Julie's Busy!

[rtabern]

Wow, for the first time ever... I got a busy signal when I called 1-800-USA-RAIL late last night (3/16).

That's the first time in probably 500+ phone calls that I ever got that. I guess the snow and all the delays and problems are keeping the folks busy this weekend.

 

[Windy City LSA]

Wow, for the first time ever... I got a busy signal when I called 1-800-USA-RAIL late last night (3/16).That's the first time in probably 500+ phone calls that I ever got that. I guess the snow and all the delays and problems are keeping the folks busy this weekend.

I called the good old USPS to track a package and ask a question yesterday. Lo and behold, it was Julie I had to go through before I could get through to customer service!

Maybe it's the multi-tasking catching up with her, hence the busy signal. Lots of phones to answer! :lol:

 

[user 683]

rtabern

Reference thread re: Capital Limited delay on 15/16 March. Alice indicates train 30 experienced mechanical and other delays and as a result "Julie" was busier than normal.

Deimos

 

[RailFanLNK]

I needed to call 3/16 and the wait was over 1 hour. It was due to service disruptions of that big storm that DIDN'T hit Nebraska! :lol: We have been a magnet for crappy weather here this year. Man...it gets old workin' outdoors!

Al

PS. Just booked another trip on Amtrak July 15th to Glenwood Springs! Can't wait to hit the rails!

 

[had8ley]

Wow, for the first time ever... I got a busy signal when I called 1-800-USA-RAIL late last night (3/16).That's the first time in probably 500+ phone calls that I ever got that. I guess the snow and all the delays and problems are keeping the folks busy this weekend.

Not trying to outdo anyone but I was in the Hammond (LA) depot Friday afternoon trying to pick up some tickets and the reservation system was down completely. I gave the agent our cell phone # to call if it came up anytime soon and it was over an hour before he called and said that he was back up. He had called New Orleans and Jackson (MS) and they were down also.

 

[Railbender]

I experienced this busy signal as well...as I was attempting to check the status of the trains I was riding 3/17 & 3/18. When I was able to get through I received the preamble of "Amtrak is running in the northeast as scheduled. But due to the weather we are receiving unprecedented call volume. If you are not traveling in the next 24 hours, please call back at another time."

After receiving a call from Amtrak to my cell phone (3/16, evening) while I was on 98, the Meteor, from Deland, FL to NYPenn, that the Lake Shore (westbound) for Sat., 3/17 was canceled... I had to make a decision...continue to NYPenn and spend a night there on Amtrak which may or may not allow me to catch the LSL on 3/18... OR detrain in DC and try to get on the Cap Ltd to Cleveland, then the LSL eastbound to Erie... The caller couldn't book me leaving DC on 3/17 so I booked leaving on 3/18. As I really needed to be home for work on 3/18 I tried immediately upon arrival in DC to get on the 3/17 Cap Ltd/LSL.

In DC Union Station on 3/17 announcements ran every 20 minutes or so that trains in the Northeast Corridor were sold out until later in the afternoon. When I checked in the station to see if I could possibly rent a car and drive from DC to Erie, I was told at each stand that no cars were available or at least not to walk-ups.

I am happy to report that after hourly visits to the ticket counter supervisor in DC Union I was finally able to score coach DC to Pgh, sleeper Pgh to Cleveland and coach Cleveland to Erie...arriving home on the 18th in time for work!

Met many first-time train travelers on the Meteor, the Cap Ltd AND the Lake Shore...for various reasons...weather, flying fears, curiousity, air travel-weariness, convenience....

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Wow, quite an adventure. Glad you made it back in time, and probably with a huge sigh of relief.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Julie has us spoiled rotten. We have it so easy these days---call her any time night or day, call 20 times about the same train just for pleasure, not because we are actually riding it, tracking its progress, calling about various stops along the way.

This is one of the ways the "good old days" were not so good at all. Of course trains were not nearly as likely to be 5 or 10 hours late back then.

To find if your train was on time you would call a live ---- nearly always busy----- ticket agent. You did not dare call more than one or two times about the same train. You did not necessarily want them to recognize you--though I am sure they knew me!!

To call about your train in another city you would have to look up the station number in the timetable and place an actual "long distance " call.Or maybe the local ticket agent could check it for you, but it was still somewhat of a "chore"=---you did not need to bother the busy ticket agent for nothing. or just to take score".

These 800 numbers and the internet surely have made lfie easier in several ways.

 

[PerRock]

But its still a bit of a chore, trying to get Julie to understand your wants...

peter

 

[Railbender]

Wow, quite an adventure. Glad you made it back in time, and probably with a huge sigh of relief.

HUGE sigh. I work on Sundays... The Deland station was beautiful. You were right. I gave it a thorough look-over. Took some photos as well. What a great job in restoration/renovation. Along the Capitol Limited, the almost-completed renovation of the Harper's Ferry station was great to see as well.

My father and I discovered a great local dive bar to enjoy a draft while waiting for the train in Deland...just across the street. It was the "Inn Between" bar. Not sure I would want to be there at night, but the dollar draft in the daytime within view of the station worked...

 

[jccollins]

To find if your train was on time you would call a live ---- nearly always busy----- ticket agent. You did not dare call more than one or two times about the same train. You did not necessarily want them to recognize you--though I am sure they knew me!!
To call about your train in another city you would have to look up the station number in the timetable and place an actual "long distance " call.Or maybe the local ticket agent could check it for you, but it was still somewhat of a "chore"=---you did not need to bother the busy ticket agent for nothing. or just to take score".

These 800 numbers and the internet surely have made lfie easier in several ways.

Greyhound, unfortunately, still encourages this practice. :angry: They have an 800 number, but still routinely direct passengers to call local stations and interrupt busy ticket agents for bus status information since they do not have full access to the scope of information that the Amtrak national call centers do.

I am a ticket agent at the Reno, Nevada office (usually the sole agent on duty) and do not have time to field these types of questions on a regular basis, especially when the phone will NOT stop ringing. 80-100 calls come in during my average shift. We have been forced to hook up an answering machine to the line directing passengers back to the 800 number and it handles the majority of calls since our agents usually do not have the time to deal with these trivial calls.

Establishing a centralized reservations call and information center is definitely one of the best things Amtrak has ever done. It reduces the number of staff required to operate station facilities, the stress placed on them and the customer service provided to the customers.