Tips for dealing with LSAs

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dart330

dart330

OBS Chief
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
548
Location
Houston, TX
I picked up my tickets for our upcoming trip on the TE with 4 adults booked into a bedroom under the non-berth policy. From reading posts on here, it seems the LSAs can be uninformed of Amtrak's policy that says anyone booked into a room has their meals included.

If we run into a LSA that refuses to give all 4 of us our meals, trying to make one or more of us pay, what is the best way to handle the situation?

I am planning to bring along a copy of the policy, but do not want to be too confrontational. Would this be something to talk with the conductor about if we are denied? Or just pay up and then call customer service?
 
dart330 said:
I picked up my tickets for our upcoming trip on the TE with 4 adults booked into a bedroom under the non-berth policy. From reading posts on here, it seems the LSAs can be uninformed of Amtrak's policy that says anyone booked into a room has their meals included.

If we run into a LSA that refuses to give all 4 of us our meals, trying to make one or more of us pay, what is the best way to handle the situation?

I am planning to bring along a copy of the policy, but do not want to be too confrontational. Would this be something to talk with the conductor about if we are denied? Or just pay up and then call customer service?
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Don't be overly concerned. Coming from the sleeper side, the LSA will probably automatically assume you are entitled to free meals. Just have your tickets with you. If, on the oft chance the LSA makes an issue, I would seek out the conductor and/or be sure to have the policy with you. However, I would strongly suggest you make sure you are on a good footing with the LSA when you first meet him/her by complimenting or praising. Just turn to one of your companions when you meet the LSA and tell your companion "this is the boss of the service people and he has the toughest job on the train". Praise, a smile, and a positive attitude on first encounter always helps. I always say hello with a big to each service person on first encounter and try to say something complimentary. If they seem to be in a bad mood, you can just say something to show sympathy.

Be nice. Be positive. Smile.
 
Also not sure about why you´re expecting four meals per period in a bedroom. THREE booked into a bedroom will get meals, and sometimes (depending on the res. agent and length of trip) you might have a 4th person ticketed into the room. But policy is that THREE get meals in a bedroom, TWO in a roomette...also, never heard of the "non-berth" policy, unless you´re referring to being day travelers, and that is why they might have booked four into a bedroom.
 
Thanks for posting that link Ryan, I guess I should of included that to avoid confusion. Those are the same responses I expect to get from the staff.

As to coming from the sleeper side of the diner, we will be on the Texas Eagle which has the sleeper on the rear of the train. We have no choice but to come from the coach side into the CCC.
 
Last summer, we were booked 4 in a bedroom, upgraded by the conductor. The LSA refused to give us the 4th meal. When I got home, I called customer service and the cs agent refused to believe that 4 were entitled to the meals, because she used to be a reservation agent and 4 aren't allowed in a bedroom (2 were children, so we were fine sleeping). So, don't count on the customer service folks reimbursing you. Maybe take documentation with you and state that you know it is not well known policy, but 4 are in fact supposed to receive their meals in a very nice way? Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
I agree with "Me-Little-Me" on this on, kill 'em with kindness when first meeting the LSA in the diner, and have a print out of the exact page from the manual with you, just in case.

Then, if you have to explain it, tell them you printed this out, just because you thought there might be some confusion, or say that "you have done this before, and the staff at that time suggested you bring a copy of the policy with you........."
 
My advice: Don't say a word about your sleeper arrangement. When asked if you're in a sleeper or coach simply say sleeper and put the room and car number down when signing your ticket. No need to say or do anything to draw attention to the fact that you're all in the same sleeper. I've never had to explain who I was with or how many of us were in the sleeper so I'd be surprised if you did. If you want to be on the safe side then make two separate reservations for the same time.

me_little_me said:
Just turn to one of your companions when you meet the LSA and tell your companion "this is the boss of the service people and he has the toughest job on the train".
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I'd rather go hungry than to stroke someone's fragile ego that blatantly.

me_little_me said:
Be nice. Be positive. Smile.
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I have no problem with this. But I'm not going to wax poetic about the wondrous miracle of the LSA unless I'm an unpaid stowaway.
 
No need to slather on insincere praise, but cheeriness begets cheeriness and will hardly be mistaken for patronizing.
 
Why ? its thier job. Why should we bend and bow to get good service. We pay good money for it. Not asking for a miracle just what we pay for.
 
Why? It may be hard to believe, but LSA's are humans also!
rolleyes.gif
I'm sure you feel better if someone compliments you, so why should the LSA be different?
huh.gif
 
henry kisor said:
No need to slather on insincere praise, but cheeriness begets cheeriness and will hardly be mistaken for patronizing.
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Henry said it best above. That is true of virtually any encounter one makes, business or personal, if one's true end result is just that, the "end result" of getting good service/fair price/agreeable relationship..............

It costs NUTTIN', and can yield great results.
 
It's appropriate to be pleasant in any situation. I believe the less information given the better. If you all are sitting in the room, just make the reservation for 4. I have traveled with others in different rooms and made reservations for 4 or more with minimum explanation. As long as you each have a sleeping car ticket, no problem. if they make a fuss produce the documentation.
 
Frankly, I'm not sure I've ever seen an LSA that really stood out. They either calmly seat you or they shout at you for having the audacity to enter their car when they didn't feel like dealing with you. Then they either ring you up correctly or they goof it up. Sometimes they forget about you while chatting up other staff and you have to wait for a while. In any of those cases I don't see what the praise would be for? Maybe if you had a bad meal and they comped something or replaced it with something else I could understand the praise, but otherwise I just don't see it. I'm cool with friendly smiles and hellos and all that sort of thing though. ^_^

the_traveler said:
Why? It may be hard to believe, but LSA's are humans also! I'm sure you feel better if someone compliments you, so why should the LSA be different?
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Complementing someone for going above and beyond is a boost to everyone involved. Complimenting someone for having a pulse is hardly the same thing. Besides, isn't that what dogs and cats are for? :lol:
 
Ryan said:
http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/41426-sleeping-car-non-berth-service/page__p__310328__hl__non-berth__fromsearch__1#entry310328
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Hate to rain on the parade, but I just checked the CURRENT Service Standards Manual (aka Blue Book) and this page is NOT in it, so the policy has been changed significantly! Current policy is that bedroom occupants are entitled to 3 meals per meal period, if there are 3 ticketed occupants. Any additional occupants are essentially coach passengers...
 
For reference, this was taken from Service Standards Manual No. 6 Page 8-71. Being that it is only the 6th edition, and published in April of this year, I have a hard time believing that it is outdated.
 
>>I'd rather go hungry than to stroke someone's fragile ego that blatantly.<<

3rd choice: buy dinner for one. Cheap if you can afford bedrooms in the first place.
 
guest OBS employee said:
Ryan said:
http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/41426-sleeping-car-non-berth-service/page__p__310328__hl__non-berth__fromsearch__1#entry310328
Click to expand...
Hate to rain on the parade, but I just checked the CURRENT Service Standards Manual (aka Blue Book) and this page is NOT in it, so the policy has been changed significantly! Current policy is that bedroom occupants are entitled to 3 meals per meal period, if there are 3 ticketed occupants. Any additional occupants are essentially coach passengers...
Click to expand...
I suggest you go back and research a little better. Specifically, I recommend reading pages 8-69 thru 8-72 of the Blue Book. Pay extra close attention to the final bullet on page 8-72, section 8.

From there move on to page 8-184, section g), bullet #1.

It really, really gets extremely irritating that so many Amtrak employees, OBS and apparently even CS don't know Amtrak Policy.
 
guest OBS employee said:
Ryan said:
http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/41426-sleeping-car-non-berth-service/page__p__310328__hl__non-berth__fromsearch__1#entry310328
Click to expand...
Hate to rain on the parade, but I just checked the CURRENT Service Standards Manual (aka Blue Book) and this page is NOT in it, so the policy has been changed significantly! Current policy is that bedroom occupants are entitled to 3 meals per meal period, if there are 3 ticketed occupants. Any additional occupants are essentially coach passengers...
Click to expand...
PS. You'll find that chart you think is NOT in the current Standards Manual on page 8-71 of the current Service Standards, effective 12:01am, April 30, 2011. Manual No. 6
 
Texas Sunset said:
Frankly, I'm not sure I've ever seen an LSA that really stood out.
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I had the pleasure of being on the TE with a wonderful LSA - Anthony (Tony) Clementi.

He was fun and entertaining and, even though there weren't many of us in the car, the level of service was the best I've had (so far).

I wasn't going to eat in the diner that night until I heard his friendly announcement - glad I went.
 
Be positive, hope for the best, come prepared to pay for one plate and address it with guest relations later if you must. The $25 savings is not worth the onus of dread over your entire trip and souring the LSA and possibly others for the rest of the trip.
 
I'd like to say that one of the main reasons we purchased a room was because the meals are included (plus private bathroom and ability to bring some wine). If we had to buy the meals on top of the bedroom price then we would not have purchased one. At $165 for the room, 2 meals for 4 people you are almost breaking even.
 
I find a solid karate chop to the carotid artery a good way to deal with LSAs
 
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