Good Customer Service from Amtrak

[TransitGeek]

So I went down to the Metrolink station last night to pick up tickets for an upcoming train trip to San Francisco. (Woo! Spring Break!) My wife and I are traveling RIV-BFD-EMY-SFC, which means three tickets per person, each way. That adds up to 12 tickets. I walked up to the Metrolink machine, swiped my card, pulled up my reservation, verified everything and printed my tickets. Excitedly, I drove home and went to sort out my tickets, get them in the right order and staple them together (as is my custom). You can imagine my dismay when I counted only 11 tickets- my ticket from BFD-EMY was missing!

I called Amtrak that night, and they said that they had to wait for a "report" from the ticket machine at midnight before they could do anything. Now, I know that tickets are considered like cash, and usually when you lose one you're out of luck. Nevertheless, I called Amtrak back this morning and spoke to an agent named Julie (no, not the computer), who- after a long bit on hold- told me she'd mail me out another copy of the lost ticket.

Yay for good customer service!

 

[Dan O]

Good news..and sounds like a good trip too!

Dan

 

[TVRM610]

I can't help but think about an Agent laughing if you started your conversation with "But Julie told me when I called!" haha.

I'm glad "Julie" was helpful for you, she never seems to be able to understand me and pawns me off to someone else!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Yay for good customer service!

Let's wait until you have the copy of the ticket in hand before we make that claim.

Or maybe we should wait until you have completed an actual trip with the copied ticket. :unsure:

 

[Trogdor]

Are the Metrolink ticket machines still issuing blue ticket stock, or have they converted to the new white tickets?

 

[me_little_me]

I called Amtrak that night, and they said that they had to wait for a "report" from the ticket machine at midnight before they could do anything. Now, I know that tickets are considered like cash, and usually when you lose one you're out of luck. Nevertheless, I called Amtrak back this morning and spoke to an agent named Julie (no, not the computer), who- after a long bit on hold- told me she'd mail me out another copy of the lost ticket.

Yay for good customer service!

I always have a good experience calling Amtrak. They are universally helpful and will attempt to resolve any problems. If other customer service organizations were half as good, I wouldn't have all those bullet holes in my phone. For so many companies I have tried to get their representatives to wrap the phone cord around their necks so I can pull from my end and choke them. Not so with Amtrak.

 

[amamba]

This is probably going to sound xenophobic and I don't mean for it to be, but I appreciate that the folks that I speak with at Amtrak always seem to be based in the US and not an off-shore call center.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

This is probably going to sound xenophobic and I don't mean for it to be, but I appreciate that the folks that I speak with at Amtrak always seem to be based in the US and not an off-shore call center.

Normally it wouldn't sound that way but in an era where McCarthyism is suddenly coming back in vogue I know exactly what you mean. I prefer to speak to domestic call centers as well, just like everyone else I've ever talked to about it. I happen to have worked for a company that had hundreds if not thousands of Indian staff and eventually I found specific ways to word things so that I got more of what I wanted. Unfortunately if you're just an average consumer trying to get something done you don't have that kind of time. It can be rather frustrating trying to figure out how to get them to fully understand your situation and move beyond whatever the script says (or doesn't say) about it. If you're calling to make a change to a flight it's nice to be able to speak to someone who has actually flown on an airline that serves your city. Your issues and concerns won't make much sense to someone who's never flown anywhere on any airline.

 

[celtical]

This is probably going to sound xenophobic and I don't mean for it to be, but I appreciate that the folks that I speak with at Amtrak always seem to be based in the US and not an off-shore call center.

I know what you mean. If I get another annoying call at suppertime from someone with an Indian accent who calls themself Jimmy or Bruce and says they live in my town I will go crazy.

 

[TransitGeek]

This is probably going to sound xenophobic and I don't mean for it to be, but I appreciate that the folks that I speak with at Amtrak always seem to be based in the US and not an off-shore call center.

I know what you mean. If I get another annoying call at suppertime from someone with an Indian accent who calls themself Jimmy or Bruce and says they live in my town I will go crazy.

Indeed, Amtrak's agents ACTUALLY live in my town. Riverside is (one of?) their call centre(s).

I only wish they'd staff a ticket counter at the call centre. Doesn't seem that hard to do, but no, we've got to drive/bus/bike/maybe Metrolink to Anaheim for a staffed station.

Also, Trogdor (the BURNINATOR!), the TVMs are spitting out blue tickets for Amtrak. I've never seen a white one... maybe it's been too long since I've been on a train? (The Metrolink tickets are all white now, with "METROLINK" in seafoam green.)

 

[TransitGeek]

A quick update- I got the replacement tickets today, including (inexplicably) an extra ticket for the 6615 bus EMY-SFC. Go Amtrak! But the new white tickets are lame and flimsy. I'm not looking forward to carrying around 26 of them this summer.