Service Suspension Notification flub

[jis]

Excerpted from a post from a befuddled customer on Facebook Amtrak forum:

Question to Amtrak: why was no one informed/called about the cardinal being annulled for today?? There is about 30 passengers at the Staunton,Virginia station that didn't find out about it, until 10 minutes ago??

 

[Acela150]

Can people not read??? :help: It did say clearly on the service alert that the train was Serving CHI-IND only. :blink:

 

[jis]

Can people not read??? :help: It did say clearly on the service alert that the train was Serving CHI-IND only. :blink:

If you are at home without any internet access what are you exactly going to read? Let us not assume that everyone needs to be technology savvy to the n-th degree to ride Amtrak. Shall we?

Only frothing geeks sit around reading Amtrak status 24 hours a day. Normal people don't. Airlines are able to call my phone to let me know. Why not Amtrak?

Actually Amtrak also normally does. I believe it was a slip up somewhere this time.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Can people not read??? :help: It did say clearly on the service alert that the train was Serving CHI-IND only. :blink:

If you are at home without any internet access what are you exactly going to read? Let us not assume that everyone needs to be technology savvy to the n-th degree to ride Amtrak. Shall we?

Well, one could call Julie too. I never leave home, without first checking on my train's status, be it thru the internet or using a phone.

Yea, I know. One has to be tech savvy to the n-th degree to use a new fangled gadget like a phone.

BTW, I have never gotten a call from an airline to tell me my flight is going to be delayed or cancelled. As with Amtrak, I always initiate a call myself, before leaving home, especially when there is cause to have concerns (like a hurricane).

 

[jis]

Can people not read??? :help: It did say clearly on the service alert that the train was Serving CHI-IND only. :blink:

If you are at home without any internet access what are you exactly going to read? Let us not assume that everyone needs to be technology savvy to the n-th degree to ride Amtrak. Shall we?

Well, one could call Julie too. I never leave home, without first checking on my train's status, be it thru the internet or using a phone.

Yea, I know. One has to be tech savvy to the n-th degree to use a new fangled gadget like a phone.

BTW, I have never gotten a call from an airline to tell me my flight is going to be delayed or cancelled. As with Amtrak, I always initiate a call myself, before leaving home, especially when there is cause to have concerns (like a hurricane).

All I can say is that I am glad you guys do not manage Amtrak's or anyone else's customer relations department and hope you never do.

Yes if you are traveling on a deep discounted ticket on anything you don't get called by an airline. But try full fare tickets or having status and you'll see that it is a very different experience.

Heck, so far even Amtrak has always called me, even for silly things like "the parking lot in Atlanta is closed. Arrive at the station 45 minutes earlier". Why are a few rising to the defense of poor customer relations. Or are we so incredibly enamored of Amtrak here that we can't see a fault in anything they do?

I have already acknowledged that normally they do better and they happened to slip this time. And people are trying to tell me that they should not be expected to do what they normally do anyway? Wow!

 

[jb64]

I agree that AMTRAK should have called persons with tickets/reservations. In Staunton, we are far enough inland that we received a few showers and a little wind from Hurricane Irene, but no damage of any kind. I don't think it would be illogical for a normal person (i.e. not a railfan or foamer) traveling from Staunton to Chicago to assume that there was not a problem with their itenerary. There is no damage between here and there, why would a train not run? Many probably never bothered to look where the train originates to realize there could be a problem. Staunton is also an unstaffed station, so no one to tell people once they arrived, either. However, I thought there was a caretake who comes to open the station, wonder why they did not know?

What is also a shame is that thirty people were waiting to board in a small town that only has a train three days a week. Sure wish we could increase the Cardinal's frequency.

 

[AlanB]

Heck, so far even Amtrak has always called me, even for silly things like "the parking lot in Atlanta is closed. Arrive at the station 45 minutes earlier". Why are a few rising to the defense of poor customer relations. Or are we so incredibly enamored of Amtrak here that we can't see a fault in anything they do?

Heck, I cancelled my trip NYP to ALB for Irene Saturday on Friday afternoon. I got a call from Amtrak at 5:30 AM to tell me that they were cancelling the train for which I had already cancelled my reservation. I got a second call an hour later telling me that they were cancelling my return train, which again I had already cancelled that reservation 12 hours earlier.

 

[acelafan]

Heck, so far even Amtrak has always called me, even for silly things like "the parking lot in Atlanta is closed. Arrive at the station 45 minutes earlier". Why are a few rising to the defense of poor customer relations. Or are we so incredibly enamored of Amtrak here that we can't see a fault in anything they do?

Heck, I cancelled my trip NYP to ALB for Irene Saturday on Friday afternoon. I got a call from Amtrak at 5:30 AM to tell me that they were cancelling the train for which I had already cancelled my reservation. I got a second call an hour later telling me that they were cancelling my return train, which again I had already cancelled that reservation 12 hours earlier.

I love Amtrak as much as most on here, but even their email notification has some issues. Someone forgot to check the template before the message is sent. I just got this email a few minutes ago and it just looks unprofessional with 7 lines of gibberish text. Fixing stuff like this shouldn't be difficult and it gives the company a better image.

Our records indicate that you were originally scheduled to depart on Amtrak traveling from Atlanta-GEORGIA to Washington-DISTRICT-OF-COLUMBIA.

 

That schedule has changed.

 

You will depart on Amtrak Train number 0020 from Atlanta-GEORGIA on Tuesday September 27 at 8:04PM and arrive in Washington-DISTRICT-OF-COLUMBIA on Wednesday September 28 at 9:53AM.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

You will depart on Amtrak number from on at : and arrive in on at :.

 

 

We apologize for any inconvenience. To speak to an Amtrak representative about alternate travel options call us at 8772319448 at your earliest convenience. Thank you for being a valued Amtrak customer.

 

Sincerely,

Amtrak

 

[njdon]

I have to agree with Jis that Amtrak should have called to advise passengers with reservations that the train was cancelled. It must have been a flub somewhere in the system. While I am one of those who might be accused of being enamored with Amtrak there is no excuse for poor customer service and we shouldn't blame the messenger for calling it what is was, i.e., poor service The affirmative duty is on Amtrak not the customer.