How can personnel problems be resolved?

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Everydaymatters

Engineer
Joined
May 15, 2006
Messages
3,406
Location
Just North of Normal, Illinois
There have been so many problems reported on this forum. So many of them are employee related. Filthy washrooms, snarly attendants, late opening dining cars, indifference, etc., etc.

Profit driven private industry would never, ever allow these conditions to continue. There would be wholesale firing of employees who perpetrate these conditions.

How in the world can Amtrak stop the attitudes we have all encountered in our train travels? Is the union contract so strong that Amtrak can't get rid of these people?

What can John Q. Traveler do to change things?

These conditions are not isolated to one train, or to one route. The whole systems has this problem; Every train, every route, every coach. It's like a disease that has spread from employee to employee.
 
First I disagree with the blanket statement that no other industry would allow things like this to happen. You can find surly employees at airlines, hotels, restaurants and just about any other place if one looks for them. You can find filthy dirty bathrooms in restaurants and other places. I’ve even seen crummy restrooms in some of the fancier restaurants here in NYC, where one can easily drop $60 to $70 for dinner, before adding in alcohol.

Thirty to forty years ago it used to be that one took pride in doing one’s job to the best of one’s ability. It didn’t matter if you were the guy with the key to the executive washroom or the guy cleaning that washroom. One took pride regardless.

Sadly there seem to be far more people today who are more concerned with getting and cashing their paycheck, while doing the absolute minimum amount of work they can get away with. Yes there are still people out there who do their jobs well, but they are getting harder to find. Then there is the in between crowd, those who will only work when they know that they are being watched.

And there lies the rub for Amtrak, trying to watch them. It’s not easy to do that on a train that is on the road for over two days.

All that said, Amtrak does seem to be trying to make some inroads to this problem. Employees are being written up and fired for repeated offenses. As mentioned in the Eating Times thread, Amtrak has started work on fixing the problem of late opening cafes. It does appear that it will be some time before it spreads system wide, but at least they are trying.

Amtrak is working at upgrading the equipment and but for the current horrible time keeping by NS for the Capitol Limited, would now be marketing its second “upgraded amenities” train. The Capitol is now supposed to be in the same league as the Empire Builder, but because of the time keeping problems they can’t market it as such.

As for John Q Public, we can do what many people keep advocating here on the forum. Tell Amtrak when good things happen and tell them when bad things happen too. Even Amtrak is trying to encourage this a bit with the new program of reporting your experiences. Personally I do think that there should be a general comments box for that survey, as simple multiple choice questions doesn’t quite cover all the bases. But something IMHO is better than nothing.
 
Yes, Alan, things like that DO happen in other industries. As you said, one can find surly employees anywhere if one looks for them. With Amtrak, you don't have to look. They're right there in your face.

What I meant to say is that while it Does happen in other industries, it is not allowed to continue as it has with Amtrak.

Sorry, but I can't understand why fixing the problem of late opening cafes will take "some time" to fix. Isn't there someone on each train who is in charge of the crew? If there is someone in charge of the crew, hasn't he or she been given the power to make sure things run the way they're supposed to? Doesn't Amtrak have a program to retrain employees who have rotten attitudes? Is it a case where the one in charge just doesn't have any authority at all? What's going on?

This has been years in the making. People have been telling Amtrak what's wrong for years. Why can't they stop it?

I truly don't understand.
 
I by no means trying to "back up the union worker" here. I used to work at an aviation company that was "non-union" and there was so many people sitting around collecting a check and not doing anything that is was comical. One guy was a "ramp supervisor" (for airplanes) but actually he "guarded the steaks" that we gave to private aviation pilots who fueled up with more than 400 gallons of Jet-A fuel. Thats all he did.....sat by a deep freezer and shuffled papers. From what I understand, the Amtrak employees since around 1971 or so have had little to no feeling of job security. Also throw in consistent problems with deferred maintenence on trains, dining changes from good to bad to worse and not having a raise in 7 years, NS and UP doing "there thang" and it begins a "snowball effect" of negativity. Should this be permitted or accepted by all of us? NO!!!! Am I defending the surly employee? NO!!!!! I work for a large corporation that when there is a problem, it seems like it has to go through this guy, then that guy, than that gal, then that gals department, then that division, to that zone, to that manager. Its comical but its the way things work. I can be having a really bad day but most of the times my customers never know it. But.... I don't have crappy equipment, I have job security, low turnover rate, I get raises every year. The flipside of this and I just said this an hour ago to someone, "if your job makes you so miserable, a.....well.....its not a jail sentence of 30 years, you can pick up, quit and go do something else".
 
Yes, Alan, things like that DO happen in other industries. As you said, one can find surly employees anywhere if one looks for them. With Amtrak, you don't have to look. They're right there in your face.
Maybe it's just me and the fact that I'm a rather patient man, but personally I haven't encountered that many surly employees. And in the last few years, personally I believe that I've seen an overall improvement.

What I meant to say is that while it Does happen in other industries, it is not allowed to continue as it has with Amtrak.
Well in most other industries you don’t find the circumstances that one finds at Amtrak. Most aren’t political animals. Most employees see multiple levels of management at least weekly. Most employees don’t go home at night worrying if Congress will keep Amtrak running. Most employees do go home each night.

Sorry, but I can't understand why fixing the problem of late opening cafes will take "some time" to fix. Isn't there someone on each train who is in charge of the crew? If there is someone in charge of the crew, hasn't he or she been given the power to make sure things run the way they're supposed to? Doesn't Amtrak have a program to retrain employees who have rotten attitudes? Is it a case where the one in charge just doesn't have any authority at all? What's going on?
First, on many trains namely short haul trains, no there isn't someone who is in charge of the crew. On long distance trains the LSA is indeed in charge of the crew. But the LSA is not technically a management level employee. Yes, he/she can order the crew to do things that they are not doing. But one must consider that sometimes they are the problem. On the other hand, even if they are doing a good job, there is still a limit to what they can do. Not because they don't have the power, but because in large part they are kept way too busy doing their normal duties to pay attention to what else is going on.

An LSA spends 95% of his day in the dining car controlling things there and handling the money. That leaves little time for him to check on what the cafe attendant is doing or any of the sleeper and coach attendants. There is simply too much work for the LSA in the dining car, especially now under SDS, for them to do much else.

Now several years back, Amtrak tried a program whereby each long distance train had an On Board Service Chief. This position I believe was considered a management position, meaning they were salaried and not part of the union. Unfortunately either through poor vetting or perhaps other reasons, just like everything else, there were good Chiefs and bad ones. And you could tell immediately which kind of Chief you had, based upon the crew.

So that program went away after a few years, since it wasn’t working as intended.

Now there seems to be a new program with roving managers that started with the SDS program. The jury is still out on just how well that is working.

As for why it will take some time, personally I’m glad to see Emmett’s plan. In the past Amtrak has tried global, wide sweeping programs to fix things. All have failed for whatever reasons. This time Emmett is starting small, and with one product line. I have to believe that he’s doing this both to learn from the experience and make improvements, but also simply because he can oversee it and better manage it.

As to how long will take to spread the program around is anyone’s guess. But I don’t see him rushing into things, making snap judgments, and coming up with ideas that look good on paper and cover his ass. He seems to really want to tackle and fix this issue and is taking slow, deliberate, measured steps to ensure that he can indeed fix the problem.
 
Being aboard a train, as a staff member can never be an easy job.. but it must be said that Amtrak do seem to have an awfull lot of folk who are just not good at public service on the payroll. I have met some rude and downright useless staff at ticket offices, 1st class lounge attendants, information desks, and while aboard trains in all capacities. I love Amtrak train travel, but it is despite the majority of duff staff, not because of the majority of good staff..

I believe most rail jobs are low pay and low status, so I guess you are not going to get well motivated staff on that basis.

I should make it clear that not all staff are unfriendly, but it seems to me after 25,000 miles (or so!) that the majority don't pass grade A in "charm school"

Ed B)
 
Being aboard a train, as a staff member can never be an easy job.. but it must be said that Amtrak do seem to have an awfull lot of folk who are just not good at public service on the payroll. I have met some rude and downright useless staff at ticket offices, 1st class lounge attendants, information desks, and while aboard trains in all capacities. I love Amtrak train travel, but it is despite the majority of duff staff, not because of the majority of good staff..
I believe most rail jobs are low pay and low status, so I guess you are not going to get well motivated staff on that basis.

I should make it clear that not all staff are unfriendly, but it seems to me after 25,000 miles (or so!) that the majority don't pass grade A in "charm school"

Ed B)
I just would like to add that the lowest hourly paid person on an Amtrak train is a waiter/waitress in the diner and the starting pay is around $16 an hour plus tips, plus unbelievable benefits. I only made $138,000 the last year before I retired as an engineer. As for the status you only have the read the blurp on this site about the Amtrak engineer who had the daylights beaten out of him out in California. We were challenged many times by outsiders who were technically trespassing when they entered the railroad right of way. Unfortunately, I chose not to attend charm school.
 
I, too, love to travel on the trains, in spite of the staff.

I can't buy that the problems might be because the people in these positions are amongst the lowest paid employees.

Have you ever seen a Burger King or McDonald's employee treat their customers as lousy as a lot of Amtrak employees treat their customers? Never. They'd be fired on the spot. And we have all heard McDonald's employees are some of the lowest paid people anywhere.

For each employee Amtrak has, there are probably dozens of people who would gladly take their jobs, especially at $16 an hour. So let them.
 
Overall,

I have seen an overall improvement in staff on Amtrak. I have not had a bad experience with a reservation agent on the phone for a at least a year. Often I am checking train status, and the agents willing pull up the information regarding the reason for delays. Nearly all agents seem willing and able to do this. Before, some did not know how or were unwilling and I would have to hang up and call back to get a better agent.

In the past 2 years or so i have not had a terrible sleeping car attendant. The beds usually got made in a timely manner, or put down in a timelly manner.

Food service seems to be the major weakness. Overall, I have had good expereinces int he dining car, but on my last trip on the Lake Shore Limited I had poor dinining car crew that was slow and disinterested. However, the food was still good. Snack car attendnants still are inconsistent, with one carrrying on on a long cell phone conversation while sitting in Business class on a Lincoln servicee train. I told her that I had not paid the addition fee to sit there and listen to her conversation.
 
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Have you ever seen a Burger King or McDonald's employee treat their customers as lousy as a lot of Amtrak employees treat their customers? Never. They'd be fired on the spot. And we have all heard McDonald's employees are some of the lowest paid people anywhere.
But Everydaymatters,

You are making Alan's point here! Its not about low pay, but in my mind it's about very little Supervision.

When you are at a McDonalds or Burger King, there is always a Manager/Supervisor there who is watching over the Staff, who corrects problems, and helps out when it is needed. Amtrak Staff(especially on LD trains) don't seem to have that, and thus the possibility for only doing enough to get by or worse. I too remember the OnBoard services Chief and I always thought things seemed to run smoother when he/she were around.

Besides the job descriptions that are available online, I don't have an idea of what Amtrak's HR looks for in an onboard employee. I'd give a fortune, though, to know what kind of questions they ask and what they are looking for! I have a feeling it's part of the problem!

But I must point out, that my most recent encounter with an Amtrak staffer was at the ticket counter in Chicago last month. The Woman who helped my Wife and I, was incredibly pleasant, was glad to see that we were going to New Orleans, gave each of us timetables for the trip (with reminders that new schedules were coming out soon) along with our tickets, asked if we had any questions, and was quite cheerful throughout our entire interaction. I hope Amtrak HR looks for more like her!
 
But I must point out, that my most recent encounter with an Amtrak staffer was at the ticket counter in Chicago last month. The Woman who helped my Wife and I, was incredibly pleasant, was glad to see that we were going to New Orleans, gave each of us timetables for the trip (with reminders that new schedules were coming out soon) along with our tickets, asked if we had any questions, and was quite cheerful throughout our entire interaction. I hope Amtrak HR looks for more like her!
Was this the lady? I have had dealings with her several times in Chicago and she is one of the best!!
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I will add this to the mix. I don't know how many people working the train is "hourly" or "management" but when I'm with my hourly buddies, we tend to watch each others backs. But if a supervisor is around we are doing everything to the "T". I've been told that I never cut corners and I don't but I'm talking about the nit-picking types of stuff of wether my shoes are shined enough and if I'm wearing a belt that day. But other guys cut corners all the time and try to get others to cover for them. I know sometimes in the trenches its an "us vs. them" mentality that I sometimes buy into and most times I do not.
 
Rail Rookie, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "us vs. them mentality".

I was in the cafe early one morning when a lady came down and simply told the cafe person about a dirty situation in the smoking car - back when they had a smoking car. The attendant reamed her up one side and down the other. She was simply asking when it gets cleaned because it was dirty.

She left, 2 crew members came in for breakfast, and they had a real gossip thing going about how dare she complain, etc. All of them, even the ones who weren't there and didn't see or hear it, spent a good 10 minutes discussing what a scum bag she was. It was us vs. them all the way!
 
This is a topic somewhat familar to me as a former LSA. There are excellent points brought up here.

I worked with wonderful, caring employees, and I worked alongside indifferent, rude, do the minimum to get by employees. I'm no expert, but this is my thought. I think there are 3 reasons why in large part management doesn't do more to get rid of the bad apples. First, the union. Enough said. Second, recruiting new employees. It's not just a job, it's a lifestyle. It without a doubt takes a certian type of individual to withstand the rigors and the nature of the work combined with the travel aspect. I didn't make it a year. I will be boastful for a moment and say that it's a shame for Amtrak, because I'm an excellent employee with even better customer service skills. But it wasn't for me in the end. I left for a multitude of reasons. There were 7 LSA's "to be" in my class. When I left, 3 remained. I wasn't the first, or second to leave. The statistics are incredible as far as how many make it and stick with it compared to those who don't make it. So if they swiftly removed the bad apples, they'd be painfully understaffed. In that respect, the bad employees win. They know full well it's difficult to replace them. Also as has been discussed here before, many of the OBS employees have been on there a LONG time. They're tired...mentally and physically. They probably should leave, but they're waiting for retirement. In the meantime, service suffers in the extreme cases. It is indeed a shame. I know I don't need to sell the concept here, but it's a tough job to put it mildly. I have to admire those OBS employees that love their jobs and are cheerful with the passengers. They are a rare breed. Third reason would be because management simply doesn't know that have a problem employee on their hands. If it's not reported by somebody, how are they to know?

I agree with Alan. A good start to helping the situation is to call in a timely fashion (and with all the important details) ASAP when bad...or good service is received. As was also mentioned, there is basically no supervision on the train. So unless a passenger complains or maybe a co-worker reports them, it will continue.
 
Now several years back, Amtrak tried a program whereby each long distance train had an On Board Service Chief. This position I believe was considered a management position, meaning they were salaried and not part of the union. Unfortunately either through poor vetting or perhaps other reasons, just like everything else, there were good Chiefs and bad ones. And you could tell immediately which kind of Chief you had, based upon the crew.
So that program went away after a few years
The job title was Chief, On-Board Services and was indeed a unionized position. They were represented by the American Railway & Airline Supervisors Association, part of the Transportation-Communications Union. I'd equate them somewhat to a foreman in a factory, in that they were supposed to keep the troops on their toes but were not actually management employees. They were also supposed to function as passenger service reps, by assisting whenever possible with the problems of passengers enroute. As in every walk of life, there were really good ones and really bad ones. They were either pro-active, reactive, or non-active, the latter basically staying in their rooms thruout the trip except at mealtime.

When I hired out with Amtrak in 1986, the Chiefs program had been in place for some time. It was discontinued around 2001, with many of the senior employees given a new title of Product Line Supervisor

The others went back to whatever Amtrak seniority-based positions they had previously held or left the company entirely. Many of the PLS positions were "Ramp Supervisors", overseeing the arrivals and departures of trains at their crew bases. Others still worked on the road but hardly ever the entire length of the trip as the Chiefs had done. I've been retired from Amtrak since 2005 so do not know the current status of the PLS positions, tho IIRC David Gunn eliminated the term "Product Line" from Amtrak's vocabulary.

I just would like to add that the lowest hourly paid person on an Amtrak train is a waiter/waitress in the diner and the starting pay is around $16 an hour plus tips, plus unbelievable benefits.
From what I can find out, the current starting pay for Service Attendants (waiters) and Train Attendants (coach/sleeper) is $12 an hour, with step increases to top pay over either 5 or 8 years. Lead Service Attendants start at $14 and change an hour. Chefs (the highest-paid of the OBS crew) start around $16.

I'm not sure what constitutes "unbelievable benefits".....I guess that's in the eye of the beholder.

I think there are 3 reasons why in large part management doesn't do more to get rid of the bad apples. First, the union.
Well, here we go again.....it's the union's fault that Amtrak can't effectively manage its employees. Folks, if Amtrak wants to fire any unionized employee, there is absolutely nothing the union can do to stop it. Yes, there are safeguards in place that ensure that Amtrak follows proper procedure leading up to whatever discipline (including dismissal) that it wishes to impose on an employee. If an employee is to be brought up on charges, then a notice of formal investigation is sent out, allowing the employee to arrange union representation at his hearing. Just as the company has witnesses on its behalf at the hearing, so is the employee allowed to bring witnesses on his behalf. After the hearing is completed, the hearing officer decides what discipline will be imposed, ranging from a suspension ("time on the ground") to permanent dismissal. Whatever the discipline imposed, the employee (thru his union) has the right of appeal, altho appeal does not stay the discipline. IIRC, the appeals process starts with the local Amtrak Labor Relations officer, then to Corporate Labor Relations, and finally to a Public Law Board. If an appeal goes to a PLB, it can take a year or more to resolve. PLB's consist of three members- one management, one union, one neutral - and they decide if the punishment "fits the crime" or if the employee was unjustlly disciplined. The PLB can order Amtrak to reinstate the employee if they find that Amtrak has been unjust in the firing or if Amtrak didn't "dot the i's and cross the t's" in the formal investigation process. Very often employees are reinstated as a result of Amtrak's gross incompetence in the hearing process.

As far as Amtrak's management "getting rid of the bad apples", this is a case of "Physician, heal thyself".

If Amtrak historically had top-notch mid- and lower-level managers, I've no doubt we wouldn't be having these discussions. No matter what initiatives Corporate rolls out, they're totally dependent on the lower-echelon managers to implement them with enthusiasm and energy. I'll have more on that in another post.......thanks for listening to this one.
 
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Maybe it's just me and the fact that I'm a rather patient man, but personally I haven't encountered that many surly employees. And in the last few years, personally I believe that I've seen an overall improvement.
I agree completely. The old saying that you should treat others like you would like to be treated should be considered as well. For the most part I have always received kind and courteous service from nearly every Amtrak employee I have interacted with... in part because I have always approached them in the same manner and am a patient person.

Especially at smaller stations, one Amtrak employee often runs the show and people need to be patient and wait their turn. The people who show up at a station at the last minute for a train departure demanding service and those who insist on being waited on hand and foot should look elsewhere. Amtrak AINT McDonalds where the employee turnover is high and rude uncalled for customer actions are tolerated because the employees are a dime a dozen and the company just burns their employees out quickly and hires new ones. The customers who fall into this category get what they deserve.

The bottom line is that while most Amtrak employees might not be the most "charming" people on earth, they are professional railroaders with years of experience and some of that experience reduces the amount of fake "Fluff" they put into their customer service attitude. Most do their jobs efficiently and effectively... but most importantly safely and our trains are operated in good hands.
 
It sounds like the dismissal process can be lengthy and costly for Amtrak. If that's what they have to face to get rid of the bad apples, I'm wondering how often they actually dismiss these bad employees???
Assuming you're referencing my comments, how did you reach that conclusion? From the time disciplinary charges are initiated until a formal investigation takes place are usually a matter of a few weeks, during which time the charged employee is generally held out of service without pay. The appeals process is the lengthy one, and as I pointed out, the appeals do not stay the discipline. In other words, if the employee is going to be dismissed, that is decided either at the end of the hearing or shortly thereafter and the employee is fired.

What does turn out to be costly for Amtrak is their long record of ineptitude in properly preparing a case against an employee they want to fire, abetted by the way their hearing officers conduct formal investigation hearings. The end result in some cases is that the Public Law Board reinstates the fired employee with full back pay.
 
Well, here we go again.....it's the union's fault that Amtrak can't effectively manage its employees. Folks, if Amtrak wants to fire any unionized employee, there is absolutely nothing the union can do to stop it. Yes, there are safeguards in place that ensure that Amtrak follows proper procedure leading up to whatever discipline (including dismissal) that it wishes to impose on an employee. If an employee is to be brought up on charges, then a notice of formal investigation is sent out, allowing the employee to arrange union representation at his hearing. Just as the company has witnesses on its behalf at the hearing, so is the employee allowed to bring witnesses on his behalf. After the hearing is completed, the hearing officer decides what discipline will be imposed, ranging from a suspension ("time on the ground") to permanent dismissal. Whatever the discipline imposed, the employee (thru his union) has the right of appeal, altho appeal does not stay the discipline. IIRC, the appeals process starts with the local Amtrak Labor Relations officer, then to Corporate Labor Relations, and finally to a Public Law Board. If an appeal goes to a PLB, it can take a year or more to resolve. PLB's consist of three members- one management, one union, one neutral - and they decide if the punishment "fits the crime" or if the employee was unjustlly disciplined. The PLB can order Amtrak to reinstate the employee if they find that Amtrak has been unjust in the firing or if Amtrak didn't "dot the i's and cross the t's" in the formal investigation process. Very often employees are reinstated as a result of Amtrak's gross incompetence in the hearing process.

For the record, I am not saying anything is the union's "fault". Take a look at the above eloquent description of what can be required to fire an employee. I know I can see a possible deterrent to terminating employees! What a headache THAT process is. So much easier to look the other way and leave it alone. That's more what I meant as opposed to "blaming" the union. It's a total hassle to get rid of anybody!
 
Now several years back, Amtrak tried a program whereby each long distance train had an On Board Service Chief. This position I believe was considered a management position, meaning they were salaried and not part of the union. Unfortunately either through poor vetting or perhaps other reasons, just like everything else, there were good Chiefs and bad ones. And you could tell immediately which kind of Chief you had, based upon the crew.

So that program went away after a few years
The job title was Chief, On-Board Services and was indeed a unionized position. They were represented by the American Railway & Airline Supervisors Association, part of the Transportation-Communications Union. I'd equate them somewhat to a foreman in a factory, in that they were supposed to keep the troops on their toes but were not actually management employees. They were also supposed to function as passenger service reps, by assisting whenever possible with the problems of passengers enroute. As in every walk of life, there were really good ones and really bad ones.
Thanks for the correction and clarification of that position and their union status.

They were either pro-active, reactive, or non-active, the latter basically staying in their rooms thruout the trip except at mealtime.
And I met all three types during my travels.

But when they were good, it really did make a huge difference. I'll never forget one COB on a silver service train who went way out of his way for me, to deal with a problem not of his own making. Even though I don't think that he actually is senior to the conductor, he nonetheless got the conductor to come up and apologize to me for his mistake. The conductor was supposed to double spot the train in Hollywood, such that I could board my sleeper. He didn't.

Long story short, after walking half the way down the train length chasing the sleeper, cause the engineer was going slowly waiting for the conductor to spot the sleeper, I was then forced to run back down the platform to the coaches, board there, and then walk through 2 coaches, 1 cafe, and 1 diner, to reach my sleeper. The chief immediately came to my room to both apologize and explain the screw up, seems the real conductor had called in sick, so it was this conductor's first trip as the conductor and not the A/C. Despite having rehearsed things in Miami, he still forgot.

The COB paid for my wine with diner that night. I don't know if he was just able to write it off or if he took the money out of his pocket, but I've never forgotten him.
 
Second, recruiting new employees. It's not just a job, it's a lifestyle. It without a doubt takes a certian type of individual to withstand the rigors and the nature of the work combined with the travel aspect. I didn't make it a year. I will be boastful for a moment and say that it's a shame for Amtrak, because I'm an excellent employee with even better customer service skills. But it wasn't for me in the end. I left for a multitude of reasons. There were 7 LSA's "to be" in my class. When I left, 3 remained. I wasn't the first, or second to leave. The statistics are incredible as far as how many make it and stick with it compared to those who don't make it. So if they swiftly removed the bad apples, they'd be painfully understaffed. In that respect, the bad employees win. They know full well it's difficult to replace them. Also as has been discussed here before, many of the OBS employees have been on there a LONG time. They're tired...mentally and physically. They probably should leave, but they're waiting for retirement. In the meantime, service suffers in the extreme cases. It is indeed a shame. I know I don't need to sell the concept here, but it's a tough job to put it mildly. I have to admire those OBS employees that love their jobs and are cheerful with the passengers. They are a rare breed.
I think that this is a very important point here, something that I've mentioned more than once in the past in other topics on service. Whether one believes that Amtrak employees are over paid, under paid, or paid just the right amount, it does take a special type of person to work the LD's for Amtrak. This doesn't really apply to short haul trains and NEC trains.

But on a LD, good or bad, those who work the trains in the customer service area can easily be on duty for 15 or more hours straight. You are away from home half the year, often with nothing more than an Amtrak mattress to lay your head on. You invariably have passengers yelling at you, often for things that are out of your control. I can't imagine that there is any Amtrak employee who's worked for Amtrak for more than 1 day, who hasn't been yelled at because the train is late.

You are doing your job on a bouncing moving trains, most comparable workers (maids, waiter/waitress) are trying to do their jobs while the building they are in is moving and bouncing. You are stuck dealing with people's perceptions of how things should be, and they vary widely and are often inconsistant with one another.

This is not an easy job to do, even if you are one of the loafers. So even if there are people standing in line, as Windy City noted the attrition rate is quite high. And that is lost money, as Amtrak now has to pay someone else to learn the job all over again.
 
Even being a station agent can be a rough job. "How hard could it be at a small station like Winter Park, Florida?", right? At WPK, depending on how much delay there has been southbound, it is not at all unusual for 91, 98, and 97 to arrive at WPK practically on top of each other, sometimes with trains literally sitting a few hundred yards away from the station waiting for another train to clear the station, and that single agent, (sometimes two agents), end up having to practically run continuously for close to half an hour or forty minutes, dealing with incoming and outgoing passengers simultaneously, and dealing with luggage going to and from two or three different trains (and trying to make sure the right luggage AND the right passengers end up on the right trains) almost simultaneously. When Sunset was running to Orlando, the outgoing Sunset would sometimes make a fourth train at that station within a half hour. With the trains running on schedule, there would normally be half an hour to two hours between trains, but we know what happens to schedules with Amtrak, don't we.....?
 
Even being a station agent can be a rough job. "How hard could it be at a small station like Winter Park, Florida?", right? At WPK, depending on how much delay there has been southbound, it is not at all unusual for 91, 98, and 97 to arrive at WPK practically on top of each other, sometimes with trains literally sitting a few hundred yards away from the station waiting for another train to clear the station, and that single agent, (sometimes two agents), end up having to practically run continuously for close to half an hour or forty minutes, dealing with incoming and outgoing passengers simultaneously, and dealing with luggage going to and from two or three different trains (and trying to make sure the right luggage AND the right passengers end up on the right trains) almost simultaneously. When Sunset was running to Orlando, the outgoing Sunset would sometimes make a fourth train at that station within a half hour. With the trains running on schedule, there would normally be half an hour to two hours between trains, but we know what happens to schedules with Amtrak, don't we.....?
All I can say is you have one of the nicest stations and settings to work in on the entire Amtrak system. If you ever get bored (which is hard to do in a ritzy college town) all you have to do is look out the window at the beautiful park adjacent to the station. Compared to Orlando's old station you have a magnificent place to work.
 
Just to clarify here, I do not work for Amtrak. I am not a station agent. I frequently monitor the rail frequencies and I know from that (and from a few times arriving or departing the station) that it is not at all unusual for those trains to kind of "gang up" on the agent(s) by arriving one right after the other. Winter Park is a very nice, upscale college town (Rollins College is only a few blocks from the station, certainly within easy walking distance), and the station is indeed in a beautiful location, downtown next to a park. I don't live in Winter Park - I couldn't afford to even pay the property taxes there, probably.
 
Just to clarify here, I do not work for Amtrak. I am not a station agent. I frequently monitor the rail frequencies and I know from that (and from a few times arriving or departing the station) that it is not at all unusual for those trains to kind of "gang up" on the agent(s) by arriving one right after the other. Winter Park is a very nice, upscale college town (Rollins College is only a few blocks from the station, certainly within easy walking distance), and the station is indeed in a beautiful location, downtown next to a park. I don't live in Winter Park - I couldn't afford to even pay the property taxes there, probably.
Sorry...I mistook your dialogue for being an Amtrak employee. My sister lives in Winter Park and she pays out the nose for the priviledge ?
 
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