What should Amtrak change?

[Mystic River Dragon]

Amtrak’s approach: plenty of nasty employees combined with a system that emphasizes lots of contact between employees and passengers likely compounds customer dissatisfaction.

For example:

1. If I could order dinner online, then I wouldn’t have to deal with employee attitude when the Amtrak employee comes by to take my order. (One time when I asked for a glass of wine with dinner, the employee fussed at me and said that it wasn’t her job to wait in line in the cafe car for me.)

2. I don’t need a wake-up call, particularly when my stop is before dawn and particularly when the wake-up call is often 30 minutes or more before arrival.

3. I would prefer to be able to just get off the train by myself. (I’ve been yelled at when I came to the door nearest my room to get off.)

4. I don’t need someone interrupting me to tell me how to use the room. I’m Select Plus; I’ve taken Amtrak sleeping cars many times before, which Amtrak should know.

5. I can raise and lower the bed myself.

6. Why doesn’t Amtrak have a place where you can put your ticket so that it can be scanned without the ticket collector needing to knock on your door and interrupt? I’ve been fussed at for NOT leaving my ticket in the window of the sleeping car, and fussed at for needing to unlock the door so that the ticket collector can come in; either way, I get fussed at.

If Amtrak had consistently helpful employees, the “high touch” level of service would be fine. But since each interaction with an Amtrak employee increases the chance of the employee yelling at the customer and the customer being dissatisfied, Amtrak should move as much as it can to be online and reduce the contacts unless the customer wants them.

If I had simply been left alone by one sleeping car attendant on the Crescent, I would still be an Amtrak regular. But thanks to Amtrak employees, I am an American Airlines twice-a-week flyer.

I like lots of peace and quiet and solitude, but there’s plenty of that on an LD trip, and I enjoy or need all the interactions with the crew that you have listed.

I prefer to make sure in person that the conductor has scanned my ticket, and I prefer to see an LSA in person in case I have questions or to let them know if I want to eat in the room or in the dining car—if I ordered ahead online, I might change my mind later.

I can use help getting off the train, and I would never try making the bed by myself.

I only needed a wake-up call once—early morning arrival in Sacramento—but I was grateful for it.

I must just be lucky, because I have never run into a truly bad or rude crew member on the LD trains.

Instead, I have met a few truly nice and helpful ones that I sometimes come across again, which makes the trip even better.

 

[cimmee]

First of all, totally defund high speed rail. Take the funds and actually buy the needed track. It does work, high speed rail don't.

Replacement for the rolling stock. I think I recognized the dining car from my last train ride in 1975.... My roomette on the CZ was filthy and manufactured in ????

Simply said, a lot of money is needed.

I like lots of peace and quiet and solitude, but there’s plenty of that on an LD trip, and I enjoy or need all the interactions with the crew that you have listed.

I prefer to make sure in person that the conductor has scanned my ticket, and I prefer to see an LSA in person in case I have questions or to let them know if I want to eat in the room or in the dining car—if I ordered ahead online, I might change my mind later.

I can use help getting off the train, and I would never try making the bed by myself.

I only needed a wake-up call once—early morning arrival in Sacramento—but I was grateful for it.

I must just be lucky, because I have never run into a truly bad or rude crew member on the LD trains.

Instead, I have met a few truly nice and helpful ones that I sometimes come across again, which makes the trip even better.

All true.

The Conductors and SCA's are there to help. I needed help getting off in SLC to smoke and the SCA was right there.

If you take a sleeper train and want solitude I suggest a good psychiatrist. I prefer solitude but found it refreshing to get outside myself. Seriously....

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

All true.

The Conductors and SCA's are there to help. I needed help getting off in SLC to smoke and the SCA was right there.

If you take a sleeper train and want solitude I suggest a good psychiatrist. I prefer solitude but found it refreshing to get outside myself. Seriously....

I was unclear—I meant peace and quiet and solitude as in getting away from day-to-day chores and to-do lists at home. I agree, meeting and talking with other passengers is a very nice part of the sleeper train (or any train) experience.

 

[TheCrescent]

I like lots of peace and quiet and solitude, but there’s plenty of that on an LD trip, and I enjoy or need all the interactions with the crew that you have listed.

I prefer to make sure in person that the conductor has scanned my ticket, and I prefer to see an LSA in person in case I have questions or to let them know if I want to eat in the room or in the dining car—if I ordered ahead online, I might change my mind later.

I can use help getting off the train, and I would never try making the bed by myself.

I only needed a wake-up call once—early morning arrival in Sacramento—but I was grateful for it.

I must just be lucky, because I have never run into a truly bad or rude crew member on the LD trains.

Instead, I have met a few truly nice and helpful ones that I sometimes come across again, which makes the trip even better.

Sure, people’s experiences and needs vary.

For me, before providing services that I don’t want, the SCA should say, when stopping by at the beginning of the trip, “Do you need help with your bed/dinner/wake-up call/getting off?”

I could say no, be left alone and be happy.

You could say yes, get those services and be happy.

 

[cimmee]

Yes they do have to. Amtrak’s very existence comes from acts of Congress - Congress determines what they are allowed to spend federal money on. Service largely went to tri weekly during the pandemic due to a Congressional failure to pass more Covid relief after Amtrak’s initial relief ran out. Additional follies such as food service and other cuts came as a result by congressional meddling and failure to make up its mind on what Amtrak’s mission should be. I think you’re letting our elected reps off the hook way too much on Amtrak issues. They are just as much at fault for Amtrak’s back and forth inconsistency as anything or anyone else and as the real power perhaps the most at fault.

What would make Amtrak better is a multi year operational funding model that would insulate the company a bit from the year to year partisan politics and maintain a longer term direction. Having to shift directions constantly because of changes in power in Washington doesn’t help things. I don’t disagree about reforming the board but that’s not the only thing that’s needed.

GSE's can work well, in fact, great at times.

While I truly enjoyed my CZ ride to Reno, it wasn't Swiss Rail. All of the issues that I noticed (shitty track, filthy/old rolling stock, etc) were related to a massive lack of funding. There are two paths; break up Amtrak and sell off the routes or fully fund Amtrak. Each path has benefits/risk.

 

[I like rolling hotels]

o Walk the coach cars to keep an eye out for problems like dangerous passengers.
o Standardize customer service training and make it easy to complain quickly if there's a need. I've seen more than one above-and-beyond bit of customer service but Amtrak needs to cut out the bottom.
o Use the $#@! PA system for announcements instead of expecting people who aren't close to the gate to hear you in a noisy station.
Can I do more than three things?
o SCAs should pay attention to the call button. I don't use it often but it's annoying to wait for hours.

 

[Bonser]

Amtrak’s approach: plenty of nasty employees combined with a system that emphasizes lots of contact between employees and passengers likely compounds customer dissatisfaction.

For example:

1. If I could order dinner online, then I wouldn’t have to deal with employee attitude when the Amtrak employee comes by to take my order. (One time when I asked for a glass of wine with dinner, the employee fussed at me and said that it wasn’t her job to wait in line in the cafe car for me.)

2. I don’t need a wake-up call, particularly when my stop is before dawn and particularly when the wake-up call is often 30 minutes or more before arrival.

3. I would prefer to be able to just get off the train by myself. (I’ve been yelled at when I came to the door nearest my room to get off.)

4. I don’t need someone interrupting me to tell me how to use the room. I’m Select Plus; I’ve taken Amtrak sleeping cars many times before, which Amtrak should know.

5. I can raise and lower the bed myself.

6. Why doesn’t Amtrak have a place where you can put your ticket so that it can be scanned without the ticket collector needing to knock on your door and interrupt? I’ve been fussed at for NOT leaving my ticket in the window of the sleeping car, and fussed at for needing to unlock the door so that the ticket collector can come in; either way, I get fussed at.

If Amtrak had consistently helpful employees, the “high touch” level of service would be fine. But since each interaction with an Amtrak employee increases the chance of the employee yelling at the customer and the customer being dissatisfied, Amtrak should move as much as it can to be online and reduce the contacts unless the customer wants them.

If I had simply been left alone by one sleeping car attendant on the Crescent, I would still be an Amtrak regular. But thanks to Amtrak employees, I am an American Airlines twice-a-week flyer.

Sounds like you might have a bit of an attitude yourself.What do you define as being yelled at? It seems you're not only upset at rudeness but also helpfulness.