Passenger Trains > Amtrak call center outsourcer?

Does anyone know the name of the outsourcer and what city they have their call center in?

Posted from iPhone

It's  "The Worlds Most Excellent Call-In Center," of Ramalamadingdong, India.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/19 07:57 by aehouse.

Some place in Florida, and they don't get paid much. You get what you pay for. Probably best to call on a weekend when you are more unlikely to reach them. 

amtrakbill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know the name of the outsourcer and
> what city they have their call center in?
>
> Posted from iPhone

An outfit named Teleperformance, located in Florida. From an article on the closure of the Riverside (Calif.) call center--

https://www.pe.com/2018/12/09/riverside-call-center-employees-have-contributed-to-amtraks-success-for-decades-we-deserve-better/

Meanwhile, Amtrak is shifting its resources to a call center in Florida, run by a third-party company, Teleperformance. Workers employed by Teleperformance earn half what we do at Riverside and their compensation includes no benefits.

Amtrak admits they “retained a Business Process Outsourcer in Florida to meet demands for high service and to lower costs.” What Amtrak hasn’t discussed are how some of my colleagues were asked to train workers at the Florida facility — workers who will be handling the calls Amtrak claims don’t need to be handled — all the while being told this wouldn’t affect their own jobs at Amtrak.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> amtrakbill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone know the name of the outsourcer and
> > what city they have their call center in?
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> An outfit named Teleperformance, located in
> Florida. From an article on the closure of the
> Riverside (Calif.) call center--
>
> https://www.pe.com/2018/12/09/riverside-call-cente
> r-employees-have-contributed-to-amtraks-success-fo
> r-decades-we-deserve-better/
>
> Meanwhile, Amtrak is shifting its resources to a
> call center in Florida, run by a third-party
> company, Teleperformance. Workers employed by
> Teleperformance earn half what we do at Riverside
> and their compensation includes no benefits.
>
> Amtrak admits they “retained a Business Process
> Outsourcer in Florida to meet demands for high
> service and to lower costs.” What Amtrak
> hasn’t discussed are how some of my colleagues
> were asked to train workers at the Florida
> facility — workers who will be handling the
> calls Amtrak claims don’t need to be handled —
> all the while being told this wouldn’t affect
> their own jobs at Amtrak.

"Training your replacements" is often part of qualifying for severance benefits in many companies.

One of my friends was laid off when his company closed its Rockland County NY location, and moved everything to the Carolinas. Trained his replacement, got his severance, and bought a boat.

Two months later, he and a few gray beards got the call to come back as a training exec. Now making double what he made before, with a housing allowance and travel. Still trying to train the new people...

POTD!

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's  "The Worlds Most Excellent Call-In Center,"
> of Ramalamadingdong, India.

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's  "The Worlds Most Excellent Call-In Center,"
> of Ramalamadingdong, India.

Dolt! You misspelt "Centre"!

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> amtrakbill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone know the name of the outsourcer and
> > what city they have their call center in?
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> An outfit named Teleperformance, located in
> Florida. From an article on the closure of the
> Riverside (Calif.) call center--
>
> https://www.pe.com/2018/12/09/riverside-call-cente
> r-employees-have-contributed-to-amtraks-success-fo
> r-decades-we-deserve-better/
>
> Meanwhile, Amtrak is shifting its resources to a
> call center in Florida, run by a third-party
> company, Teleperformance. Workers employed by
> Teleperformance earn half what we do at Riverside
> and their compensation includes no benefits.
>
> Amtrak admits they “retained a Business Process
> Outsourcer in Florida to meet demands for high
> service and to lower costs.” What Amtrak
> hasn’t discussed are how some of my colleagues
> were asked to train workers at the Florida
> facility — workers who will be handling the
> calls Amtrak claims don’t need to be handled —
> all the while being told this wouldn’t affect
> their own jobs at Amtrak.

It can only be wished that the TWU is raising this issue legislatively along with Eastern diner issue - I understand that they are in regard to the latter.

PRSL-recall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dcmcrider Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > amtrakbill Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Does anyone know the name of the outsourcer
> and
> > > what city they have their call center in?
> > >
> > > Posted from iPhone
> >
> > An outfit named Teleperformance, located in
> > Florida. From an article on the closure of the
> > Riverside (Calif.) call center--
> >
> >
> https://www.pe.com/2018/12/09/riverside-call-cente
>
> >
> r-employees-have-contributed-to-amtraks-success-fo
>
> > r-decades-we-deserve-better/
> >
> > Meanwhile, Amtrak is shifting its resources to
> a
> > call center in Florida, run by a third-party
> > company, Teleperformance. Workers employed by
> > Teleperformance earn half what we do at
> Riverside
> > and their compensation includes no benefits.
> >
> > Amtrak admits they “retained a Business
> Process
> > Outsourcer in Florida to meet demands for high
> > service and to lower costs.” What Amtrak
> > hasn’t discussed are how some of my
> colleagues
> > were asked to train workers at the Florida
> > facility — workers who will be handling the
> > calls Amtrak claims don’t need to be handled
> —
> > all the while being told this wouldn’t affect
> > their own jobs at Amtrak.
>
> It can only be wished that the TWU is raising this
> issue legislatively along with Eastern diner issue
> - I understand that they are in regard to the
> latter.

I wish I could understand all the uproar on this issue. Amtrak is cutting its losses and operating more efficiently as they are supposed to do under their charter. I thought this was a passenger rail advocacy site, who cares who answers the phone. All of the jobs are in the US, answered by American citizens. BTW, the TWU has nothing to do with this, the union that represents call center employees is the TCU and they refused to negotiate with Amtrak, they dug their heals in and wouldn’t budge, I guess they may be one step closer to understanding that they are dealing with a businessman and not a politician, thus they lost the jobs.

another_view Wrote:

> I wish I could understand all the uproar on this
> issue. Amtrak is cutting its losses and operating
> more efficiently as they are supposed to do under
> their charter. I thought this was a passenger rail
> advocacy site, who cares who answers the phone.
> All of the jobs are in the US, answered by
> American citizens. BTW, the TWU has nothing to do
> with this, the union that represents call center
> employees is the TCU and they refused to negotiate
> with Amtrak, they dug their heals in and
> wouldn’t budge, I guess they may be one step
> closer to understanding that they are dealing with
> a businessman and not a politician, thus they lost
> the jobs.

You are the only one who says it was TCU union issue and they wouldn't budge. Got any proof ?
Race to the bottom with incompetent employees making $12/hour W2/No benes is not what I favor for any organization. We are not China. They'd be better off at Walmart. 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/19 16:53 by joemvcnj.

another_view Wrote:

>
> I wish I could understand all the uproar on this
> issue. Amtrak is cutting its losses and operating
> more efficiently as they are supposed to do under
> their charter. I thought this was a passenger rail
> advocacy site, who cares who answers the phone.
> All of the jobs are in the US, answered by
> American citizens. BTW, the TWU has nothing to do
> with this, the union that represents call center
> employees is the TCU and they refused to negotiate
> with Amtrak, they dug their heals in and
> wouldn’t budge, I guess they may be one step
> closer to understanding that they are dealing with
> a businessman and not a politician, thus they lost
> the jobs.



For some, it's not a mode of transportation, it's a hobby someone else pays for.

For many Amtrak union members, it's semi-government jobs program.

Who cares if "customer assistants" are based in expensive SoCal or inexpensive Florida. The new FL reps probably won't be any worse than Riverside's current reps.

Money saved on low-skill, low pay phone reps can go to more worthy projects.

 

Trainorders is most definitely not a passenger rail advocacy site, nor should it be.

Posted from iPhone

When calling to setup my journey to Essex, MT. I had to explain to the lady that there are only two trains in either direction daily. The train is split at Spokane, WA.  She was under the misnomer that there were four separate trains. #7, #8, #27, #28. Had to put me on hold while she confirmed what I just told her! Poor pretraining and a lack of interest in her job. Plus factor in the lack of a printed National timetable book, which can be referred to!

walstib Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Trainorders is most definitely not a passenger
> rail advocacy site, nor should it be.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Agreed.

Sometimes alternate points of view or perspectives are seen as threats.

Posted from Android

Even booking a multi-city trip anymore with Amtrak is a HUGE struggle unless you get the right agent. And no, if I am paying thousands for a bedroom, I do want some flexibility in choosing my room so I don't get room A or downstairs in a roomette, etc. Ironically this was my first year travelling in a bedroom A, largely due to an incompetent booking agent at the time. And I've been in the Superliner Trans Dorm/Sleeper on a few trips do to overbookings. The attendant in 3001 didn't realize he also had 12 roomettes to attend to in the Superliner Trans Dorm Sleeper (rooms 17 to 24 AND 1 to 4 since there's now less onboard crew!). 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> another_view Wrote:
>
> > I wish I could understand all the uproar on
> this
> > issue. Amtrak is cutting its losses and
> operating
> > more efficiently as they are supposed to do
> under
> > their charter. I thought this was a passenger
> rail
> > advocacy site, who cares who answers the phone.
> > All of the jobs are in the US, answered by
> > American citizens. BTW, the TWU has nothing to
> do
> > with this, the union that represents call
> center
> > employees is the TCU and they refused to
> negotiate
> > with Amtrak, they dug their heals in and
> > wouldn’t budge, I guess they may be one step
> > closer to understanding that they are dealing
> with
> > a businessman and not a politician, thus they
> lost
> > the jobs.
>
> You are the only one who says it was TCU union
> issue and they wouldn't budge. Got any proof ?
> Race to the bottom with incompetent employees
> making $12/hour W2/No benes is not what I favor
> for any organization. We are not China. They'd be
> better off at Walmart. 
>  

Do you have any proof about anything you rant about? $12 per hour, no benefits? The TCU tried to rally local, state, and national representatives to no avail, they put all of their eggs in one basket thinking that they were dealing with past administrations that would cave under the slightest bit of pressure. Amtrak didn’t cave and they were left with virtually nothing, even the employees that they respresent say the same thing. They are doing the same thing on F&B, instead of negotiating some rule changes they have dug in their heels again and are losing jobs as a result.

another_view Wrote:

> Do you have any proof about anything you rant
> about? $12 per hour, no benefits? The TCU tried to
> rally local, state, and national representatives
> to no avail, they put all of their eggs in one
> basket thinking that they were dealing with past
> administrations that would cave under the
> slightest bit of pressure. Amtrak didn’t cave
> and they were left with virtually nothing, even
> the employees that they respresent say the same
> thing. They are doing the same thing on F&B,
> instead of negotiating some rule changes they have
> dug in their heels again and are losing jobs as a
> result.

Post some URL's as proof.
Otherwise, as far as most of us are concerned, you are simply Gardner's mole.
End result of this is screwing the customers with poor service. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> another_view Wrote:
>
> > Do you have any proof about anything you rant
> > about? $12 per hour, no benefits? The TCU tried
> to
> > rally local, state, and national
> representatives
> > to no avail, they put all of their eggs in one
> > basket thinking that they were dealing with
> past
> > administrations that would cave under the
> > slightest bit of pressure. Amtrak didn’t cave
> > and they were left with virtually nothing, even
> > the employees that they respresent say the same
> > thing. They are doing the same thing on F&B,
> > instead of negotiating some rule changes they
> have
> > dug in their heels again and are losing jobs as
> a
> > result.
>
> Post some URL's as proof.
> Otherwise, as far as most of us are concerned, you
> are simply Gardner's mole.
> End result of this is screwing the customers with
> poor service. 

In other words, you’ve got nothing!

Others have said the exact same thing as me. I don't make things up.

You speak of authority about Amtrak's internal doings, such as labor negotiations, but never provide proof. You also said Riverside employees are incompetent. Do you have access to their HR Performance Reviews ?

Either you are a top management mole placed here to control social media and shut down decent or you are a management worshipping style foamer. In any case, a union basher.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/19 03:15 by joemvcnj.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even booking a multi-city trip anymore with Amtrak
> is a HUGE struggle unless you get the right agent.
> And no, if I am paying thousands for a bedroom, I
> do want some flexibility in choosing my room so I
> don't get room A or downstairs in a roomette, etc.
> Ironically this was my first year travelling in a
> bedroom A, largely due to an incompetent booking
> agent at the time. And I've been in the Superliner
> Trans Dorm/Sleeper on a few trips do to
> overbookings. The attendant in 3001 didn't realize
> he also had 12 roomettes to attend to in the
> Superliner Trans Dorm Sleeper (rooms 17 to 24 AND
> 1 to 4 since there's now less onboard crew!). 




When I get a low-IQ and/or mumble-mouthed "customer service" rep (which is becoming the norm in recent years), I ask /axe to speak to someone else, or just hang up and call again.  Saves time and aggravation

This goes for all phone reps, not just Amtrak.

I'd rather deal with a 100 IQ Indian national than an 80 IQ American who obviously doesn't care.