Effective complaint resolution?

[Montanan]

Hello, all ... first-time poster here, but a long time lurker (as they say).

Anyhow, I completed a New Orleans-Philadelphia trip on the Crescent last week ... and though I'm normally fairly patient with Amtrak, this experience left a pretty unpleasant taste in my mouth. The diner had been bad-ordered, for one thing, so we sleeping car passengers subsisted for a day and a half on deli sandwiches and muffins, which were served at odd hours and ranged from mediocre to thoroughly inedible. There were also major issues with room cleanliness and a thoroughly inattentive onboard staff -- the car attendants seemed to spend pretty much the whole trip sprawled in the lounge area, monopolizing the few seats and gossiping loudly.

I'd like to contact Amtrak about this trip, both to report my concerns and because I feel I'm entitled to some compensation for the lack of meal service. And I'm wondering what the most effective way to do that might be -- phone, e-mail, or written letter, and addressed to whom? I've seen varying reports here and elsewhere about the effectiveness of trying to speak to Amtrak about things like this.

Thanks in advance, folks!

 

[Sam Damon]

The first step is to have your ticket stubs handy. Then pick up that telephone and dial 1-800-USA-RAIL. After "Julie" finishes, say "Agent." When you speak with a real human being, ask for "Customer Relations." Tell that person your tale. That person will ask for information on your ticket stubs. This is where you start.

Odds are, if you try anywhere else at Amtrak, you will inevitably be referred back to Customer Relations. I would certainly ask those people for a travel voucher refunding your accommodation charges. It's reasonable, and odds are they will approve one. If you don't get that sort of joy, report here, and we'll try to offer suggestions on how to ramp up the complaint.

 

[Montanan]

Many thanks ... I'll give it a shot this afternoon, and report back.

~Mark

 

[Montanan]

Well, I just got off the phone with Amtrak. They readily offered me a fairly patronizing apology, along with a $125 travel voucher -- while trying to end the call as quickly as possible. Not quite what I'd ideally hope for, but certainly much better than nothing.

Ah, well. I've got a night on the CZ scheduled in a couple of weeks, and hopefully that will cleanse my palate a bit.

 

[Sam Damon]

Out of curiosity, what price range was your accommodation charge on that trip?

 

[MrFSS]

Well, I just got off the phone with Amtrak. They readily offered me a fairly patronizing apology, along with a $125 travel voucher -- while trying to end the call as quickly as possible. Not quite what I'd ideally hope for, but certainly much better than nothing.
Ah, well. I've got a night on the CZ scheduled in a couple of weeks, and hopefully that will cleanse my palate a bit.

So, you probably didn't get a sense they would try to rectify the employee problems, I guess.

 

[Montanan]

Out of curiosity, what price range was your accommodation charge on that trip?

It was $289. I have no idea where that is in the range of prices for that route ... but I booked my ticket on fairly short notice. The sleepers seemed pretty lightly used, and there were a fair number of people using roomettes as day space between New Orleans and Atlanta -- presumably after getting upgrade offers from Amtrak's sales people. I'm sure they were even less happy than I was.

So, you probably didn't get a sense they would try to rectify the employee problems, I guess.

Not at all -- it was clear that the person I talked to was just supposed to throw me a financial bone and then get on to the next call as quickly as possible. Disappointing on several levels.

The inconsistency of Amtrak's on-board crews is a huge problem, IMHO ... one of the biggest they have to deal with, and certainly one of the toughest to resolve. But they absolutely need to tighten the screws in that department.

 

[Sam Damon]

Montanan,

First, thanks for the updates. Now, here is one suggestion for ramping this up. You probably won't get any more money out of Amtrak, but it will be good for the OBS crews' souls...

Sit down at your favorite word processing program, and write a very polite, yet hard-hitting letter. The person you're going to address it to is Mr. Emmett Fremaux, Jr., 60 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. He's the VP of Marketing & Product Management at Amtrak.

Tell Mr. Fremaux in your own words how you've been a loyal Amtrak customer. When writing, avoid railfan terms like "bad-ordered." Instead, use common words and phrases like "there was some mechanical problem with the diner, and another wasn't available." Describe in as much detail as you like the sullen crew, the overall cleanliness of the accommodation, and the inedible food. I'd also make myself available via telephone or email if he or someone from his office would want to follow-up, as well as by verifying your reservation number and ticket number. Since you're booked on the CZ, close the letter by expressing your hope that ride will be better. Be polite, and keep the letter to one page.

If you have space, also point out how you felt Customer Relations blew you off. All of this is the sort of feedback I suspect Amtrak's highest levels never hear.

Fire off that sort of a letter, and should you get a reply, try to share as much of it with us as you can.

 

[Guest]

When writing, avoid railfan terms like "bad-ordered."

Heh -- first post here, and I outed myself as a railfan! Ah, well ... I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Anyhow, many thanks for the address and suggestion; I'll try to put something together this weekend.

And despite the experience, I'm still very much looking forward to my next trip on the CZ ... no matter what happens, with the Superliners and Donner Pass, it's bound to be a good time.

 

[Montanan]

^ ... and that was me, of course. :huh:

 

[Montanan]

Just to follow up on this:

Before I got the chance to write my letter I received an unsolicited call from a supervisor with Amtrak's on-board services department. (He actually called me from his home, on a Sunday afternoon ... which scored some points in itself.) He'd clearly been provided with some additional background info on that run of the Crescent, and he had a few questions for me ... and also gave me the chance to expound a little more. A nice gesture, all in all.

It was pretty clear that one of the reasons for his call was that some of the specific issues I mentioned were going to be brought up with members of that train's crew ... but he also did a good job of convincing me that Amtrak was concerned about the customer's on-board experience. He also said that they were working on ways of providing better substitute food service in the event of a diner problem -- he said that one of the future possibilities was that Amtrak would contract with an airline catering company to provide meals in those situations.

So anyhow, at this point I guess I'm reasonably satisfied with Amtrak's response. (Or rather, I will be as soon as my credit voucher shows up! )

 

[Anthony]

As far as I know, Amtrak already uses (used?) GateGourmet to supply their diner food. Perhaps they would just enlist their help in preparing full meals, as opposed to just supplying ready-made ingredients.

 

[AlanB]

As far as I know, Amtrak already uses (used?) GateGourmet to supply their diner food. Perhaps they would just enlist their help in preparing full meals, as opposed to just supplying ready-made ingredients.

With a few exceptions, mainly state sponsored services, Gate does indeed provide all the food found on Amtrak trains.

 

[AlanB]

Just to follow up on this:
Before I got the chance to write my letter I received an unsolicited call from a supervisor with Amtrak's on-board services department. (He actually called me from his home, on a Sunday afternoon ... which scored some points in itself.) He'd clearly been provided with some additional background info on that run of the Crescent, and he had a few questions for me ... and also gave me the chance to expound a little more. A nice gesture, all in all.

It was pretty clear that one of the reasons for his call was that some of the specific issues I mentioned were going to be brought up with members of that train's crew ... but he also did a good job of convincing me that Amtrak was concerned about the customer's on-board experience. He also said that they were working on ways of providing better substitute food service in the event of a diner problem -- he said that one of the future possibilities was that Amtrak would contract with an airline catering company to provide meals in those situations.

So anyhow, at this point I guess I'm reasonably satisfied with Amtrak's response. (Or rather, I will be as soon as my credit voucher shows up! )

Impressive!

I'm glad to hear that someone is actually taking things seriously.

 

[Sam Damon]

Just to follow up on this:
Before I got the chance to write my letter I received an unsolicited call from a supervisor with Amtrak's on-board services department. (He actually called me from his home, on a Sunday afternoon ... which scored some points in itself.) He'd clearly been provided with some additional background info on that run of the Crescent, and he had a few questions for me ... and also gave me the chance to expound a little more. A nice gesture, all in all.

It was pretty clear that one of the reasons for his call was that some of the specific issues I mentioned were going to be brought up with members of that train's crew ... but he also did a good job of convincing me that Amtrak was concerned about the customer's on-board experience.

Fascinating. A preemptive strike from Amtrak's OBS department. Perhaps someone at 60 Mass has been tasked with monitoring this forum?

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It does beg some questions, though. Such as, "Why can't Amtrak management get rid of the bad apples?" "Why are trains leaving initial terminals with mechanical problems?" "Where has management been through all of this?"

Anyway, I'm happy Amtrak contacted you on their own, and perhaps you'll get your credit voucher.

 

[had8ley]

Perhaps someone at 60 Mass has been tasked with monitoring this forum?
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It does beg some questions, though. Such as, "Why can't Amtrak management get rid of the bad apples?" "Why are trains leaving initial terminals with mechanical problems?" "Where has management been through all of this?"

Anyway, I'm happy Amtrak contacted you on their own, and perhaps you'll get your credit voucher.

It would be nice to know if they do monitor what is really going on in the trenches. One step further would be to appoint one of this site's moderators to an Amtrak advisory council. Miracles still do happen...

 

[Montanan]

Fascinating. A preemptive strike from Amtrak's OBS department. Perhaps someone at 60 Mass has been tasked with monitoring this forum?
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It does beg some questions, though. Such as, "Why can't Amtrak management get rid of the bad apples?" "Why are trains leaving initial terminals with mechanical problems?" "Where has management been through all of this?"

Anyway, I'm happy Amtrak contacted you on their own, and perhaps you'll get your credit voucher.

I dunno ... I guess I'd be surprised if Amtrak were officially monitoring traffic here, and in my case they would have had to have done a little research to make the connection between this thread and my call. And nothing against this forum at all, but an Amtrak employee reading everything here would have to sift through an awful lot of chaff to get to the wheat.

I definitely agree, though, that the quality and consistency of Amtrak's on-board service is one of its biggest problems. There are far too many Amtrak employees who have learned that they can get by with not providing good service because the odds of their being disciplined are almost nil. And even the ones who do provide good service do it in inconsistent ways.

In the old days, the railroads used to document on-board service procedures and standards in excruciating detail, and I'm sure Amtrak's published standards to its employees are far less precise. Training thus needs to be improved, but so does monitoring. Amtrak desperately needs an army of roving anonymous inspectors to monitor what happens on its trains and report back. And then those reports need to be acted on. I'm not too optimistic that'll ever happen, though.

 

[lepearso]

Let's focus for a minute on the main causes of bad order diners...

I think there's a pattern with heritage diners being sent out with mechanical failures. Partly because they're old and more prone to have problems, but also because there's so few of them still in service. Both of these factors couple with the possibility that Sunnyside and Hialeah do not have the time nor do they have the manpower to make fast repairs in between arrivals and departures.

Is this a correct train of thought...or am I missing something?

 

[AmtrakWPK]

This one I just couldn't pass up....

Is this a correct train of thought

Or is it more a correct thought of train? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Let's focus for a minute on the main causes of bad order diners...
I think there's a pattern with heritage diners being sent out with mechanical failures. Partly because they're old and more prone to have problems, but also because there's so few of them still in service. Both of these factors couple with the possibility that Sunnyside and Hialeah do not have the time nor do they have the manpower to make fast repairs in between arrivals and departures.

Is this a correct train of thought...or am I missing something?

I suspect that may be part of it, but I believe that there is also another piece of the pie that comes into play here. That being that managers get a bonus based upon how well they control costs at their base. So I think that some tend to allow trains to go out with something that may or may not work, so that it becomes the other base's problem to fix and they get charged for it.

 

[Montanan]

Let's focus for a minute on the main causes of bad order diners...

I think there's a pattern with heritage diners being sent out with mechanical failures. Partly because they're old and more prone to have problems, but also because there's so few of them still in service. Both of these factors couple with the possibility that Sunnyside and Hialeah do not have the time nor do they have the manpower to make fast repairs in between arrivals and departures.

Is this a correct train of thought...or am I missing something?

I suspect that may be part of it, but I believe that there is also another piece of the pie that comes into play here. That being that managers get a bonus based upon how well they control costs at their base. So I think that some tend to allow trains to go out with something that may or may not work, so that it becomes the other base's problem to fix and they get charged for it.

I think both those things are definitely true, and my problem was also exacerbated by the fact that most away terminals don't have the parts/skills/facilities/time to perform many types of necessary short-term repairs. And no spare consist for use in an emergency, either ...

 

[TVRM610]

I dont know if I would be too hard on amtrak for having a bad-ordered diner. While it is is entirely possible that cars are being sent out with possible problems by managers who want other managers to deal with the costs and problems, I kinda think that is not the case (at least for the most part.) Train cars are tricky enough as it is, add to that the complexity of a dinning car (extra water lines that can burst, food prep. equipment, etc.) and the age of the cars, I imagine that alot of dining cars just have problems alot. I work for a tourist railroad, and I know that the car that seems to get the most attention from our shop crew is the dining car. Even with all of the work that is done to it constantly, it seems that something is always going wrong. Like Amtrak, we dont have any back-ups, when our car goes out, we have no other options for a dining car. And, again like Amtrak, many times there is just nothing we can do to get the car fixed in time for the next train, and unlike Amtrak, our dining car is always within 50 miles of our main repair shop.

I realize that it would be nice for Amtrak to have back-up diners available, but unfortunately we all know that is just not the case. A great solution is for Amtrak to get new single level dining cars, the bad (maybe) news is that means diner lite.

I wholly agree on the inconsitency of the Amtrak crews, and it's good to know that someone at Amtrak does care enough to call and find out what is going on. Customer Service should be a top priority for any company.

 

[Montanan]

So it's been almost 2 months now and I still haven't received my promised voucher. This morning I called Amtrak again, and the agent I spoke to discovered that my claim had never been fully processed! So she tried it again.

My only consolation here is that the agent promised to increase the voucher amount from $125 to $150. We'll see ...

 

[had8ley]

As far as I know, Amtrak already uses (used?) GateGourmet to supply their diner food. Perhaps they would just enlist their help in preparing full meals, as opposed to just supplying ready-made ingredients.

With a few exceptions, mainly state sponsored services, Gate does indeed provide all the food found on Amtrak trains.

Just a quick curveball; just where is Gate Gourmet going to cater trains once they leave the commissary in New Orleans. Take the Crescent; if the diner is B/O leaving NOL where would be the first place that they could realistically supply food? (I'm guessing Birmingham IF they indeed have a commissary there for the airlines. Otherwise it's all the way to Atlanta and that's three meals later...)

 

[Montanan]

Just to (finally) end this story, I just wanted to report that my promised credit voucher arrived in today's mail. Now comes the fun part: figuring out where I'm going to spend it!