Response From Amtrak

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pdxjim

pdxjim

Service Attendant
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
114
Location
Hillsboro, OR
Yesterday I emailed directly to Mr. Boardman, the chairman/CEO of Amtrak. I will not post the email address since the forum moderators have previously censored it in a post I made the other day in response to a post titled "Contacting Amtrak. Today, I received the following response:

[SIZE=11pt]Dear Mr. ----------:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Thank you for your email of September12, 2013, to Mr. Joseph H. Boardman. I am responding on behalf of the Corporation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]I was pleased to read that you enjoyed you journey on board the Coast Starlight and the California Zephyr. I especially appreciate your taking the time to let me know that the following employees provided outstanding customer service: Debbie, your Parlor Car Attendant, Doris, your Lead Service Attendant, Kathleen, your Waitress and Salvador, your Waiter on the Coast Starlight and Ralph, your Sleeping Car Attendant, Tammy, your Lead Service Attendant, Amelia, your Waitress and Herman, your Waiter on the California Zephyr. It is very gratifying to read that the performance we expect of our employees is being delivered. I will be sure to forward your compliments on to the responsible managers for their review and appropriate action. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to having you on board Amtrak as soon as your schedule permits.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Sincerely,[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Vanessa Scurry[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Customer Relations Specialist
Office of Customer Relations
Washington, DC[/SIZE]
 
Well that is nice. I don't imagined boardman has time to personally reply but I think the response is nice and appropriate.
 
Awesome! :)

As an employee in customer service, it TRULY makes our day to receive compliments from customers. They're so few and far between, and when you handle nothing but complaints all day, it's refreshing and gratifying to have someone say something kind and full of gratitude.
 
After my latest trip last month, I submitted (via the website) recognition of outstanding performance for a station employee and very good performance by the train service employees I was in contact with. I received a response very quickly from customer relations.
 
I posted compliments while on our trip and got really quick responses. Great employees should be recognized. I also took a couple aside and personally thanked them and acknowledged that they were above and beyond.
 
pdxjim said:
Yesterday I emailed directly to Mr. Boardman, the chairman/CEO of Amtrak.

...

Vanessa Scurry

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC
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Though, just to point out the obvious, your letter/email was still handled by Customer Relations.
 
Thank you! :hi:

While it did go to Amtrak, there is nothing in the email that says it was handled by, directly reached or even seen by Joseph Boardman or his secretary. Only that it was responded by Customer Relatiions. (And maybe just a "regular agent/specialist - and not the director or even a manager in Customer Relations.)

When I worked for the IRS, my position was "Tax Compliance Officer". However, most people know the position as "Tax Auditor"! Even though it says "Compliance Officer", I was really at the bottom of the food chain in that department.
 
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the_traveler: I was a Tax Auditor for NY State back in the 90's. Our Tax Compliance people were actually in a lower pay grade, and did not require Accounting degrees. Curious as to why the IRS grades its people in this manner.
 
In the IRS, Tax Auditors (TA) were renamed as Tax Compliance Officers (TCO) in 2001 or 2002. A TCO had the same pay, grade, responsibilities and position as a TA, just called officially a different name.
 
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When I worked at the phone company in customer service, we rotated as "RD's", some sort of union term. Whoever was idle got complaint calls and was told to identify themselves as a supervisor. Very sneaky, and I'm glad I'm retired. I have no reason to doubt that Amtrak does the same thing.
 
rainyday6 said:
When I worked at the phone company in customer service, we rotated as "RD's", some sort of union term. Whoever was idle got complaint calls and was told to identify themselves as a supervisor. Very sneaky, and I'm glad I'm retired. I have no reason to doubt that Amtrak does the same thing.
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I doubt it. I've worked for several call centers, and I've never worked in one where a supervisor wasn't an actual supervisor. Just because one shady phone company does things a certain way doesn't mean all call centers do.
 
SarahZ said:
rainyday6 said:
When I worked at the phone company in customer service, we rotated as "RD's", some sort of union term. Whoever was idle got complaint calls and was told to identify themselves as a supervisor. Very sneaky, and I'm glad I'm retired. I have no reason to doubt that Amtrak does the same thing.
Click to expand...
I doubt it. I've worked for several call centers, and I've never worked in one where a supervisor wasn't an actual supervisor. Just because one shady phone company does things a certain way doesn't mean all call centers do.
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Speaking of Call Centers, it's good to know that they still exist here in the US (including Amtrak and AGR!!!) instead of all being moved to Low Wage Sweat Shops in Asia!!! :) Nothing against the Fine People in those Countries but a Race To the Bottom is NOT the American Way! ;)
 
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I called customer relations the other day about the excellent service I received at the Savannah station, Jacksonville, and of all the crew aboard 97 and 98. When the agent looked up my itinerary he saw where my train was 3 hours late and gave me a voucher I tried to decline it because in no way was I complaining about the delay. He would not allow me to decline the offer but did say that my praise will go in the employee file for those involved. I don't like taking Amtrak's money.
 
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LOL well the "shady" phone company was Pacific Bell, now ATT and it's still SOP. I know this because I've called and said "are you a supervisor or RD? They are always taken aback that I know. I checked with my friend who still works there, RD stands for "relief differential". Meaning when the supervisor calls are routed to the regular rep's extention, they are paid extra for that time. It is the same at Comcast cable, also.
 
rainyday6 said:
LOL well the "shady" phone company was Pacific Bell, now ATT and it's still SOP. I know this because I've called and said "are you a supervisor or RD? They are always taken aback that I know. I checked with my friend who still works there, RD stands for "relief differential". Meaning when the supervisor calls are routed to the regular rep's extention, they are paid extra for that time. It is the same at Comcast cable, also.
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Comparing any companies service to Comcast is setting an incredibly low bar to compete with. My co-workers used to congregate near my desk when ever I called Comcast with requests to remedy the last horrific service call. And the sad part of it was that each of the Comcast people, almost to a person, really were trying to help. But the techs that actually do the work seldom had been in their position long and the billing/technical support was tasked out of either 3 or 4 different centers in 3 or 4 different states and almost always in a different time zone.
 
rainyday6 said:
LOL well the "shady" phone company was Pacific Bell, now ATT and it's still SOP. I know this because I've called and said "are you a supervisor or RD? They are always taken aback that I know. I checked with my friend who still works there, RD stands for "relief differential". Meaning when the supervisor calls are routed to the regular rep's extention, they are paid extra for that time. It is the same at Comcast cable, also.
Click to expand...
Okay, so two companies out of thousands do that. It doesn't mean all companies do that. As I said, I've worked for several companies, and a supervisor is definitely a supervisor.
 
Kind of reminds me of high pressure auto sales----your salesperson after some hard bargaining, will go out and bring back "the manager" to close the deal. Often times this "manager" is in reality just another salesperson, partnering with yours..... :)
 
Or it's like that Seinfeld episode, at the car rental place..
 
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