Rude Amtrak employees

[MARC Rider]

The only service was demanding that I change my seat, twice because they wanted my seat for someone else. After this happened a couple of time I was done. I stopped traveling by Coach on LD trains. No other service was provided. I have no idea why there are Coach attendants. Back in the days they used to give out pillows and blankets and such, but that has been gone a long time.

I think they're also supposed to clean the restrooms periodically, which really needs to be done on a long trip. And on some of my LD coach trips, they really have done that, but it's not universal, though it should be.

 

[IAlam]

The draconian Amtrak attendants in Acela first class have pulled the "you will walk the plank" Spiel about getting close to the galley to both me and my girlfriend on our separate first-time trips via Acela first-class. It was enough to make me choose Business over First on the Acela, even if I have 48-hour upgrade coupons. Some of the worst service I've ever had on the Amtrak system, and unimaginable when compared to SNCF or SBB.

I’m not sure how many times you’ve tried it but I’d you ever get the coupons again I’d suggest trying it again and see how a different crew operates. I’m lucky enough I’ve gotten quite a few of these passes from status, but everytime I go it can be a wildly different experience. For the most part they’re usually good with an occasional bad experience. But I don’t let one experience deter me from trying something, it has to be a pattern.

 

[toddinde]

Unless the passenger interrupted the attendant while they were actively taking an order I completely disagree and even if they did the attendant's job is to be polite to the customer.

I travel alot, and Amtrak definitely seems to have the most rude and aggressive employees on average. Fortunately, many are great and you can certainly have a fantastic experience (my most recent trip on the Pacific Surfliner a couple of days ago for example, both sets of train crews were fantastic.).

I travel a lot too and find Amtrak employees to be really kind and authentic. I like their style. I remember the snarling railroad crews from the late railroad/early Amtrak years. People forget that, but I haven’t. Having been screamed at for nothing by a BN conductor. It was really bad back in the day.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I travel a lot too and find Amtrak employees to be really kind and authentic. I like their style. I remember the snarling railroad crews from the late railroad/early Amtrak years. People forget that, but I haven’t. Having been screamed at for nothing by a BN conductor. It was really bad back in the day.

There certainly are Amtrak employees that are kind and authentic - goodness I used to have a waitress on the crescent who would knock on my door and say "it's time you come in for breakfast!" and I've had operating crews sit down and chat with me in the cafe.

But I have still encountered a large number of rude and authoritarian type employees on Amtrak. It's definitely a problem.

 

[Bob Dylan]

There certainly are Amtrak employees that are kind and authentic - goodness I used to have a waitress on the crescent who would knock on my door and say "it's time you come in for breakfast!" and I've had operating crews sit down and chat with me in the cafe.

But I have still encountered a large number of rude and authoritarian type employees on Amtrak. It's definitely a problem.

As is mentioned every time this thread starts back up, the Lack of Supervision on Amtraks Trains is the reason for Rude,Lazy and Vanished OBS!!

 

[danasgoodstuff]

I must be lucky, I have never even seen an overtly rude Amtrak employee. Worst I've experienced is stressed and upset because they were dealing with failed equipment. And in my direct interactions they have ranged from professional if not overly friendly to couldn't ask for more, patient and friendly. I've worked with the public, it can definitely be stressful and hopefully those I interact with on Amtrak and elsewhere get that I get it. That said, overt rudeness is something other than just showing a little exasperation and is not acceptable behavior in a public service position.

 

[daybeers]

Maybe the rudeness problem would be fixed not only through more supervision, training, and a corporate culture overhaul, but by actually hiring people in a timely manner instead of leaving them languishing for months on end. Most of the good candidates move on long before Amtrak gets around to giving them a call.

 

[Bronzeman]

I do not wish to be flamed here as I think the site constructive, valuable and helpful.

While I think better supervision might improve the behavior of a rude employees, I’m afraid I do not think much people who require supervision to be pleasant.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

I do not wish to be flamed here as I think the site constructive, valuable and helpful.

While I think better supervision might improve the behavior of a rude employees, I’m afraid I do not think much people who require supervision to be pleasant.

Having supervisors who actually do can get rid of the 'why should I try if others don't' problem.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Bring back the Crew Chiefs. It's as simple as that.

 

[Bronzeman]

I certainly agree with the benefits of good supervision though I was speaking to rudeness as opposed to laziness

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Bring back the Crew Chiefs. It's as simple as that.

Agreed. While back in the day I remember a rude dining car crew on the Empire Builder... the Onboard Chief listened to my moms complaint and offered multiple resolutions and did have the dining car waiter apologize to her.

She was scolded for only wanting a baked potato for dinner "if you just want a snack you should go to the lounge, the dining car is for meals"

 

[Railroad Bill]

On my recent trip to Chicago I experienced the good and the bad of sleeping car attendants. On our 49, our SCA did not have the room in sleep mode when we boarded at 4am in CLE. He grumbled when we asked nicely to put the beds down. No pillows, no water. It happens occasionally that someone departs in CLE and our room is not ready right away. Totally understandable. Not the case this time. The attendant came out in his undershirt, made us wait outside...luckily not raining, and immediately retired after we went into the room. Next morning we went up to diner at 7pm, he was sitting in the diner, still in his undershirt, saw us eating. When we returned to our room, it was not made up. Tired of his nonsense I put up the bed myself. He walked by and said nothing. One of the biggest jerks on Amtrak. Since he did not have a name tag on his shirt, dont know his name. But he was waiting by the door in CHI having never asked if wife & I needed help with luggage. He missed out on that TIP.
Our dining car attendants were efficient and friendly. Now if Amtrak would just restore traditional meals on LSL and CL.

Return trip on 448, we had Bob, our favorite SCA on Lake Shore. Everything ready, put our beds down, offered us tickets for drinks in the cafe car and talked about our previous trip on 448 last fall. Amtrak needs to clone this guy and dump the guy on 49. The inconsistency of employees is troubling, but the good ones far outnumbered the handful that should be fired. We have found that our experience on Boston section is better than NY section.

 

[trimetbusfan]

On my recent trip to Chicago I experienced the good and the bad of sleeping car attendants. On our 49, our SCA did not have the room in sleep mode when we boarded at 4am in CLE. He grumbled when we asked nicely to put the beds down. No pillows, no water. It happens occasionally that someone departs in CLE and our room is not ready right away. Totally understandable. Not the case this time. The attendant came out in his undershirt, made us wait outside...luckily not raining, and immediately retired after we went into the room. Next morning we went up to diner at 7pm, he was sitting in the diner, still in his undershirt, saw us eating. When we returned to our room, it was not made up. Tired of his nonsense I put up the bed myself. He walked by and said nothing. One of the biggest jerks on Amtrak. Since he did not have a name tag on his shirt, dont know his name. But he was waiting by the door in CHI having never asked if wife & I needed help with luggage. He missed out on that TIP.
Our dining car attendants were efficient and friendly. Now if Amtrak would just restore traditional meals on LSL and CL.

Return trip on 448, we had Bob, our favorite SCA on Lake Shore. Everything ready, put our beds down, offered us tickets for drinks in the cafe car and talked about our previous trip on 448 last fall. Amtrak needs to clone this guy and dump the guy on 49. The inconsistency of employees is troubling, but the good ones far outnumbered the handful that should be fired. We have found that our experience on Boston section is better than NY section.

I’ve had many attendants on Amtrak that don’t automatically turn down your bed ‘just because they see you in the dining car’. There usually has to be some sort of ‘yes/no’ interaction with the attendant (weather you as or they ask) in order for the beds to be made. I don’t always like to ‘automatically’ have my bed made first thing in the morning, so I’m glad that’s how they do things.

however, I would also be upset if the bed made was not made for a 4am boarding (and no pillows? :/)

 

[dlagrua]

By and large with 21 years traveling E-W and N-S on numerous Amtrak routes; overall the experience has been positive. Much of your experience also depends on your attitude. If you are courteous, people usually respond in kind . While we have not encountered much rudeness we have come across two instances where the SCA could not be found. We pressed the button for service and there was no response so we go out in the halls looking and there is no one to be found. It is frustrating when no one shows up to put the beds up in the morning but this only happened twice on the Autotrain.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Much of your experience also depends on your attitude. If you are courteous, people usually respond in kind .

That's true for the amtrak employees as well. And it's part of what they are paid to do as well.

 

[Bembidion]

On my recent trip to Chicago I experienced the good and the bad of sleeping car attendants. On our 49, our SCA did not have the room in sleep mode when we boarded at 4am in CLE. He grumbled when we asked nicely to put the beds down. No pillows, no water. It happens occasionally that someone departs in CLE and our room is not ready right away. Totally understandable. Not the case this time. The attendant came out in his undershirt, made us wait outside...luckily not raining, and immediately retired after we went into the room. Next morning we went up to diner at 7pm, he was sitting in the diner, still in his undershirt, saw us eating. When we returned to our room, it was not made up. Tired of his nonsense I put up the bed myself. He walked by and said nothing. One of the biggest jerks on Amtrak. Since he did not have a name tag on his shirt, dont know his name. But he was waiting by the door in CHI having never asked if wife & I needed help with luggage. He missed out on that TIP.
Our dining car attendants were efficient and friendly. Now if Amtrak would just restore traditional meals on LSL and CL.

Return trip on 448, we had Bob, our favorite SCA on Lake Shore. Everything ready, put our beds down, offered us tickets for drinks in the cafe car and talked about our previous trip on 448 last fall. Amtrak needs to clone this guy and dump the guy on 49. The inconsistency of employees is troubling, but the good ones far outnumbered the handful that should be fired. We have found that our experience on Boston section is better than NY section.

Our SCAs on both north and south bound trips to Florida recently was right on the ball. They helped us get the luggage in, asked us if we had ever been in a sleeper, gave us instructions, and had everything ready when we in the dining car. They were also right on the job in the morning. On one of the trips, the SCA told us to not do anything with the upper bed because someone had been injured a few weeks prior while trying to do it herself.

 

[Steve4031]

In the case of the SCA with the undershirt, the passenger is not to blame imho. It is reasonable to expect the bed to be made at 4 a.m. I am thinking the attendant may have thought they would want to nap after breakfast. But he could have asked and that would have ensured a better result.

 

[jis]

Our SCAs on both north and south bound trips to Florida recently was right on the ball. They helped us get the luggage in, asked us if we had ever been in a sleeper, gave us instructions, and had everything ready when we in the dining car. They were also right on the job in the morning. On one of the trips, the SCA told us to not do anything with the upper bed because someone had been injured a few weeks prior while trying to do it herself.

I have generally had extremely good SCAs on my several rides on the Silver Service between Florida and New York.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I have generally had extremely good SCAs on my several rides on the Silver Service between Florida and New York.

These are some of the Best that Amtrak has, #1 is Leo as anyone who has had him for their SCA will attest!