Services

[Wayne K. Page]

I recently purchased bussiness class seats from the Downeaster in Portland Maine.

On Friday October 29, 2010 myself and a friend took the Downeaster to Boston leaving at 12:50 PM and returning on the 11:00 PM train from Boston.

Once heading out of Boston I approached the stweart to order a mixed drink and was told "there was no alcholl on this train". I then returned to my seat and observed another passanger came to her to order a beer and she informed him that"there was not enough alcholl on the train to serve everybody so she was not serving anything to anybody. So she basicly lied to me and I felt she just took it upon herself not to serve alcholl on the return trip. I don't think it was right paying the bussiness class rates and not able to get a mixed drink at 11:10 PM on a Friday night. If employees take it upon themselfs to make such decesions than you should be informed prior to purchasing tickets. Am I missing something here?

Respectfully,

Wayne Page

Bangor Maine

 

[PerRock]

I'm pretty sure there are no mixed drinks on any Amtrak train. That is probably what the steward (I assume your referring to the Cafe Attendant) meant. You can get beer & some small bottle of hard liquor, and I think wine (I rarely buy booze on the train).

peter

 

[Rail Freak]

I've never traveled the Downeaster but, have traveled many other routes around the country & have never been refused a mixed drink!

 

[Ispolkom]

"there was not enough alcholl on the train to serve everybody so she was not serving anything to anybody.

Wow, is that like when the teacher would tell you that you can't eat candy unless you brought enough for anyone? I've never encountered that line, though on a blizzardy Empire Builder ride last Christmas the lounge car attendant did say, "Do you want scotch or do you want white wine?" The passengers had drunk up everything else.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I'm pretty sure there are no mixed drinks on any Amtrak train. That is probably what the steward (I assume your referring to the Cafe Attendant) meant. You can get beer & some small bottle of hard liquor, and I think wine (I rarely buy booze on the train).

peter

A couple nights ago on the Heartland Flyer the LSA (Connie-she's GREAT) stirred up a WICKED Bloody Mary for the pax in line ahead of me, even creating a make-shift mixer out of 2 glasses and pouring the finished drink into a large coffee cup. All that was missing was the celery!

 

[Rail Freak]

On the Coast Starlite #11!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railfreak/2868329062/in/set-72157607362066481/

 

[rrdude]

I believe that is wrong. It is my understanding that ALL Amtrak trains that have lounge service, are issued "liquor kits" and complimentary mixers to go along with them. (bloody mary mix, soda water, etc.)

The liquor kits are virtually the same that you see on airlines, miniature bottles of booze, some straight, some even mixed drinks. (Mai Tai, etc.)

There is no reason that an Amtrak attendant should EVER stop serving liquor/beer/wine unless: Patron is underage or has no ID, patron appears intoxicated, (can you say Herman, MO?) patron is an on duty train or OBS crew, going thru a Dry County (this may have changed, don't know) the train crew has instructed LSA to stop selling. (for whatever reason)

To arbitrarily stop selling is denying Amtrak revenue. If that's the case, I'd write a note with specific details to CS ASAP.

 

[zepherdude]

Wayne, I think this is overkill and a big nothing. Let it go, so what, you did not get a drink, maybe the agent really did not have any liquor left, I have seen it happen. What is it going to get you, a free ticket, doubt it. This is one of those things that I doubt customer service will even look at. Its over now and you feel better cause you got it off your chest!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Wayne, I think this is overkill and a big nothing. Let it go, so what, you did not get a drink, maybe the agent really did not have any liquor left, I have seen it happen. What is it going to get you, a free ticket, doubt it. This is one of those things that I doubt customer service will even look at. Its over now and you feel better cause you got it off your chest!

What could possibly be gained by asking him not to make his feelings known to Amtrak? Even if you're right and Amtrak doesn't care the worst that could happen is nothing. Maybe the OBS will be reminded to serve whatever is available and not try to manipulate the process at the behest of their own personal whims. Just sayin'

 

[Chris J.]

I think they can also stop serving alcohol if they think things are getting out of hand. Part of the lounge car guy's spiel on the SWC I was on mentioned they had done this on the previous run (that may have been true or may have been to get us to behave).

They were still serving when i got off in Flagstaff.

 

[Anthony]

Keep in mind that the Downeaster has an outsourced cafe service.

 

[zepherdude]

Wayne, I think this is overkill and a big nothing. Let it go, so what, you did not get a drink, maybe the agent really did not have any liquor left, I have seen it happen. What is it going to get you, a free ticket, doubt it. This is one of those things that I doubt customer service will even look at. Its over now and you feel better cause you got it off your chest!

What could possibly be gained by asking him not to make his feelings known to Amtrak? Even if you're right and Amtrak doesn't care the worst that could happen is nothing. Maybe the OBS will be reminded to serve whatever is available and not try to manipulate the process at the behest of their own personal whims. Just sayin'

So maybe your not in the food/bar business, in a closed situation where there is no chance to restock, please give the on board agent credit for a good decision. Nothing is worse than asking for a scotch, sorry, gin, sorry, rum, sorry, ham sandwich, sorry...........by this time the customer is really pissed. If the train was out of booze, which no one knows and never will, the agent made a good call. Service people want to do a good job give service, that's what they are paid to do and to blame the agent for having an attitude and being difficult is uncalled for....it was then and still is a small issue!

 

[Wayne Page]

Wayne, I think this is overkill and a big nothing. Let it go, so what, you did not get a drink, maybe the agent really did not have any liquor left, I have seen it happen. What is it going to get you, a free ticket, doubt it. This is one of those things that I doubt customer service will even look at. Its over now and you feel better cause you got it off your chest!

What could possibly be gained by asking him not to make his feelings known to Amtrak? Even if you're right and Amtrak doesn't care the worst that could happen is nothing. Maybe the OBS will be reminded to serve whatever is available and not try to manipulate the process at the behest of their own personal whims. Just sayin'

So maybe your not in the food/bar business, in a closed situation where there is no chance to restock, please give the on board agent credit for a good decision. Nothing is worse than asking for a scotch, sorry, gin, sorry, rum, sorry, ham sandwich, sorry...........by this time the customer is really pissed. If the train was out of booze, which no one knows and never will, the agent made a good call. Service people want to do a good job give service, that's what they are paid to do and to blame the agent for having an attitude and being difficult is uncalled for....it was then and still is a small issue!

 

[Wayne Page]

Zepherdude I never said the employee was rude or unprofessional. All I am saying is if the Downeaster chooses not to searve alchol on the 11 pm train from Boston back to Portland then it should be noted somewhere before bussiness class tickets are purchased. If I had known this was common practace I would of stayed in Boston for the night and come home the next day.

I'm not making a big deal of anything. I'm retired from law enforcement, worked in the catering bussiness, and ran bars in private clubs and public establishments. I'm very familiar with how decisions have to be made when alchol is concerned.

The reason I wrote to Amtrack was not to get a refund for tickets, but to let them known that I was dissapointed as a customer, and not trying to get anything off my chest just following through as a customer should do with hopes that the problem is brought to managements attention.

Also....while I'm here typing, this is not the first time this has happened with the Downeaster. I have had several folks tell me thay ran into the same situation, and so have I in the past year. The excuse of not having enough alchol to serve anybody is lame. To tell one customer "there is no alchol on this train" is lame when I hear the same employee tell the next patron that she does not have enough alchol to serve everybody so she's not serving anybody at all. It's even more lame when I look across the aisle above the first seat and observe 2 cases of beer sitting there. It's also wrong to blame fellow employees that they left the train unstocked. So with all that said it's easy to believe it might be a situation where employees are taking it upon themselfs to decided rather to serve alcholl or not to serve alcholl on certain trains. If this is the practice...FINE! I just want to known before I spend the money for Bussiness Class Tickets. That's it in a nut shell. Pretty simple.

 

[zepherdude]

Yea when I saw your name on the post, I knew I was in for a deep pile of kaka! Much ado about nothing! All this over one lousy drink....I am over it buddy.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

.......if the Downeaster chooses not to searve alchol on the 11 pm train from Boston back to Portland then it should be noted somewhere before bussiness class tickets are purchased. If I had known this was common practace I would of stayed in Boston for the night and come home the next day.........

I think this says a lot more about you than about Amtrak. You'd rather spend a night away than miss having a drink???

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Nothing is worse than asking for a scotch, sorry, gin, sorry, rum, sorry, ham sandwich, sorry...........by this time the customer is really pissed.

Any wait staff worth their meager salary wouldn't waste everyone's time with this kind of pointless back-and-forth. They would kindly apologize for not having the full compliment of drinks available and would helpfully mention what is still available and ask the customer choose from among those remaining options.

If the train was out of booze, which no one knows and never will, the agent made a good call. Service people want to do a good job give service, that's what they are paid to do and to blame the agent for having an attitude and being difficult is uncalled for....it was then and still is a small issue!

If you agree that neither of us can know for certain the stock of alcohol available then why are you so confident in backing agent exclusively? Why are you antagonistic toward a customer freely speaking their mind? If the agent did nothing wrong then all they'd have to do is explain what happened and they'd suffer no consequences. The only way they'd be reprimanded is if it was clear they did in fact mishandle the situation. Why that would be a bad thing is beyond me.

Yea when I saw your name on the post, I knew I was in for a deep pile of kaka! Much ado about nothing! All this over one lousy drink....I am over it buddy.

Says the man who can't stop himself from posting just to disparage other contributors? If it's such a small issue in your mind then why are you using so many exclamation marks? It honestly looks like you're taken this harder than anyone.

 

[mercedeslove]

I recently purchased bussiness class seats from the Downeaster in Portland Maine.

On Friday October 29, 2010 myself and a friend took the Downeaster to Boston leaving at 12:50 PM and returning on the 11:00 PM train from Boston.

Once heading out of Boston I approached the stweart to order a mixed drink and was told "there was no alcholl on this train". I then returned to my seat and observed another passanger came to her to order a beer and she informed him that"there was not enough alcholl on the train to serve everybody so she was not serving anything to anybody. So she basicly lied to me and I felt she just took it upon herself not to serve alcholl on the return trip. I don't think it was right paying the bussiness class rates and not able to get a mixed drink at 11:10 PM on a Friday night. If employees take it upon themselfs to make such decesions than you should be informed prior to purchasing tickets. Am I missing something here?

Respectfully,

Wayne Page

Bangor Maine

Dude it's just a drink, not the end of the world. Order soda, or water instead. Your life isn't going to end because you can't get an alcoholic beverage.

 

[lyke99]

I recently purchased bussiness class seats from the Downeaster in Portland Maine.

On Friday October 29, 2010 myself and a friend took the Downeaster to Boston leaving at 12:50 PM and returning on the 11:00 PM train from Boston.

Once heading out of Boston I approached the stweart to order a mixed drink and was told "there was no alcholl on this train". I then returned to my seat and observed another passanger came to her to order a beer and she informed him that"there was not enough alcholl on the train to serve everybody so she was not serving anything to anybody. So she basicly lied to me and I felt she just took it upon herself not to serve alcholl on the return trip. I don't think it was right paying the bussiness class rates and not able to get a mixed drink at 11:10 PM on a Friday night. If employees take it upon themselfs to make such decesions than you should be informed prior to purchasing tickets. Am I missing something here?

Respectfully,

Wayne Page

Bangor Maine

Dude it's just a drink, not the end of the world. Order soda, or water instead. Your life isn't going to end because you can't get an alcoholic beverage.

I don't think it is the drink that bothers the OP - it is the story (or lie) from the attendant.

I was recently traveling with my wife on an oversold flight. Checking my reservation the day before (but not checking in online) we both had seat assignments on an MD90 aircraft. Upon arrival at the airport my wife had a seat assignment and I had been bumped. As instructed, I talked to the gate agent who said a smaller plane had been substituted. We then noticed a deadheading employee get on the plane, asked about it and had to threaten writing a letter of complaint before the agent pulled the deadhead and I got on the flight. In the seatback pocket, a safety card for an MD90.

The point is: the employee in both cases should have been honest with the customer.

 

[nferr]

Pretty wierd. I don't know why the attendant wouldn't just serve until she ran out? That's like saying I won't sell any sandwiches because I don't have enough for everybody. Sounds like there was more behind the reasons for not selling alcohol than she was willing to share.

 

[Steve4031]

Consistent service is a big deal. If mixed drinks are on the menu, they should constently be available. Though catering on the down easter is outsourced, stocking of food service cars is an issue system wide. I'm not surprised when I go to the snack car and items are sold out. I'm not a drinker, but if that drink was something guy was anticipating, then I could see why he was pissed. Once I was on the Lsl, ordered French toast and it was served without syrup. I asked for syrup and the guy said none was put on in the yard.

How the heck can you forget syrup. You bet I was furious. A lame excuse poured gas on the fire. And I blistered the guy without mercy. Evenn suggested that he should have gone to grocery store while the train sat in alb. I know this was unreasonable. But he was lazy. The point is that Amtrak could do better stocking trains. And an individual should not be flamed when they point out a legitimate service issue.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

The guy wanted booze and acted like it was the end of world cause he couldn't get any. Can you spell alcoholic?

 

[mercedeslove]

The guy wanted booze and acted like it was the end of world cause he couldn't get any. Can you spell alcoholic?

THIS

 

[Wayne Page]

I want to thank all of you that saw my point. As some may think it was all about the drinks, again just a lame way of looking at things. I wonder how much quicker it is to get the train ready for the next run if your not stalking the bar and cleaning up after a bunch of alcoholics at 1:30 in the morning? Just something for all us alcoholics to think about before we buy our next bussiness class tickets.

 

[Steve4031]

I wouldn't necessarily call you or anybody else an alcoholic. However, if you are putting your self in that category, then the person serving drinks may also do so. There is nothing wrong with having a mixed dring. However, overindulgence does tend to cause problems for other passengers and the crew. If the crew things you have overindulged, then they may have used one of the above excuses as a less confrontational way of not serving. you. Since I do not drink, I really do not know the protocol for this procedure. Again, I do not mean disrespect. Just an observation.