Craziest Drama on Amtrak you've seen?

[drdumont]

Alas, you cannot teach he who will not learn.

 

[MARC Rider]

I've been saying for a long time you need people who take pride in their jobs and their company. Part of it is a poor adversarial nature between Amtrak Management and the workers on the ground. Naturally that builds into distrust and into disgruntled attitudes. It is really a self defeating circle. I could discuss this a thousand times a week but it won't do any good unless someone at management calls me and asks how to fix their issues. Please someone at management call me I will happily show you examples around the world that work.

Thus, having management come down hard on front line workers who display a bad "attitude" might not really help. I wonder if it really does any good to call customer relations and complain about bad service experiences. I guess if it's a really bad experience, you might get a voucher, but even if management takes on the surly employee, it probably won't solve the issues in the long term. One thing that customers need to realize is that many aspects of customer service are beyond the power of the front line employee to solve. However, it would help if the front line employees learn how to convey the bad news in a bit more nicely.

In the case of the vending machines at San Antonio, the real culprit here is management that did not make it a priority to see that the vending machines at the station are consistently operating. However, the front line employee, when confronted with the issue, could have done better by saying, "yes, I'll call the company and see what we can do."

Bur while this might be more respectful to the feelings of the customer, it doesn't solve the customer's problem. But nothing can solve the customer's problem in this case, and there's nothing the front line employee can do about it. Thus, the front line employee can expect a certain amount of abuse thrown at him by a minority disgruntled customers who have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. Enough of that can have a corrosive effect on the spirit of the front-line worker, which might also affect their attitude. Thus, another self-defeating circle.

 

[PVD]

I understand the concept that poor attitude towards customers is wrong, but it very likely that Amtrak has no relationship to the vending machine contract, they are a tenant and they are not the owner/manager of the station. Politely refer them to whomever can help, and drop a note to your bosses that there is an ongoing problem that they might wish to bring up with the landlord.

 

[jis]

I understand the concept that poor attitude towards customers is wrong, but it very likely that Amtrak has no relationship to the vending machine contract, they are a tenant and they are not the owner/manager of the station. Politely refer them to whomever can help, and drop a note to your bosses that there is an ongoing problem that they might wish to bring up with the landlord.

We don't know for sure that the vending machines are not rented by Amtrak. Either scenario is possible. It could be the building owners that provide it or it is Amtrak that provides it. Either way, since it is located in a space that is primarily occupied by Amtrak, they need to be more proactive and friendlier with their customers trying to use a facility provided in their space. Having a knock down drag out argument with a customer or just pointing them in random directions is an example of poor customer service, which is of course par for the course for Amtrak. So I suppose nothing lost

 

[CTANut]

Kicking a police officer is almost never a way to improve your current situation. I thought that was common sense.

It delayed the next leg of his trip from the train to the Grey Bar Hotel.

 

[west point]

Wonder if the vending machines at SAS are of an older type. Despite their need for passengers the traffic over all is probably less than more busy locations ? Some one there needs to write how they look and operate .

 

[Skylark]

1)Outside of Albuquerque, we made a very hard sudden stop. Thankfully I was seated at the time (in the bottom berth, actually, see #3). Apparently someone was passed out on the tracks from what I overheard. We didn't hit them or I imagine we would have been there for a few hours at least. I guess they had just enough advanced warning?

2) Years ago my Mom was on a trip and the dining car server accidentally spilled hot coffee all over her leg. What they did in response was to grab her a ton of mustard packets and told her to put it on her leg, that it would help the burns. It did! There's actually something to it and since then we always put mustard on right after a burn! Reduces pain and blistering.

3) SCA put beds down super early like at 6:30 while most passengers were dining or elsewhere, and then just ran away at a long layover. Poor new SCA that got taken on later had so much catching up too do but was quite experienced thankfully. Hopefully made a lot of extra tips for that.

4) I presume it was nothing but heard the conductor requested to the dining car, "asap." My guess is coach passenger refusing to leave (Covid diner restrictions). Also there was a missing passenger that a lot of time was spent looking for. No clue what that was about or the result. I actually thought I had seen this person at the station so I mentioned it but it was someone else with the same first name.

5) cars getting hooked up backwards so had to walk through 3 coach cars to get to diner, coach passengers needing to walk through sleeper (I believe to get to lounge). Rough trackage on that route too. I almost fell on a lot of people!

 

[cheerose]

Regarding # 3 -- I wonder how often crew do that ... I mean, that's one way to quit a job.

 

[Cal]

5) cars getting hooked up backwards so had to walk through 3 coach cars to get to diner, coach passengers needing to walk through sleeper (I believe to get to lounge). Rough trackage on that route too. I almost fell on a lot of people!

What route?

 

[Skylark]

What route?

It's been awhile but it was either SWC or Texas Eagle I believe.

 

[Bob Dylan]

It's been awhile but it was either SWC or Texas Eagle I believe.

Sounds like the Chief in Western Kansas when the Tracks were so rough!( since updated)

 

[Skylark]

Sounds like the Chief in Western Kansas when the Tracks were so rough!( since updated)

I was just on the SWC and it was still quite rough East-bound! Definitely noticeable. But yeah I'm guessing not as rough as it had been.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I was just on the SWC and it was still quite rough East-bound! Definitely noticeable. But yeah I'm guessing not as rough as it had been.

I haven't been on the Chief since 2019,sounds like it's time for Trackwork on this Route again!