Passenger Trains > 58 (4) at KKI with Amfleet Cafe

Northbound City of New Orleans stops at Kankakee Wednesday morning with the Superliners supplemented with an Amfleet cafe car.  There was a Viewliner baggage at the end.

My friend who shot this specifically mentioned how rude the conductor or trainman dealing with passengers was, yelling at them to board, etc.  Enough that she asked a detraining passenger if he was like that aboard as well and the passenger affirmed.  (This crew gets on in Carbondale I believe).  Doesn't Amtrak have secret shoppers (passengers)?  Some people should not be in positions that involve dealing with customers.

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Per the Amtrak website, here are the amenities available at the Kankakee station:

• Payphones
• Accessible platform 
• Accessible restrooms
• No accessible ticket office
• Accessible waiting room
• No accessible water fountain
• Same-day, accessible parking is available  Amtrak cannot guarantee that a parking space will be available at the time of your trip.
• Overnight, accessible parking is available  Amtrak cannot guarantee that a parking space will be available at the time of your trip.
• No high platform
• No wheelchair
• For passengers who cannot walk far or at all, we offer a wheelchair to help move around within the station.

Wheelchair lift available

• Amtrak Express shipping not available
• No checked baggage service
• No checked baggage storage
• Bike boxes not available The number of bike boxes available in the station is limited. For assistance, call us at 1-800-USA-RAIL.
• No baggage carts
• Ski bags not available
• No bag storage Baggage storage is an area where passengers may store their bags, equivalent to "left luggage" in Europe. A storage fee may apply.
• Shipping boxes not available
• No baggage assistance

So it sounds like little better than a city bus stop.
No one from Amtrak around to give any directions or plan for boarding.
Can't assume everyone boarding is an experienced Amtrak customer.
All the makings for a daily S*** Show with passengers milling about intermingled with
well wishers and assorted hangers on.  Nobody knowing which way to turn when the train
stops.

Can't blame the crews if their BS overload relay kicks occasionally.

What you described sounds like the majority of stations, not an exception.

As with any business, a portion of the customers will be first timers.  So easy to convert some of them into "never again."  As well as some who had ridden before and made up their mind this was the last time.  Putting one's bad day aside is part of doing any job facing customers.  Having a job is earned, not a right.

filmteknik Wrote:
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>  Having a job is earned, not a right.
==============================

Make that "SHOULD BE," but at Amtrak...

Englewood, where on the Amtrak web site are the station profiles now.?   Have not found them for some time.

Keep in mind that the station profiles may no longer be keeped up, so could be way out of date.  It takes staff time that I am sure is now gone. They are an inportant feature to have not only for the public to go direct too, but for Amtrak reservation-station staff to use for referance.  Yes back I advised on lots of errors/changes.

The lovely station at KKI seems to have been adapted to other uses. There is a small waiting room at the SW corner which is on some sort of timer controlled lock.

Here’s an idea. Carve out a nice apartment in the station. Give it rent free to someone who (or an adult member of their household) who will staff it for each train. Just minimal training. Sort of a concierge more than agent.

mundo Wrote:
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> Englewood, where on the Amtrak web site are the
> station profiles now.?   Have not found them for
> some time.

I searched google for "Amtrak Kankakee".
It was the 3rd or 4th result.  It takes you
to somewhere on the Amtrak website.