Rude Amtrak employees

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Bonser said:
Asking a server to take your order while they are taking another one is rude and selfish.
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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.).
 
We are all speculating, if the attendant was clearly taking care of someone and other customers were waiting, that would be different than an inadvertent interruption. Talking about anyone loud enough to be overheard is never a good thing. Depending on tone telling someone to wait their turn is fine.
 
PVD said:
We are all speculating, if the attendant was clearly taking care of someone and other customers were waiting, that would be different than an inadvertent interruption. Talking about anyone loud enough to be overheard is never a good thing. Depending on tone telling someone to wait their turn is fine.
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The poster who reported the interaction thought the request was "perfectly polite" - if that were the case then the attendants response was 100% uncalled for.
 
Bonser said:
Asking a server to take your order while they are taking another one is rude and selfish.
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Rudeness doesn’t excuse rudeness.

I may be wrong, but I think that the passenger who asked for a Sam Adams boarded well after the Amtrak employee had passed his row taking orders. The Amtrak employee was taking orders at the other end of the car and walked by when the passenger asked for a Sam Adams. The passenger didn’t interrupt the employee in the middle of the employee taking another passenger’s order.

Why couldn’t the Amtrak employee say, “I’ll be with you as soon as I can”? That would have been fine. It was the Amtrak employee’s scolding of passengers that was out of line: he stood there and lectured them.
 
crescent-zephyr said:
The poster who reported the interaction thought the request was "perfectly polite" - if that were the case then the attendants response was 100% uncalled for.
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I originally thought that you personally saw that incident, but now the impression you are giving is that we are really arguing about hearsay twice removed? A poster posted something that is reported second hand by you here and then we are off speculating as to what might have really happened? Interesting! So which is it? Thanks.
 
jis said:
I originally thought that you personally saw that incident, but now the impression you are giving is that we are really arguing about hearsay twice removed? A poster posted something that is reported second hand by you here and then we are off speculating as to what might have really happened? Interesting! So which is it? Thanks.
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Sounds like you are confusing the original poster, Crescent, with the responding poster, Crescent-Zephyr.
 
jis said:
I originally thought that you personally saw that incident, but now the impression you are giving is that we are really arguing about hearsay twice removed? A poster posted something that is reported second hand by you here and then we are off speculating as to what might have really happened? Interesting! So which is it? Thanks.
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I witnessed both incidents, both within a few feet from me.
 
crescent-zephyr said:
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.).
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TheCrescent said:
Rudeness doesn’t excuse rudeness.

I may be wrong, but I think that the passenger who asked for a Sam Adams boarded well after the Amtrak employee had passed his row taking orders. The Amtrak employee was taking orders at the other end of the car and walked by when the passenger asked for a Sam Adams. The passenger didn’t interrupt the employee in the middle of the employee taking another passenger’s order.

Why couldn’t the Amtrak employee say, “I’ll be with you as soon as I can”? That would have been fine. It was the Amtrak employee’s scolding of passengers that was out of line: he stood there and lectured them.
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From my experience, there are some attendants that do not do a good job tending to all passengers. Either they disappear which leaves passengers boarding midway with no service, or they hover over certain passengers and ignore others. While it's perfectly fine to ask a customer to wait, it is not okay to berate them, especially in first class. I've worked in customer service before and unless the person is being intentionally aggressive there is no excuse to be unprofessional.

That being said I've only had 1 incident with a rude crew, most of the time they're usually alright. I had a spare pass that I used today and the crew was fantastic. They were constantly checking on customers and I never really saw anyone go out of their way to ask them for anything.
 
IAlam said:
That being said I've only had 1 incident with a rude crew, most of the time they're usually alright. I had a spare pass that I used today and the crew was fantastic. They were constantly checking on customers and I never really saw anyone go out of their way to ask them for anything.
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I have never had a bad experience with crew in Acela First Class. I have had bad experiences in spades on LD trains, specially in Coach, to the extent that I refuse to travel by Coach in LD trains anymore.
 
jis said:
I have never had a bad experience with crew in Acela First Class. I have had bad experiences in spades on LD trains, specially in Coach, to the extent that I refuse to travel by Coach in LD trains anymore.
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Oddly most of mine come from VLII diners. But I haven't been on many of those trains, especially as of late.
 
I believe the problem that Amtrak has suffered with, almost from the very beginning, is having a poor corporate culture, as well as very poor recruiting and screening process for new hires. They seem to attract too many "authoritarian types", who seemingly take pleasure in exercising their authority, in relating to passenger's. Having poor supervision, especially on long-distance trains, exacerbates the situation. It seems like their culture has evolved into an "us versus them" mentality. Again, as mentioned, there are many exception's, and stellar performer's among them, who refuse to be dragged down to their level, and take pride in delivering exceptional service, thankfully...
 
Entering through the kitchen is a big No-No. No one is allowed to do that, and the employee was within his/her rights to make them enter properly. I'm sure that person will remember that that is not allowed after having to detrain and enter properly. And the drink thing - what the above person said.
 
Kate B said:
Entering through the kitchen is a big No-No. No one is allowed to do that, and the employee was within his/her rights to make them enter properly. I'm sure that person will remember that that is not allowed after having to detrain and enter properly. And the drink thing - what the above person said.
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When I've ridden Acela first, whenever I've seen people enter through the wrong end of the car, they usually just tell them they shouldn't enter that way, but send them to their seat (or shoo them back to business class, if they don't have a first-class ticket). It happens often enough that sometimes I wonder why they didn't put the galley at the other end of the car and have the entrance to the first-class section at the front of the car.
 
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MARC Rider said:
When I've ridden Acela first, whenever I've seen people enter through the wrong end of the car, they usually just tell them they shouldn't their seat (or shoo them back to business class, if they don't have a first-class ticket. It happens often enough that sometimes I wonder why they didn't put the galley at the other end of the car and have the entrance to the first-class section at the front of the car.
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The idea may have been to place a barrier between FC and the rest of the train. But it also keeps groups that are spread out between BC and FC from meeting up with each other. It is similar to saying in an LD train that a Sleeper passenger is not allowed to go to the Lounge/Cafe, which makes very little sense.
 
Kate B said:
Entering through the kitchen is a big No-No. No one is allowed to do that, and the employee was within his/her rights to make them enter properly. I'm sure that person will remember that that is not allowed after having to detrain and enter properly. And the drink thing - what the above person said.
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Then Amtrak needs to actually block the passageway between the first class car and the rest of the train or put up a sign saying “Employees Only”.

NJ Transit does so by having a metal bar cross the passageway between cars at waist level. Amtrak puts signs on baggage and baggage-dorm car doors, barring passengers from entering.

If I’m a first-time first class passenger on the Acela, used to walking between cars on trains, and I do just that to enter the first class car, and once I arrive in the first class car, I am immediately fussed at by an employee and forced to get off the train and then re-enter the first class car through the same door that I just exited through, just how likely am I to take Amtrak again?
 
Bonser said:
Asking a server to take your order while they are taking another one is rude and selfish.
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How hard is it to say "I'll be with you in just a moment" instead of further delaying the process to lecture the customer?

Kate B said:
Entering through the kitchen is a big No-No. No one is allowed to do that, and the employee was within his/her rights to make them enter properly.
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The thing about Amtrak's "rules" is that they're ignored by half the staff but enforced as aggressively as possible by the other half.

Kate B said:
I'm sure that person will remember that that is not allowed after having to detrain and enter properly.
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I'm sure they'll remember that Amtrak employs some of the rudest staff around. Out of all the people who have ever ridden Amtrak on my suggestion or recommendation the "never again" result is batting 1000. Sometimes it's the delays but more often than not it's the staff.
 
Devil's Advocate said:
How hard is it to say "I'll be with you in just a moment" instead of further delaying the process to lecture the customer?


The thing about Amtrak's "rules" is that they're ignored by half the staff but enforced as aggressively as possible by the other half.


I'm sure they'll remember that Amtrak employs some of the rudest staff around. Out of all the people who have ever ridden Amtrak on my suggestion or recommendation the "never again" result is batting 1000. Sometimes it's the delays but more often than not it's the staff.
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Amtraks poor customer service is why I never recommend it to anyone I know. I have friends that would probably thoroughly enjoy a slow, relaxing trip on Amtrak but I can’t in good conscience set them up for the terrible experience and customer service they would likely receive.
 
Kate B said:
Entering through the kitchen is a big No-No. No one is allowed to do that, and the employee was within his/her rights to make them enter properly. I'm sure that person will remember that that is not allowed after having to detrain and enter properly. And the drink thing - what the above person said.
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I've never been told I couldn't go through the kitchen, and I've done so multiple times to go to the restroom. I've even been "taught" multiple times how to open the doors myself. Most of the time I've ever been on FC the doors are open anyways.
 
caravanman said:
This thread has been castigating "rude" Amtrak staff for over 13 years... I was surprised to read though that someone had received rude service in coach. I have never had any service at all in coach! ;)
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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.
 
jis said:
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.
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While they no longer distribute pillows and blankets in coach, they are there to supplement the Conductor and Assistants by opening car doors, placing step boxes, assisting passengers on and off, as well as helping with luggage, insuring that sleeping passenger's are awakened for their stop at night, and keeping cars neat and tidy, including rest rooms. In addition, they may bring meals to handicapped passengers.
There are many ways they can make themselves an asset, if they will....
 
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.
 

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