, and if they did, the OBS crew would know and behave themselves.

From the customer standpoint, most don't care to report bad behavior. Just make it through the ride and get to where you're going.

So what about Mystery Riders? Kind of like mystery shoppers, they would be offered a trip and given a log. Good and bad acts would be recorded. Nmaes of conductors, and coach, dining car, and cafe attendants. Even rate the food. Wouldn't have to be a paid position, but rather a free ride. Or - to even keep the conductor out of the loop - a reimbursed ride.

No comments would be allowed to be made during the trip. Plan them so that every employee is audited once a quarter.

How to pick a mystery rider? I'd start by asking AGR members, then ticketed customers.

Something has to be done...

 

[RailFanLNK]

Even though I have called in complaints, I always feel a little sheepish when I do. Would mystery rider be investigated to make for sure there are no ties to Amtrak from the past? No disgruntled employees trying to "get back" at the company etc. I understand where you are coming from, but I would feel a bit cheesy doing it. I had a female LSA on a trip once that needed to be put out of her misery, we had her another time and she sat down at our table and conversed with us like there was no tomorrow. We couldn't figure that one out for the life of us.

 

[Acela150]

It's a great idea! It would feel a little akward but I'm all for it!

 

[rogers55]

Sounds like a great idea to me.

I think a lot of riders would volunteer on an unpaid basis.

Amtrak does do a lot of surveying of riders and I have gotten free travel from that.

An idea comes to mind. I think on my next trip I will carry a clipboard with paper

that has an Amtrak letterhead or logo. If anyone asks what I am doing I will just say

"Oh Nothing." See if the service improves.

Having said all that I must say that the train crews I encountered have really impressed

me with their service and teamwork. There is one exception, a car attendant on the

Lake Shore who disappeared. Maybe she was having problems that we were not aware

of.

 

[amamba]

I think having mystery shoppers is a great idea, but I disagree that it should be AGR members. They should be professional mystery shoppers. I actually do a lot of mystery shopping, and have done high end hotels (think one of the nicest hotels in NYC) down to fast food restaurants. There is a company that I work for on occassion now that places mystery shoppers on certain cruises.

I work for about 5-10 companies, off and on, but have never seen an Amtrak listing. Amtrak would need to hire one of these third party mystery shopping companies, who would then assign their shoppers to the routes. The mystery shop would include all elements of Amtrak travel - from calling and booking their fare online, to boarding, to cafe or diner evaluations. Some assignments could be sleeper routes and some could be for coach travel. The shopper would be completely anonymous the entire time they were on the trip, and they would get reimbursed for their travel and all expenses while on amtrak, plus paid a nominal fee. Generally, for 20 pages of narrative for a 3 day/2 night hotel review, I would get paid $100. For a 1 night overnight on amtrak, I would expect a free trip as well as around $50.

 

[amamba]

An idea comes to mind. I think on my next trip I will carry a clipboard with paperthat has an Amtrak letterhead or logo. If anyone asks what I am doing I will just say

"Oh Nothing." See if the service improves.

A true mystery shopper would never take notes in the general seating area of the train, and absolutely would not use amtrak letterhead. The whole point is to remain completely anonymous and to have the "average customer experience." If a member of the staff knows that you are reviewing something, they will often go out of their way to provide better service than they do on average.

 

[VentureForth]

An idea comes to mind. I think on my next trip I will carry a clipboard with paperthat has an Amtrak letterhead or logo. If anyone asks what I am doing I will just say

"Oh Nothing." See if the service improves.

Interesting idea... At the risk of being accused of being a foamer...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Part of the problem is also that employees have bad days. I've seen normally very nice people grouchy as all hell.

 

[VentureForth]

Part of the problem is also that employees have bad days. I've seen normally very nice people grouchy as all hell.

First of all, personal problems stay at home. If you can't, you don't deserve to work in public service. When I worked at Disney, I had plenty of bad days, but I made sure that I didn't penalize paying guests for my grumpiness. And if I did, by golly, I had every right to get written up. If I had a pattern of 'bad days' that was inconsistent with the employment at large, then I have every right to get fired.

 

[Rail Freak]

Many of our threads focus on customer service and the excessive lack thereof. It's been mentioned that Management can't always ride every train, and if they did, the OBS crew would know and behave themselves.
From the customer standpoint, most don't care to report bad behavior. Just make it through the ride and get to where you're going.

So what about Mystery Riders? Kind of like mystery shoppers, they would be offered a trip and given a log. Good and bad acts would be recorded. Nmaes of conductors, and coach, dining car, and cafe attendants. Even rate the food. Wouldn't have to be a paid position, but rather a free ride. Or - to even keep the conductor out of the loop - a reimbursed ride.

No comments would be allowed to be made during the trip. Plan them so that every employee is audited once a quarter.

How to pick a mystery rider? I'd start by asking AGR members, then ticketed customers.

Something has to be done...

Very much like SPOTERS in restaraunts & bars. I've done that on both sides of the fence. I think it's a great idea!!!

Just have to screen (interview) pretty close in case of all they want is free booze or train rides!!!!

 

[haolerider]

Many of our threads focus on customer service and the excessive lack thereof. It's been mentioned that Management can't always ride every train, and if they did, the OBS crew would know and behave themselves.
From the customer standpoint, most don't care to report bad behavior. Just make it through the ride and get to where you're going.

So what about Mystery Riders? Kind of like mystery shoppers, they would be offered a trip and given a log. Good and bad acts would be recorded. Nmaes of conductors, and coach, dining car, and cafe attendants. Even rate the food. Wouldn't have to be a paid position, but rather a free ride. Or - to even keep the conductor out of the loop - a reimbursed ride.

No comments would be allowed to be made during the trip. Plan them so that every employee is audited once a quarter.

How to pick a mystery rider? I'd start by asking AGR members, then ticketed customers.

Something has to be done...

Very much like SPOTERS in restaraunts & bars. I've done that on both sides of the fence. I think it's a great idea!!!

Just have to screen (interview) pretty close in case of all they want is free booze or train rides!!!!

The idea of using AGR members and/or volunteers is not an acceptable practice for mystery shoppers/riders. The professional companies have established standards that must be met and there is a uniformity in reporting that is also important. In many cases mystery shopping can be focused on specific tasks that a company wants to observe or evaluate and the execution of the job is something best assigned to professionals in the business.

Someone suggested traveling with a clip board and Amtrak letterhead - which is an absolutely unacceptable idea. The mystery shopper is supposed to be "one of the passengers" and not observed as a member of management checking on the employees. Granted, Amtrak needs to have more management people riding trains, but there simply is not enough staff to go around.

 

[Cascadia]

Part of the problem is also that employees have bad days. I've seen normally very nice people grouchy as all hell.

First of all, personal problems stay at home. If you can't, you don't deserve to work in public service. When I worked at Disney, I had plenty of bad days, but I made sure that I didn't penalize paying guests for my grumpiness. And if I did, by golly, I had every right to get written up. If I had a pattern of 'bad days' that was inconsistent with the employment at large, then I have every right to get fired.

Gee, ventureforth, do you really think the whole world of service work should be held to the standard of Disney? I don't, that fake acting and making everyone's day is what makes Disney, Disney. People pay a lot for that experience which isn't supposed to be like "real life". Also I am sure the employees at Disney get treated better than, say, gas station attendants.

What's this "you don't deserve to work in public service"? Like having a job waiting on the public is some kind of reward?

Sorry, I have worked retail most of my life. I really don't know where this concept came in that doing your job and helping people with work related issues is somehow inadequate, that you're also supposed to massage their ego and "make their day" and be their new best friend.

Obviously this little rant isn't directed at you personally ventureforth! so please don't take it that way. I am just biased in favor of real life and not artificial phony cheeriness and perkiness. Perkiness gives me the heebie jeebies! LOL

I have low expectations of people waiting on me. I really don't like that master/servant relationship anyway. I know a lot of people don't feel the same way I do and they like being waited on, so - to each his own.

I always have good service experiences on Amtrak, especially with the station personnel too, they're great.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Gee, ventureforth, do you really think the whole world of service work should be held to the standard of Disney?

I'd rather have a "Disney" experience than some of the shoddy service I've witnessed.

What's this "you don't deserve to work in public service"? Like having a job waiting on the public is some kind of reward?

In this economy, some people would consider it a reward to have any job, be it a job in public service or anywhere else.

I have low expectations of people waiting on me.

Why a low expectation of people waiting on you? I can't understand that at all.

 

[Cascadia]

Okay, my rant above was too much of a rant, I'm sure. My adrenaline is up cause I've been doing a whole lot of housework and running up and down stairs with the laundry, etc.

I guess I just separate whether someone is doing their job, the actual work of their job, from what mood they are in while they are doing it. I don't go around expecting people to automatically be in a good mood, all the time, and I don't hold it against them if they aren't. I have a name for people who do, I call them the "mood police" or "mood bullies". See, I think you can still do your job, get people the things and information they need, make sure they are taken care of, without being all super-sunny and chirpy about it, and I think that should be 100% acceptable, it is to me. Sure I want my meal brought to the table, coffee brought around, etc., but as I said above, I don't need someone to "make my day" while they're doing it. I respect that they are working hard and I am not going to analyze whether they smiled at me "just right" or not. In anthropology, smiling is a signal of submission, and I'm just much more comfortable with relationships between two people who view each other as equals, with equal mutual respect (better stop there!

 

[Rail Freak]

Okay, my rant above was too much of a rant, I'm sure. My adrenaline is up cause I've been doing a whole lot of housework and running up and down stairs with the laundry, etc.
I guess I just separate whether someone is doing their job, the actual work of their job, from what mood they are in while they are doing it. I don't go around expecting people to automatically be in a good mood, all the time, and I don't hold it against them if they aren't. I have a name for people who do, I call them the "mood police" or "mood bullies". See, I think you can still do your job, get people the things and information they need, make sure they are taken care of, without being all super-sunny and chirpy about it, and I think that should be 100% acceptable, it is to me. Sure I want my meal brought to the table, coffee brought around, etc., but as I said above, I don't need someone to "make my day" while they're doing it. I respect that they are working hard and I am not going to analyze whether they smiled at me "just right" or not. In anthropology, smiling is a signal of submission, and I'm just much more comfortable with relationships between two people who view each other as equals, with equal mutual respect (better stop there!

Are you in the middle of a Wine Tasting?

 

[The Metropolitan]

I agree very much with you Cascadia. I'll take the reality over the charade.

For 11 years, I drove a city bus. On most days, probably 95% of the time, I was a fine "public servant." But there were also those days when some pretty bad emergencies came up and I didn't know how in the world I'd ever make ends meet. There were other days when personal stress was pushing me hard (loss of family or coworkers), and our leave policy did NOT allow us to take any time off to sort things out - you were expected to be there on your scheduled due time. It was a job of up to 13 hour days that often required you to work your off days to make up any needs you might have.

The worst days would be the days when you were exhausted and were trying to do the best you could, only to encounter hostile people or those who were just too dense to take "Is this a #3 (No, that 18" figure up on this sign is a lower case "m" that fell on its side)?" After 11 years, the same old grew old, and I took a promotion out of the public spotlight.

On those rough days, the best thing you could encounter was a passenger who at least showed some understanding to what you were going through. "Hey, Mr. Bus Driver, you're kinda quiet today - you all right?!" It made a lot of difference.

Having worked in service long hours, when I encounter Amtrak employees that may be a little curt, I usually try to be a bit sympathetic rather than offended. Last time I caught #67, the Cafe Attendant looked a little worn down at BWI. All I had to do was say "Don't tell me you've been on this train since last night in Boston?!?" She perked right up - "How'd you know? Yup!!" We wound up having a nice little chat and once I got a feel for the crazy schedule she was enduring, (IIRC leaving back out on the 4:25pm train from DC with just 8 hours and 25 minutes rest between shifts!) it all made sense to me, and she appreciated a chance to softly vent!

I've never really felt like I've gotten horrible service on Amtrak, but then again I don't expect the employees to bend over and kiss my tail, or to be "on" at every moment of the day! Yes, it takes very special people to really do well in Service work, but for nearly every employer , the supply of such people is far less than the demand, and I realize this, and treat service workers as human beings unique in their own right.

 

[Mit]

Let me say this,

While, I have never been called a mystery rider there are those of us who officially provide trip reports and service feedback directly to AMTRAK management. This formatted and formal process is conducted by a national cadre of individuals who ride and report on as mentioned before “all elements of Amtrak travel - from calling and booking their fare online, to boarding, to cafe or diner evaluations.” Including sleeper routes, coach travel, Corridor East, Midwest and West coast. Our reports take all possible elements and conditions of rail travel into consideration and look to provide fair and balanced reporting.

Understand while this may seem like a function of spying we don’t operate as spies but as observers; example, a lot of this summer’s feedback to AMTRAK has been around the relationship between reduced crew levels which might have worked (and please don’t flame me for this) before the current passenger surge and how current levels of patronage and the non stop on deck time now required from these crews is increasing and in some instances creating service issues.

This group was worked behind the seen beyond reporting on crews to provide AMTRAK feedback to on itself which has often resulted in some of AMTRAKS most valuable and popular service improvements i.e. the Quite car, the need for and implementation of sensitivity training for and improved communication for the disabled, development of Customer service awards for Amtrak personnel, station outreaches to survey the riding public on trail travel topics and concerns and the late train outreach project to name a few.

Regarding Crew having bad days, not having a 100% day is ok; taking it out on your customers is not. Oh and by the way this is all volunteer and at our own expense.

Mit

 

[GG-1]

Regarding Crew having bad days, not having a 100% day is ok; taking it out on your customers is not. Oh and by the way this is all volunteer and at our own expense.Mit

Aloha

This is the Important thing to rember.

btw: Walt really did pay for my college education, as I worked in Disneyland Anaheim, during the mid 60's.

We were not expected to be "super-sunny and chirpy", just polite cast members doing our part of the show. That is 3 years of my life I treasure and will remember all my life.

 

[Cascadia]

Regarding Crew having bad days, not having a 100% day is ok; taking it out on your customers is not. Oh and by the way this is all volunteer and at our own expense.Mit

Aloha

This is the Important thing to rember.

btw: Walt really did pay for my college education, as I worked in Disneyland Anaheim, during the mid 60's.

We were not expected to be "super-sunny and chirpy", just polite cast members doing our part of the show. That is 3 years of my life I treasure and will remember all my life.

You guys are going to get the wrong idea of me if I keep posting on this thread! I am not trying to say bad service is okay or to be expected, not at all. I just think it's not appropriate to hold Amtrak employees and the rest of the service worker world this ideal of Disneyland-type service. Disney is in the entertainment business! They are basically hiring actors and actresses, aren't they? You go there to have the red carpet rolled out, and everyone act like it's the greatest thing in the world that YOU showed up today, aren't you special? It's entertainment, fantasy, people pay a lot of money to visit that make-believe world!

But surely you don't want to live in a Disneyland world, do you? God, I don't. And Amtrak is far from being in the entertainment business, they are in the transportation business. I have dragged this thread off topic enough. I am responding to a lot of things that I think about from day to day, not just to the issues brought up in specific posts here, and certainly not to any specific posters, I know you guys are a level headed bunch.

 

[transit54]

Perhaps a more fitting example would come from the time I spent working at JetBlue. I worked doing what was called "airport operations" which is basically gate agent, ticket counter, bag issues, etc. I worked at a fairly small airport so I did everything, everyday. There is a very, very strong focus on customer service at JetBlue - basically creating what was called the 'JetBlue experience' (though now they're all into this 'jetting' thing, but that's a whole different matter). Much like Amtrak, we constantly dealt with irregular operations - during the summers, with thunderstorms in JFK, I'd routinely leave the airport at 10 or 11 PM for a shift that was supposed to end at 5 PM due to flight delays. Those nights because very tiring, especially with hordes of irate passengers surrounding you at every moment. Did I work all those hours with a smile on my face? Absolutely not. Was there even a chance I could 'make someone's day' - no way - not if their flight wasn't leaving tonight or they missed their connection and would be stuck for another day. But all I could do was try my best. I found that by at least explaining the issues involved, most customers were relatively placated. Things like explaining what causes flight delays, how ground delay programs work, answering their questions and showing weather maps and air traffic maps, etc. We also had a decent amount of leeway with being able to offer vouchers and refunding nonrefundable reservations and the like, which helped a lot. Basically management would stand behind us on any decision that benefited the customer, and that was very empowering to be know that I could solve 95% of customer service issues without needing to get a manager involved.

I suppose my point is that you absolutely can't expect every employee to have a great day, but you shouldn't expect them to be rude or curt or snap at a customer (except, of course, when that customer has approached the situation rudely or snapped at them first). All I'd ask is that they'd 1) explain to me the issues involved, and 2) they do everything they can to meet any reasonable needs or expectations I may have. That's what I did for every passenger who flew on JetBlue through BTV, and that's the standard I hold other companies and other employees against. On a night with an IROP, I'd probably have to make my speech about ground delay programs fifty times - what they are, how ATC sets them, how the priorities work, etc. I'd expect someone from Amtrak to be able to explain the fact Amtrak doesn't own most of its rail, the issues this presents, why trains become delayed, etc. And while that's really not a solution, at least it allows people to understand what's going on.

I guess I just really feel like Amtrak is not a company that focuses on 'people.' That was one of the differences JetBlue touted internally and externally - that it was their employees that make the company different and they really looked for personality, not experience, when hiring employees.

Of course, I've never really encountered an Amtrak employee who has been anything but nice and outgoing to me...I've only heard stories...

 

[RailFanLNK]

Roll back to 2004 for me. I'm usually always upbeat and on the go, my customers have great respect for me. I will always try to take time to answer questions of customers etc. I have a job thats delivering for a major package company where we run like monkeys on meth. :lol: I had lost my mom in 2003, then in a 5 week span in 2004 I lost my brother and my dad during the busiest 6 weeks at work. We have what we call "peak" day at work which means the volume goes from 13,000,000 packages to 26,000,000. While my brother was just buried my dad was dying. There was a change in my personality but I did my best not to take it out on my customers. But my customers knew my brother had died and that my dad had last rites but I was still "truckin'" due to the time of the year it was at my job. If a "mystery shopper" may have encountered me during the 6 weeks I buried two family members, only after losing my mom a year before, working 60+ hours a week for almost 6 weeks, trying to balance driving 190 miles RT to see my dad in the hospital etc, I may have been a totally different employee and I knew I was "off" when it came to making deliveries on time, not making mistakes (my mind was a million miles away) and extreme stress was written all over my face and black rings under the eyes. So with my first post I'm always a little leary of the mystery thing. I work with people who should be shot and put out of thier misery, but then there are others where life is throwing them major curveballs and you kinda start to get tired of swingin' at the curveballs. Life and work has all sorts of challenges and everyone handles them differently. I do my job well enough that when someone is spying on me, they probably are pretty bored and probably impressed, BUT the bottom line is I don't like being spyed on.

 

[Cascadia]

Roll back to 2004 for me. I'm usually always upbeat and on the go, my customers have great respect for me. I will always try to take time to answer questions of customers etc. I have a job thats delivering for a major package company where we run like monkeys on meth. :lol: I had lost my mom in 2003, then in a 5 week span in 2004 I lost my brother and my dad during the busiest 6 weeks at work. We have what we call "peak" day at work which means the volume goes from 13,000,000 packages to 26,000,000. While my brother was just buried my dad was dying. There was a change in my personality but I did my best not to take it out on my customers. But my customers knew my brother had died and that my dad had last rites but I was still "truckin'" due to the time of the year it was at my job. If a "mystery shopper" may have encountered me during the 6 weeks I buried two family members, only after losing my mom a year before, working 60+ hours a week for almost 6 weeks, trying to balance driving 190 miles RT to see my dad in the hospital etc, I may have been a totally different employee and I knew I was "off" when it came to making deliveries on time, not making mistakes (my mind was a million miles away) and extreme stress was written all over my face and black rings under the eyes. So with my first post I'm always a little leary of the mystery thing. I work with people who should be shot and put out of thier misery, but then there are others where life is throwing them major curveballs and you kinda start to get tired of swingin' at the curveballs. Life and work has all sorts of challenges and everyone handles them differently. I do my job well enough that when someone is spying on me, they probably are pretty bored and probably impressed, BUT the bottom line is I don't like being spyed on.

And the reason for my rants in this thread is that in the middle of all that, Al, some ****** total stranger is going to rudely call out "Hey! C'mon! Smile! Why don't you smile! A smile's not going to cost you anything!" or maybe it's only women that get that, I don't know. But if someone ever says that to me when I am in the position you were in, they might get hurt, I might not be responsible.

Someone said that exact thing to my best friend when she was walking on the sidewalk away from the hospital where it was touch and go with her dad, yelled it from a car that was coming out of the alley in front of her. She went ballistic (verbally).

I have no use for the mood police or for mood bullies who think everyone is supposed be in a good mood all the time, or for total strangers in any position who think my mood or state of mind is any of their business whatsoever.

You wouldn't know from all my rants on this thread that I'm a pretty cheerful, helpful, knowledgeable salesperson now would you? I even owned my own store for almost ten years, I couldn't have been that big of a moody b**** lol or no one would have shopped there.

Sorry Al for the extremely tough time you went through a couple of years ago . . . I bet it took a long long time to feel halfway normal after that.

The more I post about this the more I realize that because I work in service (retail) I side with the service worker! I see things from the worker point of view even if I'm on the customer side of the interaction. And yeah, mystery shoppers? Creepy, and kind of juvenile if you ask me. Why not just say to your work force directly, "We don't trust you. Not only don't we trust you, but we don't particularly respect you either."

 

[GG-1]

Roll back to 2004 for me. I'm usually always upbeat and on the go, my customers have great respect for me.

This tell us about Al, a Good Guy

You wouldn't know from all my rants on this thread that I'm a pretty cheerful, helpful, knowledgeable salesperson now would you? I even owned my own store for almost ten years, I couldn't have been that big of a moody b**** lol or no one would have shopped there.

Sorry Al for the extremely tough time you went through a couple of years ago . . . I bet it took a long long time to feel halfway normal after that.

The more I post about this the more I realize that because I work in service (retail) I side with the service worker! I see things from the worker point of view even if I'm on the customer side of the interaction. And yeah, mystery shoppers? Creepy, and kind of juvenile if you ask me. Why not just say to your work force directly, "We don't trust you. Not only don't we trust you, but we don't particularly respect you either."

I am a union labor representative. The worst thing I see, is management that doesn't care. Now I prefer them to work with labor directly but if the Organization is so diverse that having eyes to guide them, than I can accept that. Of course those reports must become part of the record and available to challenge if necessary.

Let me add how would you feel if your employment were dependent on someone that knew absolutly nothing about you.

I hope you understand my middle possiion.

Aloha

Eric

 

[VentureForth]

Despite what I said about 'off days', I think that the point I was trying to make in this thread is that there needs to be a systematic way of getting rid of the driftwood - those who truly contribute to a miserable experience.

Cascadia, I am sure you are a lovely individual who is very good at what you do. Like you said, you wouldn't be successful if you weren't. One of the questions that I have, though, is regarding your comment about having low expectations from those who you receive service from. I think that the premise of that thought is flawed. If you have low expectations, there is no need for the one on the other end to excel. It's OK to have expectations, and those expectations don't need to be low. Holding folks to a higher standard brings out the best in people through a challenging experience. Most folks are lazy because they are allowed to be. When they are lazy, they don't care. Apathy sets in and then nothing matters more than just picking up your paycheck at the end of the week. When you realize that check is always going to be there no matter how hard or how little you have to work to get it, you default to the least challenging approach. There is no incentive. There is no reward, but there is no punishment.

Eight years of pixie dust may have jaded my perspective on life, but it isn't all bad. I still take the time to respect every individual I come in contact with. Whether I'm asking people to kindly stand behind the rope, piloting a boat around the world famous Jungle Cruise, or discussing bazillion dollar contracts with jet engine manufacturers, I can't let my game down. I've been there, where my grandmother was dying and I couldn't get away from work. I've had times that my wife and I weren't getting along and we were duking it out in the parking lot over the cell phone. I've had my share of bad days, no doubt. But it's the exception, not the rule.

Now with regards to guest who does do formal reviews.... RIDE 66 and the Silvers!

Whereas I think individuals should submit complaints and compliments as we have been for ages, I also disagree with non-company sponsored spotting. I really think that Amtrak has the right idea by encouraging riders to submit reviews of their ride and maybe win a round trip. But the problem with the way they are doing it right now is that there is no formalized way to objectively rate different aspects of the trip, and the incentives are next to nothing.

So there are two ways of tackling this. First, sanctioning the group that *guest* is a part of and ensuring a good sampling of all routes and shifts would be a good place to start. If they wanted to have a more varied (and with a greater margin of error) approach, then a very specific form included with their ticket, which, when returned, would provide for a 15% discount off the next trip.

I think mystery shoppers are a great idea. I just don't think they're being used effectively - at least it seems like there are plenty of holes.

 

[Mit]

VentureForth,

I think we are on the same page!

The group I am a part of is an officially sanctioned body established in 1997, who's sole focus is not spying as some would imply. This group is the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee (ACAC), which functions as a volunteer group representing the needs and concerns of the traveling public to Amtrak management. One of the most important accomplishments of this body is the creation of ACAC's Customer Service Awards, these are awards presented regularly to AMTRAK staff for outstanding service from the ACAC.

As for myself I do ride 66 & 67 as part of the trains I ride and I do see the good, the bad and the ugly! But I also understand that there are root causes for all. In my reviews and reports I also take back concerns from the crews as I ask questions and seek feedback, any thing short of that is one-sided and in my opinion ineffective. Our reports are formalized in standard reporting documents and process. Additionally we meet 2 times a year with AMTRAK management and 2 or more time regionally plus monthly conferences calls. Understand this process is not focused on individuals but AMTRAK and Management doesn't always like what we report about them either i.e. checked luggage, reservation, Sunset Limited and other items and policies. You see it’s a double-edged sword!

Also, I often visit the forum I share some of the concerns expressed here as well Directly with AMTRAK management (Now you think I'm spying on you I bet .

Mit

Now with regards to guest who does do formal reviews.... RIDE 66 and the Silvers!
Whereas I think individuals should submit complaints and compliments as we have been for ages, I also disagree with non-company sponsored spotting. I really think that Amtrak has the right idea by encouraging riders to submit reviews of their ride and maybe win a round trip. But the problem with the way they are doing it right now is that there is no formalized way to objectively rate different aspects of the trip, and the incentives are next to nothing.

So there are two ways of tackling this. First, sanctioning the group that *guest* is a part of and ensuring a good sampling of all routes and shifts would be a good place to start. If they wanted to have a more varied (and with a greater margin of error) approach, then a very specific form included with their ticket, which, when returned, would provide for a 15% discount off the next trip.

I think mystery shoppers are a great idea. I just don't think they're being used effectively - at least it seems like there are plenty of holes.