FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Really, does Amtrak always suck so badly?
Old Apr 24, 2011, 11:10 am
  #20  
GoingAway
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Join Date: Jan 2002
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I gotta say that I thought BobKinkaid did hit it on the head. Amtrak is nothing more than a dysfunctional organization and to think otherwise is a mistake. Really good experiences are limited, and taciturn, poor customer service facing staff are more frequent than not. This is at all levels of customer service from the ticket counter, to the lounge folks to the red caps and on board staff. (I would say the worst has been the regional dining car staff and selected conductors at the bottom of the pile)

I travel the NE corridor, mostly on Acela but with regional trains thrown in. They are some of the worse "professionals" I've dealt with. Are they all bad? No, absolutely not. Some of the conductors have been stellar, as well as some of the First class staff. That said, I've also experienced more poor attitude, poor mannerisms, poor communication skills, downright hostility and more entitlement than I have ever experienced or would expect to experience on public transportation anywhere in the world. The ownership of the table space in the dining car, even when the train is overfull is ridiculous and reeks of a "me first" attitude and you're scum so squeeze somewhere (we had people standing and others on the floor and the guy would still not let someone sit on the other side of the 4 top while he was out walking around). The employee equivalent to airline non-rev travel has stench of entitlement that is overwhelming at times. Again, not always but it is definitely present, esp visible on crowded trains.

If you have had positive experiences, that is truly wonderful but it is not the norm within this organization. I go in thinking the worse, so I'm pleasantly surprised when I do have good experiences, and thrilled when they are great.
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