31 replies to this topic

[AlanB]

Actually since one agent working the lounge got disciplined late last year and temporarily transferred from their cushy job in the lounge for a few months as part of the punishment, I'm rather surprised to hear about the current issue. Frankly I have to wonder if Steve's probably wasn't caused by a lack of training or at least the agent's failure to comprehend said training, and not so much a matter of being lazy.

Is it possible that the agent just didn't care? Sure. But having just seen a colleague disciplined for not doing things right I find it odd that another would essentially do the same thing just a couple of months later.

I suspect that either they never got the AGR info that it was now possible to look up the status, up until two years ago they could not, or that they forgot that they could do that since it wouldn't happen very often out there.

[ColdRain&Snow]

DC - Can you be more clear -- what is it that you're disagreeing with?

You're missing the boat on the point I was making. If an attendant is asking a passenger who is presenting their S+ card whether they have traveled on Amtrak before, it implies that the attendant doesn't comprehend what S+ cards represent. This is a training issue.

Moreover, if an attendant looks befuddled when he's presented with an S+ card, that implies that it is almost surely attributed to his unfamiliarity with the card. Again, this is a training issue.

Let's not confuse this with rocket science as it's an awfully simple and correctable problem for Amtrak to address.

There are two sides to training: Amtrak providing the training, and the employees paying attention to the training. Access problems at the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge has been an on-going issue for years there. There have been many, many complaints to Amtrak about it, including from members here. Nothing changes. More training will not solve the problem. Insisting that the Chicago lounge dragons follow Amtrak rules would be a start.

There's simply no way to confirm your supposition that the attendants in these cases -- who clearly displayed unfamiliarity and/or incomprehension with S+ cards -- had ever been trained on tenets of the Select Plus program. It's just as likely that they were never trained on S+ to begin with.

Having said that, like so many other things with Amtrak, the best offense is a good defense. I was prepared to walk the attendant through the S+ entitlements if he began to balk about letting me enter the club. Not that I think it is appropriate that I would have to help him do his job, but it takes what it takes sometimes.

[Steve4031]

To be fair, the attendant started off polite. Then she saw the 2010 on my card and said the card expire in 2010 Then I showed the 2/29/12 focusing on the 2012. Of course the lady noted it was now march.

Alan, isn't this the agent that got a direct complaint to a top level manager? If so I don't think there would have been discipline if the complaint had been made through normal channels.

Edited by Steve4031, 03 March 2012 - 06:50 PM.

[AlanB]

Alan, isn't this the agent that got a direct complaint to a top level manager? If so I don't think there would have been discipline if the complaint had been made through normal channels.

That's correct Steve.

But my point was that knowing that the one attendant got into trouble for not following the proper rules for a couple of AGR issues, as well as general attitude, I expect that the other attendants would be a bit more cautious about similar things. So that suggests to me that your attendant was never told that she could look up your account and confirm that you do have Select Plus status and therefore should have been admitted to the lounge even though you forgot the new card.

[Steve4031]

It would have only passed through the employee grapevine. If she wasn't in the loop then she never knew. I didn't recognize this one. Honestly, the management at cus is useless IMHO.

[MrFSS]

Side question - If one has problems with lounge employees is there somewhere else in CUS you could go and speak with someone about it for an attempt at immediate action?

[AlanB]

Side question - If one has problems with lounge employees is there somewhere else in CUS you could go and speak with someone about it for an attempt at immediate action?

Sure, head over to the Customer Service office and talk with them. Request a supervisor if need be.

[PRR 60]

Actually since one agent working the lounge got disciplined late last year and temporarily transferred from their cushy job in the lounge for a few months as part of the punishment, I'm rather surprised to hear about the current issue. Frankly I have to wonder if Steve's probably wasn't caused by a lack of training or at least the agent's failure to comprehend said training, and not so much a matter of being lazy.

Is it possible that the agent just didn't care? Sure. But having just seen a colleague disciplined for not doing things right I find it odd that another would essentially do the same thing just a couple of months later.

I suspect that either they never got the AGR info that it was now possible to look up the status, up until two years ago they could not, or that they forgot that they could do that since it wouldn't happen very often out there.

How much "training" does it take to tell someone that holders of a current S+ card gets access to the lounge? Is that an all-day affair (with lunch), or does it take a week off-site (lunch and dinner)? For anyone other than Amtrak, a one sentence memo would do the trick. It isn't like the job of Amtrak lounge attendant is a complicated task.

By the way, since when is being reassigned for a period of time considered "discipline." Getting an unpaid vacation is discipline. Getting told to report somewhere else for a while (at full pay) is an annoyance, at worst.

[amamba]

Meanwhile - as a contrast - I continue to be impressed with the attendants in the club acela in BOS & pHL. I just had a great visit to phl and the club attendant was not only polite and friedly but somehow magically found a sear for me on a sold out train.

[amamba]

Sorry on Phone pls excuse typos.

[AlanB]

Actually since one agent working the lounge got disciplined late last year and temporarily transferred from their cushy job in the lounge for a few months as part of the punishment, I'm rather surprised to hear about the current issue. Frankly I have to wonder if Steve's probably wasn't caused by a lack of training or at least the agent's failure to comprehend said training, and not so much a matter of being lazy.

Is it possible that the agent just didn't care? Sure. But having just seen a colleague disciplined for not doing things right I find it odd that another would essentially do the same thing just a couple of months later.

I suspect that either they never got the AGR info that it was now possible to look up the status, up until two years ago they could not, or that they forgot that they could do that since it wouldn't happen very often out there.

How much "training" does it take to tell someone that holders of a current S+ card gets access to the lounge? Is that an all-day affair (with lunch), or does it take a week off-site (lunch and dinner)? For anyone other than Amtrak, a one sentence memo would do the trick. It isn't like the job of Amtrak lounge attendant is a complicated task.

Bill, the problem is that Steve didn't have his current card with him. He had his old, expired card with him. So in that regard the agent followed training.

It does take a bit more training to teach them how to go look up the status of an AGR member in the computer.

By the way, since when is being reassigned for a period of time considered "discipline." Getting an unpaid vacation is discipline. Getting told to report somewhere else for a while (at full pay) is an annoyance, at worst.

Well it certainly seems to have changed his attitude!

[The Davy Crockett]

Thinking about it, (I must be wearing my thinking cap this morning) once when I was there last Summer two people were at the desk. I presented my S+ card for entrance and the person I showed it to looked befuddled. The other person spoke up and explained that someone could gain access with their S+ card. Sure seemed like on-the-job training. Makes it seem like the job is a revolving door. Almost like Amtrak uses Randstad temps to fill the job when they have a staffing shortage...

Edited by The Davy Crockett, 04 March 2012 - 05:53 AM.