Passenger Trains > Your complaint / suggestion letters do matter...

There's an article in today's Washington Post about the increasing importance of complaint etc letters to hotels and travel companies. They're apparently using the information to resolve issues quickly, avoid tweets from widely followed people, etc. By fixing something quickly, they avoid the risk of a big problem farther down the road. By rewarding an employee, they encourage others to follow the same course.

In some companies, a sample of letters goes to the president. In others, the local managers or franchise owners are graded in part on their letters.

A few weeks ago, I asked Amtrak why their dining cars are so inconsistent in remaining open when trains are very late. Specifically the AutoTrain.  Close three hours before arrival, etc,  Nice letter back, and confirmation there is a policy. The dining car should remain open for breakfast / coffee when possible, if the train is running late. I was told that all their crew chiefs would be reminded to keep the diner open when trains are running late.  Since then, I've heard from three different people that their AutoTrain diners remained open until shortly before arrival in Sanford. (Snowbirds are arriving in Florida and many take the Auto-Tran.)

Good job, good customer service,

I remember your thread about communicating with Amtrak regarding your experiences onboard the Auto Train, and there seemed to have been follow ups, and a strong hint that your specific comments made a difference.

In the hospitality industry, there's one company that seems to handle almost all the Internet-based customer feedbacks and I find that very interesting. Technology sometimes promotes needless competition regarding "architectures" and platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, etc.), but it seems everyone in the hotel industry is using the same software/service. Universal standard is a good thing when solving problem is the focus. Wonder how easy it would be for Amtrak to use their services.

I won't mention the company's name yet, but most people on TO should be familiar with the service, if they have been asked to do surveys regarding their hotel stays.

I also remember a snide comment in the thread that claimed your feedback made absolutely no difference. One day, maybe this company will conduct a survey on CA HSR, and we might be able to kill the project based on what "customers (voters)" truly feel - CA HSR = "strongly dissatisfied." :-)

Thanks.  I suspect one legacy of Wick Moorman's changes will be an effort to retain and recapture business.  Fewer of the "never again" and more of the repeat passenger business. One way to get that is to not p*** off customers with dumb practices. Finding and fixing practices which irritate passenngers will go a long way toward making that happen.

Hotels are in an extremely exposed position. You could just as easily choose an Embassy Suites as a Hampton Inn or Hilton Garden, usually for the same cost. So, Hampton offers warm cookies, etc in the evening. A tiny factor that's tipped me toward them a few times.  I'd love to see Amtrak offer warm cookies in the evening. Even if they're Otis Spunkenmeyer cookies from the tube.

I figure with Amtrak they need to hear the good and bad. I called them this week to do just that. I will say that food quality has went down again at least on the City of New Orleans.
Joe

The Coast Starlight had hot cookies for a few years.  Asume not now.

mundo Wrote:
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> The Coast Starlight had hot cookies for a few
> years.  Asume not now.

Gone are the cookies. They've been gone for a number of years now. They also were on other long distance trains too, but the Starlight was one of the hold outs!

Trainatic Wrote:
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> I figure with Amtrak they need to hear the good
> and bad. I called them this week to do just that.
> I will say that food quality has went down again
> at least on the City of New Orleans.
> Joe

I will second that food quality decreasing on the City of New Orleans. It was the worst food I've had on Amtrak in 20+ years of riding them. I never heard back about my complaint about the food or the lack of care from the crew. I also complimented specific crew members on other trains and didn't hear back about them either. Oh well....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/17 13:37 by Genesis803.

That's good to know Lackawanna, as my wife & I will be taking the Auto Train south at the end of January.  Too many crazies on I 95 these days for old [snow] birds like me!