Food Service

[renocub34]

I was just curious. Has anybody noticed on the menu's in the Dining and Lounge/Snack cars that it says "If you don't receive a receipt for your purchase, than your purchase is free"? While on the California Zephyr this past week, I had lunch in the dining car. (It took 35 minutes to have my order taken, and another 45 after that to get my food). When I paid my bill, I did not receive a receipt. (I need them to be reimbursed through work). When I went to the attendant to bring up this issue, I was given the dirtiest look and he reluctantly and with a bad attitude gave me back my money that I paid for lunch. I have known about the "No receipt, money back" policy for a while now, and every once in a while I will see where it is either marked out or taped over on some menus. I'm just curious, has anybody else experienced this?

 

[had8ley]

I was just curious. Has anybody noticed on the menu's in the Dining and Lounge/Snack cars that it says "If you don't receive a receipt for your purchase, than your purchase is free"? While on the California Zephyr this past week, I had lunch in the dining car. (It took 35 minutes to have my order taken, and another 45 after that to get my food). When I paid my bill, I did not receive a receipt. (I need them to be reimbursed through work). When I went to the attendant to bring up this issue, I was given the dirtiest look and he reluctantly and with a bad attitude gave me back my money that I paid for lunch. I have known about the "No receipt, money back" policy for a while now, and every once in a while I will see where it is either marked out or taped over on some menus. I'm just curious, has anybody else experienced this?

No because I almost always travel in the sleeper but I'm sure His/Her Highness, the LSA, had to account for your free meal. I find it very hard to bite my lip when you read what is Amtrak policy and then you have to pay the price in dirty looks or worse. I don't think I'd return to the same diner for dinner...let's be real~ they know the policy and need to adhere to it.

 

[battalion51]

Some crews will simply ask their patrons if they'd like a receipt to side step the issue, and not create more paperwork for people that don't want it, and give the people that do need one what they want.

 

[wayman]

Some crews will simply ask their patrons if they'd like a receipt to side step the issue, and not create more paperwork for people that don't want it, and give the people that do need one what they want.

... and then on the other end of the paperwork spectrum, there are eccentrics like me who sometimes ask the LSA if they can keep the dining car reservation ticket for the scrapbook :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Some crews will simply ask their patrons if they'd like a receipt to side step the issue, and not create more paperwork for people that don't want it, and give the people that do need one what they want.

... and then on the other end of the paperwork spectrum, there are eccentrics like me who sometimes ask the LSA if they can keep the dining car reservation ticket for the scrapbook :lol:

Gee, if I had known that you wanted reservation tickets I could have saved dozens of them for you. I don't think that I've ever had an LSA actually ask me for my res ticket, much less take it away from me. I usually just end up leaving them on the table or since I generally keep the ticket clipped with my travel notes, throw it away when I get back to my room.

 

[Guest]

This is to point out the reason for the receipt, whether it be Burger King or Amtrak and the "receipt guarantee". The simple explanation is that it is part of what is called "internal control". Generally, receipts are controlled documents with sequential numbering or if machine-generated become part of the daily summary of transactions. Notice that your yellow meal ticket has a unique number on it. Companies want to avoid employees making a sale and pocketing the money. This is easier to do if no paper trail is established, i.e., a receipt. Look at an upgrade ticket. It, too, has a unique number. A good accounting system would have accountability for each of these sequentially numbered documents.

In travels this year I rarely got the same "paper" treatment twice. In several cases I was given the yellow receipt, in most cases it was retained in the diner. I do recall seeing diner people in intense conversations after the dinner hour, huddled around the table with a mass of receipts and a little stressing going on. One can only assume they were trying to comply with Amtrak's accounting system... which in reading boards seems to need a topic all its own.

 

[wayman]

Some crews will simply ask their patrons if they'd like a receipt to side step the issue, and not create more paperwork for people that don't want it, and give the people that do need one what they want.

... and then on the other end of the paperwork spectrum, there are eccentrics like me who sometimes ask the LSA if they can keep the dining car reservation ticket for the scrapbook :lol:

Gee, if I had known that you wanted reservation tickets I could have saved dozens of them for you. I don't think that I've ever had an LSA actually ask me for my res ticket, much less take it away from me. I usually just end up leaving them on the table or since I generally keep the ticket clipped with my travel notes, throw it away when I get back to my room.

Well, I really don't need more than the few I've got--it's just that somehow I don't think I've ever gotten a ticket before this summer, so they were something of a novelty. On the CZ and SWC, the LSA walked the entire train taking reservations for lunch and dinner and handing out tickets, which is something I don't think remember ever happening on the Crescent (where all but a small handful of my dining car meals have been over the past decade)--and the LSA on the SWC actually asked for the ticket but was happy (and amused) to let me keep it. But the Crescent's diner is rarely more than half full on non-holiday trains in my experience. Maybe on past years' Thanksgiving Crescents I've gotten reservation tickets, though I don't remember. I'll let you know if I get one on 19 tonight!

I'm really looking forward to not hearing "... and the special is Country Fried Steak" tonight! And to seeing 30th St bustling to bursting with Amtrak passengers--it's always got a reasonably good-sized crowd in the station hall, but it's so spacious that it still remains well over half empty most of the time. Kemper St (LYH) too, for that matter--beautifully restored five years ago, reasonably good ridership for its size, but more always looks better

 

[had8ley]

Some crews will simply ask their patrons if they'd like a receipt

BINGO ! But he was not asked. I truly respect how harried a lone SA can be especially if the LSA stands off to the side and counts money like they just won the lottery for the entire meal period. I have witnessed LSA's not lift one fork or plate the entire meal even since the SDS plan was instituted.

 

[Windy City LSA]

Some crews will simply ask their patrons if they'd like a receipt

BINGO ! But he was not asked. I truly respect how harried a lone SA can be especially if the LSA stands off to the side and counts money like they just won the lottery for the entire meal period. I have witnessed LSA's not lift one fork or plate the entire meal even since the SDS plan was instituted.

I am not at all surprised that some LSA's don't help with waiting tables or bussing. I would usually offer to help clear tables, but the SA's always declined my offer of help.

I am so glad I got out when SDS was starting for this reason... among others. Being an unseasoned LSA, I would have been COMPLETELY overwealmed had it been necessary for me to wait tables in addition to seating passengers, keeping track of the meal tickets, (which Amtrak takes VERY seriously) collecting from coach passengers or for alcohol, and accounting/paperwork duties. Before SDS I was already up until midnight or later getting all of my paperwork in order so I wasn't behind going into the next day. There is more than enough to keep a LSA busy without throwing waiting tables into the mix. But I suppose it wouldn't be so troublesome for a veteran on a train that's not at maximum capacity.

 

[Windy City LSA]

Oh...and I think I did once get taken for the "no receipt/free meal" deal. One of the few times I didn't set the receipt in front of the passenger at the end of the meal. :lol: