SCA Performace

[amtrakwolverine]

Standard scripted response. You need to call or write a actual letter to get anywhere.

 

[amamba]

I have actually gotten a response by filling out the form on the web. It took about a week. Since it has been over a month, I would call customer relations. You need to call the 1-800-USA-RAIL number M-F during normal business hours and ask for customer relations specifically.

 

[Blackshirt Husker]

I recently completed a trip back home from Miami where we took 3 long distance trains. Silver Meteor, Capitol Limited, and the Texas Eagle. We had tried to get bedroom suites the whole trip for the 4 of us, but got non-adjoining rooms on the CL & TE.

Our first SCA, Joseph, had been working with Amtrak for two months, and was by far the most attentive and helpful SCA I have experienced. Every time I saw him he asked if there was anything I needed (which was frequent as I went to get more ice). He helped us with our luggage, came by to let us know when the dining car was open for breakfast, brought us extra blankets, let us detrain at any stops we wanted to stretch our legs (as long as we stayed right there), asked what time he could make our beds, etc. I can't think of anything he could of done to be more helpful and make the trip a better experience. We tipped him $50 for being so wonderful.

On to the Capitol Limited, our SCA was Larry, and he was pretty decent. He had been with Amtrak for a few years. We initially had bedrooms B & D, but he switched us into C & D when we told him we were traveling together. We really didn't see much of him and after dinner we tried to make our own beds since he hadn't come by to ask about them, but we were having trouble with the old equipment. I went and found him and he made the beds for us. The next day he delivered us newspapers under our doors as you would expect and that was the extent of his services. We tipped him $20.

For our final sleeper leg, we had rooms A & B on the TE and were ok with the separation as our friends were departing in STL as we went on to FTW. We had booked the two rooms with our AGR points and had them booked all the way to FTW as we had hoped to get a suite the entire trip. The reservations lady told us to just tell the SCA we had 2 getting off in STL and it wouldn't be a problem, we could keep the two rooms.

Well we met the problem, his name was Michael, our SCA for the trip who had been with Amtrak for over 30 years. We hadn't seen much of anything from him since we boarded, but he did make a long announcement about cleaning up after your bowel movements so he didn't have to clean the toilets. We made our way to the lounge to play some cards while waiting for dinner. We finally saw him coming through the lounge and told him what was going on with the 2 getting off in STL. He said that wasn't possible since they were ticketed to FTW. This definitely brought some uneasiness into the situation as we again explained how we had booked two rooms to FTW and the reservations agent told us the 2 others could simply get off in STL. He said he would let them off and that he would have to put one of the rooms back into the system so it could be sold. At this point I didn't feel like arguing and was just glad he wasn't going to try and mess with us anymore, if we had an actual suite I would of pressed the issue to keep both rooms. He ended up moving into the extra room and sleeping in it himself.

After dealing with that we went to dinner and then our friends detrained in STL where instead of offering to help with their luggage, he told them they should of left it all on the lower level. He never came by that entire day to check on us and I made the bed that night. The next day I saw him once where he had a newspaper in his hand. He asked if everything was ok and I asked for the paper since he hadn't delivered one to us. He replied, "Are you sure you want it?" We didn't see anything of him the rest of the trip until we got off in FTW. I did not tip him.

It definitely made a great trip end on a sour note, and we were all wondering how Joseph, the brand new employee could be so wonderful and yet Michael, the 30 year employee could be so horrible.

I also had Michael on the Texas Eagle. Not good at all--bored, non-attentive, and disappeared for pretty much the entire trip. One of the few bad SCA's I've encountered.

 

[had8ley]

I didn't want to make a big deal out of the issue and have the SCA angry at us for the rest of the trip. We were on the sleeper at the rear of the train and the only time I can recall actually seeing the conductor was when we had to back into the FTW station so he had to come to the rear of the train.

Regarding the two rooms, my wife and I had both rooms the entire way (we booked them with our AGR points) and our friends were supposed to be additional people in each of the rooms. I don't think most at Amtrak normally deal with suites, and the reservation agent didn't know how to only book the additional passengers just part of the way.

Conductors and A/C are available for the entire length of your journey. You may have to find them. On Superliners they usually hang in the lounge section of the transistion car. It is downstairs and is really crew territory. On CCC equipped trains there is a growing trend for the operating crew to bully the lounge end for their private use. On single level trains the lounge car or an empty bedroom are the usual spots to find them. Hint~ listen for a radio as the conductor or A/C have to acknowledge communications with the head end and dispatcher.As far as our 30 year man the only system he was going to re-enter the room into was his own for his own use. Once you're on a moving train you're pretty much at the mercy of the crew. Some get the message that cutomer service is vital; others just don't care. For the broken record~ "Just where is management that is PAID to ride ???" :help:

 

[dart330]

After being on the phone for over an hour, mostly on hold, I got my complaint filed. The customer service rep went and talked to the AGR manager next door to see if they wanted to issue points or a travel voucher back to me. AGR said a travel voucher. The rep said he would email the train manager about the complaint to find out how much they should refund me and that I should hear back from him tomorrow. He also said they take these complaints very seriously and it would be sent to DC for further investigation.

My biggest concern now is running into this SCA again. We already have tickets for two trips on the TE in Dec, hopefully we won't have him again.

 

[had8ley]

After being on the phone for over an hour, mostly on hold, I got my complaint filed. The customer service rep went and talked to the AGR manager next door to see if they wanted to issue points or a travel voucher back to me. AGR said a travel voucher. The rep said he would email the train manager about the complaint to find out how much they should refund me and that I should hear back from him tomorrow. He also said they take these complaints very seriously and it would be sent to DC for further investigation.

My biggest concern now is running into this SCA again. We already have tickets for two trips on the TE in Dec, hopefully we won't have him again.

Now that you know this characters M.O. type up a sheet of what you want done and when. I, personally, would hand one to the conductor if the SCA fails to perform as instructed. Don't be unreasonable but things such as we would like turn down by 9 p.m. and we DO want a morning paper should be on it. If he doesn't get the message drop him off at the nearest mental health facility. :help:

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hopefully you won't get this clown again! There are some really good SCAs on the Eagles !(as well as average ones, this Michael guy is the poorest one they have IMO and Ive ridden this Route maybe 200 times over the years!)I hope you get the pleasure of having Jim who has been recognized by several members here, he's the best Ive had on ANY Route!

Phoning is always the best way to get the attention of any office staff, e-mails and paper are shuffled to the bottom of the pile! The exception would be writng a letter to the President of Amtrak, Joe Boardman, with all your details! I promise youll get action and attention from his office!

The advice about asking the Conductor for assistance,when needed,is good. Be sure youve asked/talked with the SCA ifthey are the Invisible Person,before involving the Conductor,they are very busy running the Train!

 

[NY Penn]

I hope you get the pleasure of having Jim

You?

 

[leemell]

It definitely made a great trip end on a sour note, and we were all wondering how Joseph, the brand new employee could be so wonderful and yet Michael, the 30 year employee could be so horrible.

PLEASE email or write Amtrak and praise the good service and mention the problem employee. The only way good service will be noted is from comments by customers. The only way problem employees will be corrected is by using those same comments. Good tips tell the employee that you appreciate them. No tips tell the employee that you may just be cheap or just don't understand that tipping is typical.

If you don't want to worry about the problem employee, at least praise the good one by contacting Amtrak.

Tip bad employees a penny see if they get the message.

penny tips mean you are an a**, write them a note expressing what things they were doing wrong and skip the tipping charades.

No. leave them a penny tip and write them a note. I've worked for tips and this will indicate that you just didn't forget it. You'd be surprised how many people really do forget he tip.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I hope you get the pleasure of having Jim

You?

Dont want to work that hard! :lol: He's Outstanding and Ive seen some really good ones all over! :wub:

 

[dart330]

I contacted customer relations to follow up after a couple days like they asked me to. I wasn't expecting much, and a low bucket bedroom is $336 from STL to FTW, but they gave me a travel voucher for $476.

I explained that the nearest staffed station is 4-5 hours away, FTW or KCY, and asked if we could just apply it to a current reservation. They said that would be fine and refunded the money onto my credit card.

I am very pleased with the outcome, just wish the time on hold for customer relations was less.

 

[TimePeace]

Penny tip variation:

A former girlfriend of mine, who had worked as a waitress for years, would leave a generous tip PLUS a penny if she had received very good service - and got a lot of knowing smiles back. She explained that wait staff often do that to other wait staff.