Diet Pepsi is now a snack car "first class item"?

[FormerOBS]

Obviously I don't know the specifics, aside from the things the O.P. mentioned. Experienced and observant Amtrak passengers should already be aware that storage space is a factor that NOBODY at Amtrak considers at all, aside from the O.B.S. staff who have to creatively adjust to the problem of putting ten pounds of "stuff" into a five-pound bag. If the nearest handy storage location is at the end of the car, and the service attendant's work station is at the middle, and there's a line of people to be served, then the wise attendant will keep the extra stock nearby; and sometimes it's hard to hide it, even if you try.

The separation of designated revenue stock from nonrevenue stock is rigidly enforced. I don't know about the practices on the train mentioned, but I'm sure the separation of revenue stock from complimentary stock is similarly rigidly enforced. The complaint should be leveled against Management, who establish these arcane rules without regard for the fact that the rules make it very difficult to give the passenger the service desired. The complaint should not be leveled against the attendant, who is, as Sarah pointed out, caught in the middle.

Tom

 

[7deuceman]

Why is it that a heavily-traveled train on the Northeast Corridor does not have an ample supply of a popular beverage - Diet Pepsi in regular sized cans - displayed in the eyesight of passengers? Seems like the Commissary did not load enough product and the café attendant didn't have a checklist of products that needed to be re-provisioned at a previous servicing stop. This is a problem that I have seen many times both on the NEC and on LD trains.

Granted there is limited space for product storage on certain Amtrak café service cars. However, the frustration noted by the traveler that witnessed the service failure is nothing new, Here is another onboard service area that needs attention and of course there is another annoyed passenger who may not refer others to Amtrak. Not cool.

Knowing that many transportation workers are often fatigued especially after multiple trips and rest and recovery shortage, perhaps extra support is needed to help them do their work. Such support could be the Commissary ensuring that an Amtrak Café Galley is properly loaded, abundant top-selling products present and well-displayed.

 

[SubwayNut]

El Paso has Coke products in their Station vending machines and the Down Easter ( State Train) has Coke Products as does the Maple Leaf from Niagara Falls Ontario to Toronto after the Crew/ Snack Change @ the VIA Station!

Also the Vending Machines on the Piedmont Trains sell both Coke and Pepsi cans are only like $1

 

[SarahZ]

Yeah, I'm with DA. While it's a tough position for the attendant, it could have been handled much better. I give bad news all day every day, and I've had umpteen customers compliment my service despite how mad they are. It's all about empathy and tone of voice.

Plus, it helps that I usually say things like, "I honestly wish I could bend that rule for you, but I could lose my job." Once they realize I'm on their side and simply enforcing Corporate rules, then they get mad at Corporate and stop using me as a punching bag.

 

[NorthShore]

It's unclear to me how this (or any) attendant determines who is a business class passenger and who is coach. Do passengers have to show a ticket to get their free mini can of diet cola?

 

[Ryan]

Yes.

 

[dlagrua]

The right answer would have been "the diet Pepsi didn't arrive and we don't have it". If questioned on the soda displayed "those are the smaller sodas that the ticketed business class passengers already paid for"

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I just don't follow why there would have been any 8oz cans on the counter in the first place I know they usually have some items out on the counter to give you a sense of what you can order, but I would imagine any 8oz cans for BC paxs would/should be in one of the refrigerators so they would be chilled when requested by a biz class passenger.

 

[VentureForth]

They generally (in my experience) not chilled. They are served on ice to almost fill a plastic cuppy full of ice.

 

[PerRock]

It's unclear to me how this (or any) attendant determines who is a business class passenger and who is coach. Do passengers have to show a ticket to get their free mini can of diet cola?

Yes.

On some trains, like the Michigan Service they base it off from what side of the counter you walk up on. One one side is all coach passengers, the other side is only BC.

peter

 

[AmtrakBlue]

On some trains, like the Michigan Service they base it off from what side of the counter you walk up on. One one side is all coach passengers, the other side is only BC.

peter

So, if I "get lost" and end up on the BC side then head back to coach, I can pick up a free drink? h34r:

 

[Guest]

But from the OP's post it sounds like this café cart attendant doesn't care about things like that.

It wasn't that they said "I'm not allowed to give it to you" so much as they were saying "I'm refusing to sell it to you because...talk to Amtrak" and I'd probably be a little miffed too.

I would take the words the OP used as being exact, because I am sure that they were spun by the OP to add the emotion and drama he feels.

 

[andersone]

Now a different twist,,,

two weeks ago on 8 (EB eastbound) the SCA told us when we asked for soda to tell the dining car staff at our next meal that we had each had a soda,,,, I can only assume that is a new twist on some accounting procedures

 

[Guest]

I only get upset as a BC passenger since many times, the 12oz cans are ice cold, and the 8oz cans are merely room temperature.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

But from the OP's post it sounds like this café cart attendant doesn't care about things like that.

It wasn't that they said "I'm not allowed to give it to you" so much as they were saying "I'm refusing to sell it to you because...talk to Amtrak" and I'd probably be a little miffed too.

I would [sic] take the words the OP used as being exact, because I am sure that they were spun by the OP to add the emotion and drama he feels.

That's certainly possible. On the other hand I've seen Amtrak staff display some shockingly poor customer service skills in the past.

 

[Anderson]

If you wanna know what REALLY infuriates me, it is the lack of COCA COLA!

AMEN Brother, AMEN!! :giggle:

YEP!
And ... I saw a Coca Cola machine at the Riverside station. Yay!

Strange think happened to me once. I was on the Sunset Limited, passing through Houston. Went inside on just the chance they might have a Coke machine but no luck, nothing but a Pepsi machine. I looked more closely however and found the machine also had Coke and Diet Coke. Who would've thunk?

They also have Coca-Cola machines in some employee-only areas at Amtrak, as some other AUers may remember. I rather savored the Coca-Cola I was able to purchase from Amtrak

 

[VentureForth]

Now a different twist,,,

two weeks ago on 8 (EB eastbound) the SCA told us when we asked for soda to tell the dining car staff at our next meal that we had each had a soda,,,, I can only assume that is a new twist on some accounting procedures

Certainly not trying to be persnippity, but I assume you were in a sleeper? I have never known sleeper pax to get sodas - juice, coffee and water were all I've ever been able to score except at mealtimes.

 

[Ryan]

My LSA on the LSL served soda before dinner, she came around with a basket of them.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I've had a couple of excellent SCAs that provided Sodas for their passengers that requested them ( they used to be available in Sleepers before bean counters axed them!), and the Accounting was probably done through the LSA since Sleeping Car pax are allowed to order Pepsi Products with their meals! ( IINM you can order 2)

 

[zephyr17]

Certainly not trying to be persnippity, but I assume you were in a sleeper? I have never known sleeper pax to get sodas - juice, coffee and water were all I've ever been able to score except at mealtimes.

A fairly long time ago (around 10 years ago or more), there were "little" sodas available for sleeper passengers as well as water.

 

[pennyk]

Certainly not trying to be persnippity, but I assume you were in a sleeper? I have never known sleeper pax to get sodas - juice, coffee and water were all I've ever been able to score except at mealtimes.

A fairly long time ago (around 10 years ago or more), there were "little" sodas available for sleeper passengers as well as water.

Maybe more than 10 years ago, but I remember them also. I also remember the first few times I traveled in a sleeper on the Silver Meteor (or Star), I was served a warm chocolate chip cookie with my small diet pepsi.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Some of the Outstanding SCAs still provide Cookies, Chocolate, Fruit etc to their Passengers☺ but it comes out of their pocket, not Amtraks!

Remember to tip them well!

 

[VentureForth]

I've ridden in sleepers since 1999 and haven't gotten any extra perk that's been since eliminated.

I'm going to call Customer RELATIONS.

 

[jis]

Hey, and there were flowers in vases at each table in the Sleeper Diner of the Auto Train last Saturday! And Coffee was available all throughout he journey in the Sleeper I was in from that fancy Coffee Machine that they have on Auto Train Sleepers.

Also they have now moved to four seating for Dinner for the Sleeper Diner, and they don not use half of the Lounge any more, so the whole lounge is available for all to use all the time. Each seating is now for 1.5 hours instead of 2. On the whole a much improved situation from what it was immediately after the cuts.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Certainly not trying to be persnippity, but I assume you were in a sleeper? I have never known sleeper pax to get sodas - juice, coffee and water were all I've ever been able to score except at mealtimes.

A fairly long time ago (around 10 years ago or more), there were "little" sodas available for sleeper passengers as well as water.

I understand this was stopped after audits revealed many more cans than normal predicted consumption were finding their way off the trains and into Amtrak employee vehicles.