Amtrak needs to do a better job at the voucher process

[spinnaker]

Due to a late CZ (see related thread). I missed my connection to the CL. I was given a voucher at the Swiss Hotel. In Amtrak's favor they put me up at a glorious hotel. Probably much better than I would ever stay. The room was enormous. Corner room with at least on great view. I was given a voucher for taxi (both ways ), hotel and small amount for food.

But where they went off the rails (pun intended) is in the actual voucher process. I was already upset about being stuck in a cornfield for hours. And I as one of the lucky ones, due to bad AC sleeper our car, we were all moved to a different car. I chose a nice spacious bedroom. I cannot imagine what those poor people in coach must have been going through.

The process to create the vouchers was a tedious manual process. It took forever just to do one passenger. The good news there, is I could have been on the other side of the desk doing all of those vouchers!

Why hasn't this process been automated eons ago? The only thing that should be required is for the agent to call up your name, check a few boxes, print the vouchers. Done!

 

[Bob Dylan]

This happens so often in Chicago ( the hub of the Amtrak LD System) that the staff in Customer Service @ Union Station are very experienced in handling matters for passengers missing connections.

You are correct, it should be automated, but Amtrak is still operating in the 20th Century when it comes to procedures and paperwork.

Since Anderson and his aides are Airline veterans, you'd think they'd quickly install advanced systems to handle situations like this so as to do away with outdated,inefficient methods. NOT!

 

[Dakota 400]

A voucher to stay at Swissotel Chicago surely was a significant gesture on Amtrak's part, I think.

 

[TiBike]

Since Anderson and his aides are Airline veterans, you'd think they'd quickly install advanced systems to handle situations like this so as to do away with outdated,inefficient methods. NOT!

The minute they do, you can bet that AU will be lit up with complaints that Amtrak's new management is ruining the traditional rail travel experience, eliminating jobs and hastening the Apocalypse, in order to further a cabalistic plot to eliminate long distance service.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

You are correct, it should be automated, but Amtrak is still operating in the 20th Century when it comes to procedures and paperwork.

So is the equipment they are forced to operate.

 

[cpotisch]

Why hasn't this process been automated eons ago?

I think there's a limit to how good a job an automated system could do with this kind of thing. Each passenger has different needs, and it's hard to explain your situation to a computer. Not to say that the system couldn't be streamlined a bit, but I don't think that the best solution is always going to be automation.

 

[Oreius]

I remember my first train trip back in 1990. I was going from Buffalo to Boston on the LSL. We were stuck in Rochester for 4 hours due to a derailment down the line. It didn’t bother me any; we played games in the lounge car and Amtrak gave us a complimentary lunch in the diner. Everyone else was irritable and cranky, but I was in my glory! I was 9 years old at the time.

 

[railiner]

I would imagine some of the bureaucracy in completing those forms is an effort to prevent, or minimize fraudulent abuse of the system...not sure...

 

[tim49424]

I was given a voucher at the Swiss Hotel. In Amtrak's favor they put me up at a glorious hotel. Probably much better than I would ever stay. The room was enormous. Corner room with at least on great view. I was given a voucher for taxi (both ways ), hotel and small amount for food.

They’re still doing that? I thought they stopped a few years back and put up pax with missed connections in a sleeper car.

My only experience with Swiss Hotels was, yes it’s a 4 or 5 star hotel, but limited cable and $20/night internet. Being I was there on Amtrak’s dime, I couldn’t take advantage of any of the room’s amenities, not that I would have anyway. I also was told there was a breakfast buffet in the lower level restaurant, at $29.99 per person. Nope, skipped that. I picked up a cinnamon roll at the old metropolitan lounge for my morning meal. At least Amtrak gave me $10 in meal money and covered the taxi to and from.

 

[spinnaker]

I was given a voucher at the Swiss Hotel. In Amtrak's favor they put me up at a glorious hotel. Probably much better than I would ever stay. The room was enormous. Corner room with at least on great view. I was given a voucher for taxi (both ways ), hotel and small amount for food.

They’re still doing that? I thought they stopped a few years back and put up pax with missed connections in a sleeper car.

My only experience with Swiss Hotels was, yes it’s a 4 or 5 star hotel, but limited cable and $20/night internet. Being I was there on Amtrak’s dime, I couldn’t take advantage of any of the room’s amenities, not that I would have anyway. I also was told there was a breakfast buffet in the lower level restaurant, at $29.99 per person. Nope, skipped that. I picked up a cinnamon roll at the old metropolitan lounge for my morning meal. At least Amtrak gave me $10 in meal money and covered the taxi to and from.

Yeah the TV was my complaint too. How could a 4-5 star hotel have such limited selection on TV? Not that TV is that important to me on vacation but I was tired and just wanted to veg out in the room. There certainly wasn't much choice in TV channels. Lots of sports but I pretty much hate sports.

And the hotel was a mad house. Way too many people but I imagine that is almost every hotel in Chicago.

Which is why I would be reluctant to stay over night if I could avoid it. The lake front is absolutely beautiful and the city was a lot to offer. But all of that brings lots of people. Way too many for me.

The plus side is almost every native I spoke to was super helpful and extremely friendly. People working in stores. Just everyone. All of those people and they still take the time to help folks out. The cops included. The could not have been nicer. I happen to run in to one cop originally from Pittsburgh (my home town). I swear I have seen more cops in groups then you would find in all of downtown Pittsburgh.

 

[spinnaker]

My only experience with Swiss Hotels was, yes it’s a 4 or 5 star hotel, but limited cable and $20/night internet. Being I was there on Amtrak’s dime, I couldn’t take advantage of any of the room’s amenities, not that I would have anyway. I also was told there was a breakfast buffet in the lower level restaurant, at $29.99 per person. Nope, skipped that. I picked up a cinnamon roll at the old metropolitan lounge for my morning meal. At least Amtrak gave me $10 in meal money and covered the taxi to and from.

I used the voucher at McDonalds (at the station) to grab some breakfast.

 

[spinnaker]

Why hasn't this process been automated eons ago?

I think there's a limit to how good a job an automated system could do with this kind of thing. Each passenger has different needs, and it's hard to explain your situation to a computer. Not to say that the system couldn't be streamlined a bit, but I don't think that the best solution is always going to be automation.

There are already special forms. So no big deal.

I am a software engineer. For the basic forms (cab, taxi, lodging) I could write code to print out the various forms in just a few days per form. And that would include letting them customize the forms for various stations. (example CHI limits taxis to Carriage Cab) . It would not be hard at all. Custom needs could still be done with a manual form but the basic forms would be easy to do.

 

[tim49424]

I was given a voucher at the Swiss Hotel. In Amtrak's favor they put me up at a glorious hotel. Probably much better than I would ever stay. The room was enormous. Corner room with at least on great view. I was given a voucher for taxi (both ways ), hotel and small amount for food.

They’re still doing that? I thought they stopped a few years back and put up pax with missed connections in a sleeper car.

My only experience with Swiss Hotels was, yes it’s a 4 or 5 star hotel, but limited cable and $20/night internet. Being I was there on Amtrak’s dime, I couldn’t take advantage of any of the room’s amenities, not that I would have anyway. I also was told there was a breakfast buffet in the lower level restaurant, at $29.99 per person. Nope, skipped that. I picked up a cinnamon roll at the old metropolitan lounge for my morning meal. At least Amtrak gave me $10 in meal money and covered the taxi to and from.

Yeah the TV was my complaint too. How could a 4-5 star hotel have such limited selection on TV? Not that TV is that important to me on vacation but I was tired and just wanted to veg out in the room. There certainly wasn't much choice in TV channels. Lots of sports but I pretty much hate sports.

And the hotel was a mad house. Way too many people but I imagine that is almost every hotel in Chicago.

Which is why I would be reluctant to stay over night if I could avoid it. The lake front is absolutely beautiful and the city was a lot to offer. But all of that brings lots of people. Way too many for me.

The plus side is almost every native I spoke to was super helpful and extremely friendly. People working in stores. Just everyone. All of those people and they still take the time to help folks out. The cops included. The could not have been nicer. I happen to run in to one cop originally from Pittsburgh (my home town). I swear I have seen more cops in groups then you would find in all of downtown Pittsburgh.

I forgot to mention the carafe of water on the dresser. There was a label on it saying it was compliments of the hotel, however when reading the small print, not so. They measure the volume of the carafe and whether the seal had been broken and charge the room up to $8.00 (if completely consumed). Also forgot to mention the two phones in the room, one of which hanging on the wall next to the toilet. Of course, you can't use them without some sort of fee. I was surprised that there wasn't a fee to take a shower.....or breathe the air!

My only experience with Swiss Hotels was, yes it’s a 4 or 5 star hotel, but limited cable and $20/night internet. Being I was there on Amtrak’s dime, I couldn’t take advantage of any of the room’s amenities, not that I would have anyway. I also was told there was a breakfast buffet in the lower level restaurant, at $29.99 per person. Nope, skipped that. I picked up a cinnamon roll at the old metropolitan lounge for my morning meal. At least Amtrak gave me $10 in meal money and covered the taxi to and from.

I used the voucher at McDonalds (at the station) to grab some breakfast.

I did too, but for lunch.

 

[willem]

Many years ago (in the 2000-2008 time frame), Amtrak would send customer service representatives on train 7 to meet train 8 at a scheduled stop (for instance, Tomah) when train 8 was way late. The representatives would write the vouchers on the train and the passengers could catch a taxi from Union Station without waiting in line for the paperwork.

 

[spinnaker]

A voucher to stay at Swissotel Chicago surely was a significant gesture on Amtrak's part, I think.

You can say that again. I was expecting some lousy flea bag motel 10 miles away from the city. They even put up people from coach there that did not pay as much for their ticket.

 

[spinnaker]

Many years ago (in the 2000-2008 time frame), Amtrak would send customer service representatives on train 7 to meet train 8 at a scheduled stop (for instance, Tomah) when train 8 was way late. The representatives would write the vouchers on the train and the passengers could catch a taxi from Union Station without waiting in line for the paperwork.

I don't know why it is not automatic. Best match / best connection. Priority could go to date booked and/or price paid.

The airlines has the same fault. Because of weather in Detroit, I missed my connection to Portland direct. We could see the flight at the gate when our doors opened but they would not hold the flight!

At first Delta reps booked me through Salt Lake with a 5:40PM arrival in Portland (I was supposed to arrive at 10:30AM!). I walked away assuming this was the only option. Thankfully I decided to return and try again. They found a flight through LAX that got me to Portland at 3:30PM. Good thing as I discovered the bike shop building my bike closed at 6:00PM. If I took the 5:40PM arrival I would not have gotten to the shop in time. And I had to pedal 15+ to get to Oregon City that night.

A computer would have found that better connection faster than a human.

An automatic rebook may have meant I would have gotten my roomette since I booked very early. . Someone that needs extra time to get to the customer service should not be penalized on beating the mad rush to rebook.

 

[CCC1007]

Many years ago (in the 2000-2008 time frame), Amtrak would send customer service representatives on train 7 to meet train 8 at a scheduled stop (for instance, Tomah) when train 8 was way late. The representatives would write the vouchers on the train and the passengers could catch a taxi from Union Station without waiting in line for the paperwork.

I don't know why it is not automatic. Best match / best connection. Priority could go to date booked and/or price paid.

The airlines has the same fault. Because of weather in Detroit, I missed my connection to Portland direct. We could see the flight at the gate when our doors opened but they would not hold the flight!

At first Delta reps booked me through Salt Lake with a 5:40PM arrival in Portland (I was supposed to arrive at 10:30AM!). I walked away assuming this was the only option. Thankfully I decided to return and try again. They found a flight through LAX that got me to Portland at 3:30PM. Good thing as I discovered the bike shop building my bike closed at 6:00PM. If I took the 5:40PM arrival I would not have gotten to the shop in time. And I had to pedal 15+ to get to Oregon City that night.

A computer would have found that better connection faster than a human.

An automatic rebook may have meant I would have gotten my roomette since I booked very early. . Someone that needs extra time to get to the customer service should not be penalized on beating the mad rush to rebook.

Ok, so here are my thoughts about computers searching for schedules in the case of rescheduling passengers. While I could probably program the software myself, given enough time and incentive, the first question I would have is “What heuristic should I use for the algorithm?”
Most likely, the answer is going to be something along the lines of “The one that costs us the least per effected passenger.”