Complaint Processing Time

[b243923]

I put in a complaint about my recent experience on the Auto Train on March 11/2011.

I got a email saying I would get an anwer within 24 hours. It took over 1 week to get an answer and it said because of the high volumes in complaints I would get an answer within 4 to 6 weeks.

Is this the norm in handling complaints. Do you they have that many complaints.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm tempted to say the norm is to never receive an actual response via email or snail mail. Ever. Better to call the reservations desk instead. Otherwise you could be waiting a very long time indeed. As for how many complaints they get, well, apparently not enough to actually change anything. Most of what I didn't like about Amtrak in the early 1980's still applies equally well to 2011. Kind of sad when you think about it. So what was your complaint about?

 

[b243923]

My complaint was there was no heat on the train that left Sanford to Lorten on March 11/2011. Very cold and nobody to talk to about it.

Also car attendant was not available at any time during the trip. We saw her when we got on the train and did not see her again until she was collecting the pillows at the end of the trip.

The conductor came through the train in the middle of night and flashed a flashlight in all the passengers eyes as if he was looking for someone. This was very disturbing.

The staff were talking personal conversations while breakfast and dinner was being served. That was very unproffessional.

We are regulars on the auto train and have never experienced a bad time like this before. We own a condo in

Florida and plan on taking the train every year.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Sorry to hear about your experience. Looks they substituted the Texas Eagle crew for the Auto Train crew. I'd call Amtrak and explain each of your complaints while referencing the letter you already sent. I would expect a few hundred dollars worth of vouchers in return. If you are denied sufficient compensation then you may need to call again or ask to speak to a supervisor. Email and snail mail are unlikely to result in a satisfactory conclusion.

 

[sttsxm]

I always call...granted, it can take forever to get a human after you get past Julie to get a human, then get transferred...BUT most times

the CS reps are nice and will help you .....(generally you'll get a travel voucher, which, if you ask, can be held electronically.....that way nothing to get lost in snail mail land!)

I have also (previously) asked to speak with a CS supervisor/manager and was told by a rather rude CS person that "they only do administrative things....") I did bring this up to someone who used to work in Philly in CS and he told me that the CS people who answer the phone are "empowered to make you happy".......

When i get the right person on the phone, I am happy.....if I get the wrong person, well.........

 

[b243923]

Thanks I will call them today. I will report back as the compensation they offer.

 

[Guest]

Also car attendant was not available at any time during the trip. We saw her when we got on the train and did not see her again until she was collecting the pillows at the end of the trip.

The conductor came through the train in the middle of night and flashed a flashlight in all the passengers eyes as if he was looking for someone. This was very disturbing.

Where you in coach?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Also car attendant was not available at any time during the trip. We saw her when we got on the train and did not see her again until she was collecting the pillows at the end of the trip. The conductor came through the train in the middle of night and flashed a flashlight in all the passengers eyes as if he was looking for someone. This was very disturbing.

Where you in coach?

What difference would that make?

 

[b243923]

Yes we were in coach. What difference would that make. On the way down we did the sleeper car thing and that was not pleasurable either. The roomettes are not suitable for 2 person. We ended up folding the bed closed in the middle of the night and slept in the seats. We would never take a roomette again.

Well I got through to customer service finally after being on hold twice and haveing to wait to speak to customers service department. Julie does not give you the option of speaking to customer service she connect you to an agent who in turn transfers you customer servic.

They offered me $50.00 voucher towards next years travel. I was not really pleased with the amount, but I guess it is better than nothing.

n.

 

[Guest]

What difference would that make?

Well, at least for me, there is a big difference with the Conductor walking around an open car like coach, and the Conductor opening up each sleeper compartment and shining a flashlight onto the occupants.

The difference, if you don't get it, is the expectation of privacy. IMHO, there should be no expectation of privacy in coach. Whereas, there would be in a sleeper compartment.

If the OP wanted privacy and not be disturbed, he should have opt'ed for sleeper.

 

[Guest]

On the way down we did the sleeper car thing and that was not pleasurable either. The roomettes are not suitable for 2 person. We ended up folding the bed closed in the middle of the night and slept in the seats. We would never take a roomette again.

Sorry, but that reads like you going to be unhappy no matter what. You were unhappy in the sleeper, and then you were unhappy in coach too.

I have travelled in Amtrak's roomettes for years, and found them quite suitable for 2 persons.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

They offered me $50.00 voucher towards next years travel. I was not really pleased with the amount, but I guess it is better than nothing.

Yeah, that's not a great amount considering the price of the AT, but at least you made your feelings known and started an internal paper trail. If everyone who was treated poorly on Amtrak demanded a voucher maybe they'd take their customer service levels a little more seriously.

IMHO, there should be no expectation of privacy in coach. Whereas, there would be in a sleeper compartment. If the OP wanted privacy and not be disturbed, he should have opt'ed for sleeper.

Ah, so it's some class warfare thing you're apparently hung up on, got it.

 

[chandj]

In general I'm not for shining lights in passengers' eyes in the middle of the night regardless of where they are sitting/laying. I think it would be less intrusive in coach, though, because in the sleeper he/she would have to get the doors open to get the light into passengers' faces as opposed to strolling (we hope quietly) down the aisles in coach. However, in this case, we don't know if the conductor also went through the sleepers with his trusty flash light or not.

 

[PaulM]

It took over 1 week to get an answer and it said because of the high volumes in complaints I would get an answer within 4 to 6 weeks. Is this the norm in handling complaints. Do you they have that many complaints.

It doesn't take a PhD in queuing theory to know that someone is pulling your leg. :giggle:

The roomettes are not suitable for 2 person. We ended up folding the bed closed in the middle of the night and slept in the seats. We would never take a roomette again.

You would get a little more sympathy here had you said that YOU didn't find them suitable for YOU. Obviously, many find them very suitable; otherwise they wouldn't sell out so often.

 

[Ryan]

IMHO, there should be no expectation of privacy in coach. Whereas, there would be in a sleeper compartment. If the OP wanted privacy and not be disturbed, he should have opt'ed for sleeper.

Ah, so it's some class warfare thing you're apparently hung up on, got it.

You're imagining things, again, dude.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

IMHO, there should be no expectation of privacy in coach. Whereas, there would be in a sleeper compartment. If the OP wanted privacy and not be disturbed, he should have opt'ed for sleeper.

Ah, so it's some class warfare thing you're apparently hung up on, got it.

You're imagining things, again, dude.

At least it's a nice switch from the usual megalomania.

 

[Ryan]

For me or for him?

 

[amamba]

I sort of agree with the expectation of privacy in sleeper CS coach. One has it in the sleeper but not in coach. It's not class warfare, it is what it is.

 

[amamba]

Ugh that was supposed to say versus not cS. Dang autocorrect!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

IMHO, there should be no expectation of privacy in coach. Whereas, there would be in a sleeper compartment. If the OP wanted privacy and not be disturbed, he should have opt'ed for sleeper.

Ah, so it's some class warfare thing you're apparently hung up on, got it.

You're imagining things, again, dude.

To me it sounded like he was only in this thread to demean coach passengers and remind them that they're somehow inferior to sleeper passengers. Maybe that sort of thinking has become so endemic to AU that it no longer stands out to most members.

At least it's a nice switch from the usual megalomania.

Are you still hurt that I called out out for mocking bus fans or do you have some other beef with me?

 

[Ryan]

I'm not sure how you got that (s)he was demeaning coach pax out of those posts. It was a simple question and then an explanation. I'd certainly be a heck of a lot more pissed off about someone coming into my sleeping compartment in the middle of the night than I would someone walking through an open coach car. There may well be a good reason that the conductor was looking for someone in the middle of the night. Since there is a manifest with room numbers and names in the sleeping cars, that sort of thing is unnecessary - no such manifest exists for the coach cars.

Sure, there are some people on here that consider coach pax and sleeper pax as two different classes of people (I can think of exactly one). But don't paint the entire board with that brush to set up your phoney outrage over being demeaned by a simple question.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Don't paint the entire board with that brush to set up your phoney outrage over being demeaned by a simple question.

What "phony outrage" are you referring to and why do you think my defense of coach passengers is disingenuous?

 

[Ryan]

Because there was absolutely nothing to get offended over. You can only defend something if it's attacked, and nothing is being attacked here.

Comments about "bus people" in the bus thread? Sure - that's the one member I was thinking of, and I'll join you in defending against crap like that, as it's inaccurate and offensive. But, there's nothing like that in this thread.

 

[Misty.]

... Class warfare, megalomania, or whatever, it's still getting tiring and away from the original point of the post. Sure, I like sleepers when I can afford them and they're available, and that isn't really anyone's business but my own, since I'm generally putting out my own money or points because my travel doesn't tend to overlap with anyone I know. :angry2: <_<

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

To me it sounded like he was only in this thread to demean coach passengers and remind them that they're somehow inferior to sleeper passengers. Maybe that sort of thinking has become so endemic to AU that it no longer stands out to most members.

IMHO, it is nothing more than a reality check. A reality check originally meant for b243923, and I guess now for a few others too.

If one decides to ride in coach for an overnight trip, one should expect that one could be briefly disturbed during the night. This could be by another passenger, the car attendant, or yes, the conductor.

Such momentary disturbances are NOT a reasonable cause to demand a refund from Amtrak. :angry:

Additional privacy in a sleeper compartment is one of the perks those are afforded. That isn't discrimination. Get real here. What's next? Some of you are going to picket outside the Acela Lounges, demanding equal access for all coach passengers? hboy: