The awful experience of being on hold with Amtrak

[Barb Stout]

The worst case I have heard of so far is a co-worker in the department of biology at the Univ of New Mexico who was on hold with a company for about 6 hours back in 2007 or so. The co-worker was in charge of a number of complex instruments and was trying to get one of the companies with whom we had a service contract to help him with one of those instruments that had gone down. He said such long hold times were typical and didn't seem to be bothered (much) by it. Personally, I would have been enraged, but not him. He put the phone on speakerphone and was doing other things. Fortunately, he had his own office unlike most of his co-workers, but he couldn't leave his office when on hold. I guess he had great bladder control or maybe he elicited someone else to monitor the phone when he had to use the bathroom.

 

[5280 Guy]

I'm with you on the exaggerated messaging and other eyerolling gibberish. It seems like every business has "recently updated our options" even if the last change was many years ago. I also agree with the need for time estimates and call-back options which were previously employed and will presumably return. Hopefully some of the funding earmarked for Amtrak will help hire more staff and reduce inbound traffic by improving the functionality of Amtrak's website and mobile apps. Calling just to choose or change compartments is absurd in 2021.

Good point. The old trite "our menu options have changed" nonsense really grinds my gears. I have mentioned that before on other forums. As far as Amtrak fixing these problems, I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Palmland]

As some have pointed out, Amtrak is offering this and has been for at least a year as far as I know.

Thanks, are they doing this for all calls or just if you go they AGR? To be effective, they need to give you an approximate call back time and stick to it.

That seems to work well with my airline calls and other business calls. I suspect Amtrak is not as reliable but certainly worth a try.

 

[willem]

[...] I was in need of immediate surgical intervention for a detaching retina. [...]

Hopefully your surgery went well and your eyes are OK![...]

Echoing Bob Dylan, I hope you got your surgery soon enough and it went well.

 

[pennyk]

Thanks, are they doing this for all calls or just if you go they AGR? To be effective, they need to give you an approximate call back time and stick to it.

The call for which I received a call back was to the general number (not AGR). I do not recall if they provided me with an approximate time. I know it was that same evening and I know it was a bit later than I had hoped.

 

[west point]

Wonder how long it would take to restore the California call center? Those agents probably had much more experience with LD trains. Just how many would return? Amtrak might be able to set up to work from home for some previous agents especially for part time. Oh, wait it is Amtrak dragging its feet.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Several months ago I was given the option of a callback from AGR, so I opted for it. Problem is, NEVER answer my phone if I do not recognize the number and I missed the callback because Amtrak was not IDed and the number on the caller ID was different than their number I called in on.

 

[flitcraft]

Hopefully your surgery went well and your eyes are OK!( I had Emergency Surgery for a Detached Retina in Chicago while on an Amtrak trip, and 2 Cataract Surgeries. I am fortunate to still be able to still see.)

Wow...I can't imagine needing emergency eye surgery while on an Amtrak trip! It was scary enough as it is. I ended up needing three rounds of surgery because during the pandemic they were trying not to do overnight procedures if possible. This was before vaccines. Later on I had the more invasive surgery, which seems to have worked out. Fingers crossed, as always!

 

[me_little_me]

To me the worst part about calling Amtrak is that I have to call them to do things that could be done with a decent reservation system. They remind me of the companies that constantly prompt one while on hold to use the reservation system which doesn't do what I need.

Some issues with online reservations that I have personally encountered (I can only remember a few of many):

I can't get rooms across from one another - not specific rooms like 5 and 6 but two paired rooms anywhere in the sleepers.

• I can't search multiple days online but I can easily ask an agent to check alternative dates. Worse, even at slow typing speeds, Amtrak still blocks multiple searches by force delaying the user.
• I can't do one leg with points then another with $$ at the same time. With an agent, if they do the points leg then can't do the cash leg, you can immediately tell them it won't work and change to an alternative.
• If there is only "one room at that price" online, you can't select two rooms paying more for the second one. It simply grays out the option.
• You can't book kosher meals without calling.
• You can't book or even find the price of "deluxe bedrooms" (two attached bedrooms) online.
• If you want a BR or Family room or Handicapped room and none is available, online does not offer another day when one is available but one can ask an agent on the phone. I can talk and they can type faster than I can type.
• Having more than two in a bedroom for daytime travel.
• Booking an "Open Sleeper" ticket"
• How do I get from city X to city Y which doesn't show a connection because Amtrak never added those two pairs to the system?

And lets not forget about the things not even available by phone but for which people will call because they can't find that info online like:

• How can I have our party be seated together in coach because we have small kids with us?
• Where do I stand in the station for sleepers or where for coach?
• Is the parking free or paid during daytime/overnight at station X? How many spots are there at that station?
• Is station Y or its platform under construction and if so, will that affect dropping off, accessing or parking at that station when I travel?
• How many designated Handicapped parking spots are there?
• How will Amtrak help me board/deboard at station X since it doesn't have a lift for my wheelchair?

Every one of these puts an extra burden on the already-overburdened staff and the phone system but Amtrak makes no attempt whatsoever to make their website any better. So it's not just the wait, but the unnecessary (because of Amtrak failures) wait and the delay it adds to others because my call had to be handled only by an agent.

 

[daybeers]

Several months ago I was given the option of a callback from AGR, so I opted for it. Problem is, NEVER answer my phone if I do not recognize the number and I missed the callback because Amtrak was not IDed and the number on the caller ID was different than their number I called in on.

I remidied this by saving the callback # 610-387-2289 under "callback" instead of "main" under the Amtrak contact in my phone. I never call it, but it's there so I know it's not some random # from PA calling. I have another contact with the AGR #.

Great list me_little_me.

 

[Ziv]

The worst part about holding is the rank hypocrisy of the "We value your business!" part of the hold message. If they valued my business they would staff appropriately and reduce the wait times from interminable to a relatively short amount of time. Staffing is a huge expense, but staffing poorly is a business killing mistake. I expect to hold, I just expect that a well run business will keep the hold times to a moderate length.

They take it to a new level of suckage. Call them at 800-872-7245 and you'll be greeted with their silly and long-winded Covid announcements. Then, be prepared to wait. How long? No way to tell because there is no hold queue announcements. You'll get stuck with stale music and the endless repetition of boring announcements. One lady's voice is particularly icepick-to-the ear - really shrill and annoying. She tries to sound hip by saying "between NYC and Washington, D.C." Big fail. In between you'll hear that your call is important to them. Yeah, just not important enough to bother to answer. You might think that some executive there would hear the hold system and fix it, but of course that never happens. And the new CEO won't make any difference. Taxpayers will be showering them with more money but we will see the same incompetence.

 

[Old MM]

Have not had to use the customer service number for a while now, sounds like the wait times have gotten worse with reduced staffing... I truly don't mind waiting if not in a hurry and they used to have rather pleasant hold music. Can't stand the current business trend of that jarring interruption with the same recorded messages over and over.

 

[SarahZ]

One time I argued back and forth about a special - I almost gave up .... then the agent said “oh I see it now” AMTRAK PLEASE GET BETTER PHONE BOOKING AGENTS.... or train them better!!!

I'm a contact center supervisor. I feel the need to address this.

In order to get hold times down, new agents need to be hired.

Those new agents have to go through training.

Learning a new computer system, phone system, and all of the various policies takes time. You don't just magically learn that overnight. Our new CSRs aren't fully comfortable until at least six months after hire, and even then they still ask me questions every day.

I know it's frustrating, especially after being on hold for so long. The agents are not doing it on purpose. They are trying their best in the middle of a pandemic when everyone's stress level is sky-high. We often have days when we are only staffed 50% because of all of the various Covid quarantines and restrictions. We can't just fill those seats overnight, especially when those people are coming back to their jobs after their quarantine ends. We simply have to make do with the staff we have that particular day.

It's hard for us, and it's hard for the customers. WE GET THAT. We feel terrible. We don't want you to wait and get angry while waiting. When I put off eating and using the restroom because our hold times are over ten minutes and we can't get the queue down quickly enough, it is demoralizing and insulting to hear, "Well, FINALLY. I was wondering if anyone actually worked there."

Just a bit of perspective from someone on the other end of the phone.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

The worst part about holding is the rank hypocrisy of the "We value your business!" part of the hold message. If they valued my business they would staff appropriately and reduce the wait times from interminable to a relatively short amount of time. Staffing is a huge expense, but staffing poorly is a business killing mistake.

Has anyone else noticed that the one place you can usually get right through is to a chain hotel front desk? Whenever I call a hotel, I press “0” to cut through the options mentioned, then usually get through to the front desk in less than a minute.

I assume this is because hotels are one of the few places that do value your business since they figure you might be calling to book a room for that night that they’d lose money on if they kept you on hold til you hung up?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I'm a contact center supervisor. I feel the need to address this.

I know it's frustrating, especially after being on hold for so long. The agents are not doing it on purpose. They are trying their best in the middle of a pandemic when everyone's stress level is sky-high. We often have days when we are only staffed 50% because of all of the various Covid quarantines and restrictions. We can't just fill those seats overnight, especially when those people are coming back to their jobs after their quarantine ends. We simply have to make do with the staff we have that particular day.

It's hard for us, and it's hard for the customers. WE GET THAT. We feel terrible. We don't want you to wait and get angry while waiting. When I put off eating and using the restroom because our hold times are over ten minutes and we can't get the queue down quickly enough, it is demoralizing and insulting to hear, "Well, FINALLY. I was wondering if anyone actually worked there."

Just a bit of perspective from someone on the other end of the phone.

Sarah,

I posted my message above before I saw yours. I apologize for sounding flippant or cynical and for not thinking of things from the perspective of people at call centers.

Patty

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Has anyone else noticed that the one place you can usually get right through is to a chain hotel front desk? Whenever I call a hotel, I press “0” to cut through the options mentioned, then usually get through to the front desk in less than a minute.

I assume this is because hotels are one of the few places that do value your business since they figure you might be calling to book a room for that night that they’d lose money on if they kept you on hold til you hung up?

How many people are manning the phones for the front desk? How many people are calling that front desk from around the country at the same time?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

How many people are manning the phones for the front desk? How many people are calling that front desk from around the country at the same time?

Good points, Betty. I hadn’t thought of the difference in volume—only that it is to a hotel’s benefit to answer the phone promptly so the caller doesn’t hang up and book with another chain.

 

[flitcraft]

Sarah Z, thanks for telling us your side of the situation. The problem is not you or the folks you supervise, the problem is that Amtrak, for reasons, has not been able to maintain and adequately train its customer service staff. The problem is compounded by the fact that nearly all customer service phone experiences are frustrating nowadays, being on hold way too long, and then having answering staff that cannot give the customer the answers they need. Because of that, people have shorter fuses than they would if a particular call were just a one-off. I call it 'phone rage,' and I have felt it myself.

It's a classic 'shoot the messenger' situation--we have no way to be heard by the decision-makers, so the poor line employee bears the brunt of it, unfairly. I've seen it when a flight is cancelled and people take out their understandable frustration on ticketing and gate agents--who often cannot do anything to fix the situation. It takes a toll, I'm sure, and as a result, people are more likely to quit than to stick around long enough to have the experience needed to know what can be done and what can't be.

 

[Tlcooper44]

I'm a contact center supervisor. I feel the need to address this.

In order to get hold times down, new agents need to be hired.

Those new agents have to go through training.

Learning a new computer system, phone system, and all of the various policies takes time. You don't just magically learn that overnight. Our new CSRs aren't fully comfortable until at least six months after hire, and even then they still ask me questions every day.

I know it's frustrating, especially after being on hold for so long. The agents are not doing it on purpose. They are trying their best in the middle of a pandemic when everyone's stress level is sky-high. We often have days when we are only staffed 50% because of all of the various Covid quarantines and restrictions. We can't just fill those seats overnight, especially when those people are coming back to their jobs after their quarantine ends. We simply have to make do with the staff we have that particular day.

It's hard for us, and it's hard for the customers. WE GET THAT. We feel terrible. We don't want you to wait and get angry while waiting. When I put off eating and using the restroom because our hold times are over ten minutes and we can't get the queue down quickly enough, it is demoralizing and insulting to hear, "Well, FINALLY. I was wondering if anyone actually worked there."

Just a bit of perspective from someone on the other end of the phone.

thank you for saying this. I will certainly try my best to remember this in all of my phone customer service interactions (I’m sure this isn’t unique to Amtrak).

 

[5280 Guy]

I wonder how much it would cost to just fix the awful recorded greeting you have to tolerate when calling Amtrak and adding an estimated hold time system so that you at least have some idea how long you'll be stuck on hold. The depressing and old music, the endlessly repeated self-serving announcements, and the screechy, awful voice of the "NYC to Washington, DC" lady give Amtrak and even worse image. Okay, they are short-staffed, but apparently there are ways to make a bad situation even worse.

 

[joelkfla]

I'm a contact center supervisor. I feel the need to address this.

In order to get hold times down, new agents need to be hired.

Those new agents have to go through training.

Learning a new computer system, phone system, and all of the various policies takes time. You don't just magically learn that overnight. Our new CSRs aren't fully comfortable until at least six months after hire, and even then they still ask me questions every day.

I know it's frustrating, especially after being on hold for so long. The agents are not doing it on purpose. They are trying their best in the middle of a pandemic when everyone's stress level is sky-high. We often have days when we are only staffed 50% because of all of the various Covid quarantines and restrictions. We can't just fill those seats overnight, especially when those people are coming back to their jobs after their quarantine ends. We simply have to make do with the staff we have that particular day.

It's hard for us, and it's hard for the customers. WE GET THAT. We feel terrible. We don't want you to wait and get angry while waiting. When I put off eating and using the restroom because our hold times are over ten minutes and we can't get the queue down quickly enough, it is demoralizing and insulting to hear, "Well, FINALLY. I was wondering if anyone actually worked there."

Just a bit of perspective from someone on the other end of the phone.

It's not just the wait that's the problem; it's the incessant repeated adverts and banalities. Just give an estimated wait time, play the music, and maybe update the wait time every 5 minutes or so.

If it's just music playing, I can let it run in the background and focus on it when I hear a voice. With the constant repeated nonsense, I can't tune it out because then I might miss it when somebody actually does pick up.

And please, get a music loop that's longer than 5 minutes! Even better, play a Muzak service like Sirius-XM.

 

[amtrakpass]

Wait times are definitely way up to speak to an agent. I ran into something a few times recently where the app would not let me modify an existing ticket relatively close to departure time and said I needed to call. Then the wait time was said to be over an hour(way past the departure time). In that case I logged into the desktop version of the site via mobile and it let modify that way. A second time a similar change was needed and the phone wait times were over an hour, but in this case I happened to be onboard a different train and spoke to a conductor. He was able to get through by phone to an agent immediately and get it changed. Anyway I do hope they hire enough people to make the wait times less severe or at least change the app where it lets you modify the trip accordingly the same as the desktop version.

 

[west point]

Sarah Z: any chance some persons have not returned could work from home? That way they could fill in part time and maybe work when wait time increase?

 

[me_little_me]

I'm a contact center supervisor. I feel the need to address this.

In order to get hold times down, new agents need to be hired.

Those new agents have to go through training.

Learning a new computer system, phone system, and all of the various policies takes time. You don't just magically learn that overnight. Our new CSRs aren't fully comfortable until at least six months after hire, and even then they still ask me questions every day.

I know it's frustrating, especially after being on hold for so long. The agents are not doing it on purpose. They are trying their best in the middle of a pandemic when everyone's stress level is sky-high. We often have days when we are only staffed 50% because of all of the various Covid quarantines and restrictions. We can't just fill those seats overnight, especially when those people are coming back to their jobs after their quarantine ends. We simply have to make do with the staff we have that particular day.

It's hard for us, and it's hard for the customers. WE GET THAT. We feel terrible. We don't want you to wait and get angry while waiting. When I put off eating and using the restroom because our hold times are over ten minutes and we can't get the queue down quickly enough, it is demoralizing and insulting to hear, "Well, FINALLY. I was wondering if anyone actually worked there."

Just a bit of perspective from someone on the other end of the phone.

I see few people blaming the agents. I, for one, always thank them because, in spite of the fact that some don't know the process, they all try and be helpful. In fact, I have tried to use the Amtrak form for sending a compliment but it really doesn't work for phone agents. Try it yourself sometime.

The problem i NOT the agents. It is NOT their fault there are so few of them and so many people are calling. It is the unconditional fault of Amtrak management that has allowed a terrible Web site and a terrible system to continue dumping even more work on the staff.


See: To me the worst part about calling Amtrak

Tel me, how many times has upper level management sat down with the phone agents and asked them what the executives can do to reduce their call volume? Who decided to dump the extra work on them, as I pointed out, on them by not fixing the system? Why aren't the agents given the correct current information so I get an email telling me that Traditional Dining is indeed back on the same day that Amtrak announces it was delayed again (as happened back in May)?

Unfortunately, like most companies that provide poor service, it is often not the fault of the front line workers who take the brunt of the anger, but the managers hiding behind them that refuse to accept a transfer of calls because they can't justify what they are (not) doing and don't want to own up to the failures they created so they demand the agents accept the heat then wonder why employees quit such "wonderful" jobs.

How many calls has Garner or Flynn (or their minions) taken at the call center to see what the agents have to go through? How many LD trips have they taken and flex meals eaten? Amtrak is terrible not because their hard working employees are or inconsistent because their employees sometimes make up their own rules and, on rare occasions, don't do their jobs. Amtrak is terrible because their management is terrible and DOES NOT CARE.

I call and wait forever on the if necessary phone because I know that there are good agents that know what they are doing, that care for me as a customer, and who want to do the best job they can and because in so many cases, it is the only way to be able to make my reservations. I'm not happy with the wait but have found that calling as soon as Customer Support is open or as late as possible before they close, the wait is shorter and the agents have the time and are not overwhelmed.

 

[west point]

When I became a supervisor / instructor my supervisor come to me often, He would joke to me about all mu mistakes but always asked what problems I was having. Result was we together identified some problems all were having and were able to solve them. Result I was promoted to his position when he moved up.