posted
Can these complaints be true? Over the past few years, my wife and I have really enjoyed train travel and hope to continue to do so. But after spending the last hour reading these horror stories, I wonder if these folks are riding the same AMTRAK. Check out this link . . . http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/amtrak.html
Joe
Posts: 85 | From: Finger Lakes Region of NY | Registered: Jun 2008
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I've had both good and bad experiences with Amtrak and I'll say that most trips go without a hitch, but when Amtrak drops the ball--they really drop the ball. If the train ain't comin', they lock the doors and you're stuck without any information or assistance.
I'm currently working through a situation where a reservations agent in Seattle gave me some incorrect information about tickets I purchased for myself and 2 employees to attend a convention in Portland. We ended up driving instead of taking the train and getting refunds for the tickets is a total flippin' nightmare. I sent an email to customer relations and got automated responses, so after a week I decided to try calling the reservations department. It took nearly 60 minutes of holding before I was able to speak to a live person that could deal with my problem and it took another 30 minutes of talking with the agent before we could get the issue settled. I'm supposed to get a full refund but the process is so unbelievably complicated that I'm just going to exchange the tickets at King Street Station and forfeit the 10% cancellation fee. It wouldn't be worth the time to jump through the hoops to get a full refund.
There isn't much Amtrak can do about the weather and mechanical breakdowns, but they can train their employees to step up to those situations with information, empathy and a willingness to provide service.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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No doubt most of these stories are mostly true. Nobody could individually make all of that up (and I only read a few random passages).
But like all horror stories, no doubt many have been embellished or just remembered wrongly.
Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Think of the mentioned site as an overblown/ negative Trip Advisor.
Mostly BS from people who fall for the come on that "According to the organization's site, it works in association with lawyers." Some of these people see $$$$$ in their future.
Think "nuisance lawsuits". Sort of the equivalent of the Retail "fall" lawsuit that always occurs in an aisle where no one witnesses the "fall".
Geoff is kind when he suggests that many stories have been "embellished". Much of it is really "facts" that are hard to prove if indeed there is any truth in the claims.
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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Just came home from my Amtrak nightmare yesterday... didn't make my train due to inept rude Amtrak employees at Penn Station. Due to back issues, couldn't get my luggage (and I pack light) down the steep stairs. The agent told me I'd need to take two elevators to get downstairs (no direction where to find these elevators). When I asked her if I'd then make the train I was told "The longer you stand here talking to me about it, the longer I can't let these people down the the stairs" Upon finally locating an elevator.. that for all purposes seems broken, another agent could only repeatetively say "Well it was working earlier" rather then letting me know if it was NOW working (with no discernable movement visible through the clear glass window in it, and nothing lighting up outside of it) OR how to alternately get the train if the elevator hadn't been working... which it was obviously too difficult for her to try to determine. . Then, while trying to rush down the stairs, at the last moment I hurt my already bad back, my friend lost her luggage which fell and was damaged. I literally stood on the stairwell screaming at the top of my lungs "someone help us, help us, WE NEED HELP" and no one blinked an eyelash. We stood there stunned at the train let without us, while we were on the lower end of the stairs. I made it back up to the ticketing windown, in the midst of the first panic attack of my life, gasping, wheezing, knocking on the window, gasping "I need help" only to be told to get to the back of the line. When I collapsed on the floor, because my legs would no longer hold me due to my back, I was completely ignored for at least 10 minutes, until they send someone to see if I needed something. I am an RN, and if it has been something more serious, such as if I had been choking, having a major asthma attack, or a heart attack, I was ignored long enough to actually die. And today I am in agony after finally getting my back half decent after 2 epidural steroid injections and 10 chiropracter visits in the last 2 months. So, now I am back worse than I was 2 months ago, can't get another injection for months, and have only 2 chiropracter visits left approved in my health insurance for the year.
This is neither exagerated or embellished in anyway, and in fact, I've left out MUCH of the rudeness. I put in an email compaint..and got an automated response that they reply 7 days a week, from 8 am to 11pm. More than 24 hours later, no response... so either they aren't going to, or they get a heck of a lot of complaints. I just filed and ethic complaint against them. I have never been so disgruntled with a traveling experience in my life, and the sheer callousness, indifference, and lack of human compassion I was treated with is truely negligent. If I don't get a response in 24 hours I will go to the better business bureau. After that, since they are associated with the federal government, I will start talking to my congressmen/reps as to whom it is I am to get ahold of.
After talking to a collegue, who had a daughter in college in NYC, I found out she has had similar experiences in Penn Station.. and quite frankly.. I am not interested in getting any one (or 3 employees) in trouble or suing anyone.. but I am interested in getting this problem fixed so that the next time someone else doesn't end up hurt due to not being able to access a train due to employees who act like they only have 1/10 of the brain God gave them.
Sad thing... I was planning a 45 anniversary trip for my parents from Lancaster to Boston, as my mother won't fly.. but there is no way I'd subject them to what I just went through.
Posts: 3 | From: Hanover, PA | Registered: Jun 2011
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Well, welcome to Rail Forum Terri. Sounds like a bad day at Penn Station.
I was lucky enough to have a great day there in April, found the staff most helpful. Due to our own limitations with baggage we used a redcap who was marvelous. He even took us to our train via a working elevator.
I would suggest that you put your story into writing and send it to customer service at Amtrak.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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I do have to agree with Terri about the quality of some of the agents at Penn Station, even in Acela Lounge. The first agent was very helpful, noted we would need a Redcap, took full details. She was replaced by an agent who was completely indifferent, told us SHE would tell us when we needed to make a move, which she didn't. Presumably our Redcap was hijacked by another family and I had to seek help after the train had been announced as arrived. An extremely helpful Redcap managed to get us boarded on time because he used a few short-cuts. Again last year going directly to a Redcap paid dividends. He had us on our Regional train to Washington D.C. before there was any press of passengers. Our experience of on-train staff has been mostly very positive, with only one slightly indifferent female room-attendant. I did make a formal complaint about the agent in the Acela Lounge and received a personal reply, but it appears as if little has changed. Mind you the same thing happened in Montreal with inaccurate information being provided by Via's waiting room staff.
Posts: 168 | From: uk. northumberland | Registered: Jun 2007
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Don't bother waiting for Amtrak to respond to your email, they won't. You will have to call the reservations number, explain your situation and wait to be transferred to another desk. Don't call on Monday, they'll be swamped with complaints from the weekend. Wait until midweek to call.
There's no law against rudeness, but there are rules regarding ADA accessibility that Penn Station may have violated (number of usable elevators, signage directing people to accessible routes, etc.). Good luck.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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What Vincent 206 said. I would definitely proceed using the provisions of the ADA, if I qualified. It is absolutely horrible how the provisions of that law are violated in Florida, but one would think Amtrak, being a federal entity, would be held to a higher standard.
I would also contact my "congress-critter" as soon as possible, assuming, of course, that you don't get a rapid and fully satisfactory reply from Amtrak.
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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Next time in Penn Station go for a redcap. They somehow can get around the place. As for the emails. I would just call, and I hate to call. I know they don't reply to emails, except the media department. They do a fairly good job.
Posts: 465 | From: elgin (s-line) | Registered: Dec 2008
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Hi all... well, I finally did get a call back from Amtrak's customer relations... so I called back with my case number and was on hold for 23 minutes for them to tell me that they had recieved my complaint. I asked what the next step was.. was I to follow up in a few days, or what and I was told "oh no, this will be sent to management at Penn Station, and sometimes you will get a call"
I canNOT believe it. The fact that they recieved the complaint could have been left on my answering machine rather than letting me on hold for 23 minutes to find that out.
Now, I have to determine the next step... and the only thing I really want them to do is lable the darn elevators and teach their staff to use their heads. I do want this to NOT happen to the next person. I have been completely miserable since this happened with back pain.
Had I any idea that such a thing as a red cap existed, I would have definately used them.
If I EVER decide to ride on Amtrak again (which is getting more doubtful) I will definately be contacting each station well in advance and getting all the information I can about physically getting to trains.
Posts: 3 | From: Hanover, PA | Registered: Jun 2011
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But the good news is that this story had produced gales of laughter from my coworkers and family, who can't even picture me in the situation where I am screaming for help on the stairs or having a panic attack... as one commented "you are one of the most level headed people I know". There is always a silver lining to every cloud.
Terri
Posts: 3 | From: Hanover, PA | Registered: Jun 2011
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