Phone Agent Training - S+ Coupons
Dec 13, 2014, 10:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,392
Phone Agent Training - S+ Coupons
A dozen or more times per year, I phone the S+ number to have an upgrade coupon (formerly paper, now electronic) applied to an existing ticket at the appropriate window. The vast majority of the time, the phone agent doesn't know it has to be "manually priced" to preserve the original fare, nor how to do it, and it take quite a while to get it done. This evening, it took 25 minutes for the agent to get it to work, including two calls to the "support desk." She told me she has never been well-trained on this.
When I have a coupon applied at a Club Acela, it takes just seconds - as they do this many times each day.
Could our friendly Amtrak AGR Insider please see if the phone agents can be better trained? Thank you!
When I have a coupon applied at a Club Acela, it takes just seconds - as they do this many times each day.
Could our friendly Amtrak AGR Insider please see if the phone agents can be better trained? Thank you!
Dec 15, 2014, 5:43 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: Amtrak Select Plus, Marriott Platinum, Marriott Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,123
It's actually much better than it used to be, IME. I had no problems using my 2014 coupons. Of course, it would best if we could apply them online ourselves.
Dec 15, 2014, 11:05 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
So, we're trading one downside for another. When we had the paper UG certs, the agents at the windows won't do it. I gave one to a friend, and the agent said no because he had a saver fare, which was a discounted fare, and therefore, the UG could not be applied (I posted about it here, where AGR Insider confirmed that the agent was incorrect). I called it in ahead of time for him and the phone agent didn't have a problem setting it up (the phone agent can set it up, and all that was needed was to surrender the coupon at a ticket window to finalize it)
Dec 17, 2014, 1:45 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
Oh, that's nothing...I had the opposite sort of issue for a while: A couple of years ago I had a string of cases where agents off of the NEC didn't know what to do with the coupons. I'd phone in the upgrade to limit station agent issues (I'd usually be grabbing the 0500 Acela out of Washington and I didn't want to have to stop by a ticket desk in case traffic was slow), but since I was using the cards on the Acela and I do not have any Acelas nearby, I think I went five station visits in a row without getting asked for a card. Oops.
Dec 17, 2014, 6:33 pm
#5
Moderator, Amtrak & Spirit Airlines
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: EWR :rolleyes:
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Those were the good ol days Anderson. I used to use them in upstate NY. They never even asked for the coupons. Just called in the upgrade stopped by the window and was given a ticket.
Dec 18, 2014, 7:10 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: AA(PPro), UA, AGR, BW(Plat), HH, WoH, MB(S)
Posts: 778
The coupon was clearly stated as being valid for one upgrade. It was used for multiple upgrades because of Amtrak's sloppiness. I'm not sure I can find an ethical justification for that, and I sure would not brag about it.
Dec 19, 2014, 7:06 pm
#7
Company Representative - Amtrak
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (Select Executive)
Posts: 528
wxguy, if you can send me the reservation number(s) for the bookings where you had trouble getting the agent to apply the eCoupon, I can trace back to the agent and make sure their leadership trains them appropriately.
To the others - As for the paper coupons where your local station agents didn't collect them prior to ticketing, consider your success a gift from Amtrak that won't be repeated!
We no longer produce paper AGR upgrade coupons and those remaining in market will all expire this winter.
Anthony
To the others - As for the paper coupons where your local station agents didn't collect them prior to ticketing, consider your success a gift from Amtrak that won't be repeated!
We no longer produce paper AGR upgrade coupons and those remaining in market will all expire this winter.Anthony
Dec 19, 2014, 7:12 pm
#8
Company Representative - Amtrak
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (Select Executive)
Posts: 528
Also, wxguy, a few months back I pushed through a reservation system enhancement that eliminates the need for "manual pricing to preserve original fare" in nearly all cases. A new menu option was installed on the agent workstations called "Coupon Upgrade" that takes care of this. I can make sure the agent is trained to use the new feature instead of the old way, if I can trace back to the agent in question. We do our best from a HQ level to get these things communicated to our contact centers and stations well in advance, but there is only one of me and I have to rely on my colleagues in those departments to actually carry out the training 
Anthony
Anthony
Dec 19, 2014, 9:16 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: DL DM, AS MVP 100K, Amtrak peon, Colbert Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 4,534
Phone Agent Training - S+ Coupons
Anthony, this is very tangential, but there are now (what I'm guessing are) homemade signs at EMY inviting customers to signup for AGR with the ticket agent if they're not already members. Nice to see front-line agents or their leaders not only know what AGR is, but feel so invested in it. ^
Dec 21, 2014, 5:34 pm
#10
Company Representative - Amtrak
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (Select Executive)
Posts: 528
Anthony, this is very tangential, but there are now (what I'm guessing are) homemade signs at EMY inviting customers to signup for AGR with the ticket agent if they're not already members. Nice to see front-line agents or their leaders not only know what AGR is, but feel so invested in it. ^
I'm glad they're using the new feature we implemented this fall to let ticket agents enroll new members. I met the EMY agents last year and they were very enthusiastic about AGR.Anthony