Why don't the attendants want to bring the meal to my room?

[northnorthwest]

In the last couple weeks I've taken 3 long distance trains: CZ, CL, and EB.

When I was on the CZ I wanted to get lunch in my room. I couldn't find the attendant, so I went to the diner and asked them to get it to go. They were so exasperated (as every dining worker I've encountered on the CZ has been so far) and told me I was supposed to ask my attendant. They also added the useful words "Oh, Jesus!" before their response. The worker was flustered that I wanted hot tea because he said he might not be able to remember that. He said "I'll try to remember that."

On my next train, the CL I again wanted to get lunch in my room. Based on the past experience I rang the attendant, and he promptly came. I asked him if he'd be able to bring me lunch to my room. He gave a big sigh, rolled his eyes, and told me he had to get people off the train. He was really annoyed like I was asking for so much. He told me "My first job is to get people off the train." I was really annoyed and said I would get it myself.

What I want to know is this: Do I have these experiences because I'm "young" (in my 30s) and they just think I shouldn't be asking them for this stuff? That's kind of what I think. Or are these just not good workers?

Either way I'm fed up with it. Amtrak sleepers are VERY expensive, either in dollars or points, and I should be getting excellent service for those costs.

Also general observation: I believe for some reason the workers in the western trains or perhaps the workers in the superliners are way more stressed and unpleasant than those in the East on the viewliners. I have not had these problems on the Crescent (taken many times) or the LSL. Those workers were calm and helpful.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

They have an aversion to gainful employment and tips. Report them.

 

[the_traveler]

I'm not making excuses for them, but they do have other duties and responsibilities also. Did you by any chance ask for the meal "right now" - just as the train was nearing a stop or in the morning when s/he has to set many beds - or did you say "when it is convenient"? :huh:

I have not had a problem - when I was considerate of their feelings too. Remember that they are not robots but human being just like you and me.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Pfui. They are employees being paid well to do a job. They can have feelings on their off times.

 

[northnorthwest]

I'm not making excuses for them, but they do have other duties and responsibilities also. Did you by any chance ask for the meal "right now" - just as the train was nearing a stop or in the morning when s/he has to set many beds - or did you say "when it is convenient"? :huh:

I have not had a problem - when I was considerate of their feelings too. Remember that they are not robots but human being just like you and me.

I didn't say right now or anything like that. I believe my words were "would it be possible to get the lunch in my room?" or something similar.

It might not seem like a big deal, but given the costs of this kind of service I think the response should be something like "Sure I can do that. We're just coming into a station, so I can take care of that as soon as I help these people off. I'll be back in a few minutes." Or do I expect too much?

 

[SarahZ]

I'm not making excuses for them, but they do have other duties and responsibilities also. Did you by any chance ask for the meal "right now" - just as the train was nearing a stop or in the morning when s/he has to set many beds - or did you say "when it is convenient"? :huh:

I have not had a problem - when I was considerate of their feelings too. Remember that they are not robots but human being just like you and me.

I didn't say right now or anything like that. I believe my words were "would it be possible to get the lunch in my room?" or something similar.

It might not seem like a big deal, but given the costs of this kind of service I think the response should be something like "Sure I can do that. We're just coming into a station, so I can take care of that as soon as I help these people off. I'll be back in a few minutes." Or do I expect too much?

No, that would be the correct response. The attendant should not have rolled their eyes or acted exasperated. If they had passengers to attend to right that second, then saying something like, "Sure! I'd be happy to. Just let me help these people and then I'll be right back up," would have been much better.

 

[the_traveler]

Right. And one of their jobs is also to open the door and assist passengers getting off or getting on at stations. So which should they do - 1) get someone's meal because they demand it "right now" or 2) open the door so a passenger can get off for should that passenger take their luggage back up the stairs, walk thru 1 or 2 cars, take their luggage back down the stair and then hope that door is open?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

If I was supervising employees who showed that type of attitude they would be IMMEDIATELY fired and in this case told to be off the train at the next stop.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Right. And one of their jobs is also to open the door and assist passengers getting off or getting on at stations. So which should they do - 1) get someone's meal because they demand it "right now" or 2) open the door so a passenger can get off for should that passenger take their luggage back up the stairs, walk thru 1 or 2 cars, take their luggage back down the stair and then hope that door is open?

Don't be absurd. The TAS should have said, absolutely I will be with you directly I help off the passengers at this stop. Rolling their eyes and saying no is ridiculous. One can say things as they are rightly and wrongly, in this instance they did so wrongly.

 

[the_traveler]

At the time of your original reply and my original post, all that was known from the OP was:

On my next train, the CL I again wanted to get lunch in my room. Based on the past experience I rang the attendant, and he promptly came. I asked him if he'd be able to bring me lunch to my room. He gave a big sigh, rolled his eyes, and told me he had to get people off the train. He was really annoyed like I was asking for so much. He told me "My first job is to get people off the train." I was really annoyed and said I would get it myself.

It is true that this is the First job of the TAS when at a stop. It was not until later that the OP posted that he would wait.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Exactly. All we knew at the time of the post was the TAS was rude. And thus should be fired.

 

[rusty spike]

I would make a report to Amtrak Customer Relations, armed with the Train #, Car #, TAS's name if known, and date of travel. Until enough people complain these employees with the "I-could-not-care-less" attitude will continue to sigh and roll their eyes.

 

[tp49]

Right. And one of their jobs is also to open the door and assist passengers getting off or getting on at stations. So which should they do - 1) get someone's meal because they demand it "right now" or 2) open the door so a passenger can get off for should that passenger take their luggage back up the stairs, walk thru 1 or 2 cars, take their luggage back down the stair and then hope that door is open?

But where was it ever stated that the meal was demanded "right now?" That's making an assumption that's not in the evidence presented at the time of the original post.

Second, as pointed out above these employees are in the service industry and should display much better customer service skills. While the employee's reported statement of "My first job is to get people off the train" or words to that effect may be true, the way he said it was evidence of poor customer service. The same point could have been made in a far better manner to the customer as was stated above by others in the thread. My issue is not with the employee's message but with the way in which the message was delivered.

 

[brentrain17]

I have never had a problem when asking for a meal in my room. I always ask well ahead of meal time so the TA can plan it around their other duties. BUT it is there job and they should be pleasant about it or no tip for them. I have found the TAs on the Eastern routes more friendly for the most part than their Western counterparts but the are ALWAYS exceptions.

 

[battalion51]

I have never had a problem when asking for a meal in my room. I always ask well ahead of meal time so the TA can plan it around their other duties. BUT it is there job and they should be pleasant about it or no tip for them. I have found the TAs on the Eastern routes more friendly for the most part than their Western counterparts but the are ALWAYS exceptions.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Most attendants won't have an issue with bringing a meal to you in your room. However, the more notice you give them the better. The attendant does have responsibilities including loading/unloading passengers, making up 15-20 rooms, cleaning restrooms (on some routes), just to name a few. So while getting meals for passengers is inside the realm of responsibilities, it's all in timing and presentation.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm not making excuses for them, but...

Sounds like excuses to me, and the fact you started your post this way implies you were fully aware how it's going to look before you even wrote it. There is a professional way to deal with adversity and an unprofessional way. These SCA's sound like they'd rather not be bothered with the job they're advertised as performing, which is something I have encountered regularly on the California Zephyr and the Sunset Limited routes.

I've had good and bad service on trains, on planes, and in hotels all over the world, but I've never really seen the sort "sucks to be you" attitude I've encountered on Amtrak elsewhere in the service industry. Traveling on Amtrak is not that cheap, in fact it can be rather expensive depending on the situation, and yet some routes seem to expect little or no professionalism from their staff.

I'm with the folks who suggest reporting this with as many details as possible to the home office. If the SCA makes your trip uncomfortable for you then it's your right to make it uncomfortable for Amtrak's HQ in return. If they get tired of fielding calls about lousy service from rude employees then maybe someday they'll do something about it.

This is one area where I feel I have let down other passengers by not calling and reporting rude and indifferent employees I've encountered on Amtrak. Good employees can be tipped to show your appreciation but merely withholding tips from the bad employees doesn't seem to be accomplishing anything. That's something I intend to fix on my next trip.

If I get bad service then I'm going to take the time to make sure someone at Amtrak hears about it. I honestly doubt most of the call center staff ever ride Amtrak themselves, after riding Amtrak for many years you can kind of sense where their knowledge ends and their imagination begins, but if they hear from enough of us then maybe they'll eventually pass it along to someone who can do something about it.

 

[dabrilloman]

I hope it wasn't that I just lucked out with the SCA's on my trips on the CZ and EB the last two weeks. On the westbound CZ I had Gwendolyn, whom I thought did a very good job. I asked her for ice for my small cooler, she came with a small bucket full and checked with me later on to see if I needed more. Always seemed to be around, made sure to find out what time I wanted meal reservations and when I prefered the beds made up. Restrooms were always decent and well stocked. And coming back on the EB I had Pat who also did a nice job. I traveled out of Portland on April 1st, which of course was the first day of the amenities cuts. It was most likely overstock, but she did have champagne to go with the catered meal out of Portland. I had the salmon which I thought was very good. She also kept the restrooms in good shape and always seemed to be there when needed. So like I said I hope Gwendolyn and Pat are more of the rule and not the exception for SCA's.

 

[Steve4031]

Right. And one of their jobs is also to open the door and assist passengers getting off or getting on at stations. So which should they do - 1) get someone's meal because they demand it "right now" or 2) open the door so a passenger can get off for should that passenger take their luggage back up the stairs, walk thru 1 or 2 cars, take their luggage back down the stair and then hope that door is open?

The OP said "would it be possible", not "right now". Iirc this is supposed to be available to any passenger in a sleeping car, not just people with disabilities. Then the only appropriate response from the attendant is, "yes, I'll be glad to take your order as soon as I get these people off at Harpers ferry."

The behavior of the dining car employees on the CZ is simply not acceptable. Report them.

 

[Steve4031]

I did not read carefully so I am deleting my original post.

On this subject, iirc all sleeping car passengers are entitled to this service. No employee should be rude when asked perform this task. Or refuse to do it by hiding or offering excuses.

 

[You_cant_handle_the_truth]

The way I see this, based on my own experience, the on-board employees already have a "full roster" of duties they must perform, and most need to be completed within a certain time.

The sleeper attendant probably already has a long list of items they must attend to, and is already overwhelmed. And here comes an able bodied passenger who is simply too lazy to walk to the dining car, to stuff food into there face. Would you all be happier if the attendant's response was like, "I could fit brining lunch to you at around 4:50, after which, I will finally be able to get a lunch break for myself". No, of course not.

In other words, the sleeper attendant is not your private personal slave.

Same goes for the dining car. The servers there already have a car full of passengers waiting for service; waiting far far longer than the passenger who just walked in, and expects to be immediately attended to, because theirs is "to go". Well, you aren't that special. Waiting your turn would actually involve you standing there for a least an hour, and if they made you do just that, you'll be fuming over that too.

And for what? A rare possibility of a tip, a measly $1 tip? Yea, I know. Many of you all like to brag here that you always leave a $20 tip, but even if that is true, it definitely puts you into a very small minority of passengers.

 

[Jim G.]

There should be more Gwendolyn's on the trains. On the CZ she was my SCA. I asked her if she could wake me at 5:30am. She did and also brought me a cup of fresh coffee, a smile, and a "Good morning".

 

[rrdude]

I'm not making excuses for them, but they do have other duties and responsibilities also. Did you by any chance ask for the meal "right now" - just as the train was nearing a stop or in the morning when s/he has to set many beds - or did you say "when it is convenient"? :huh:

I have not had a problem - when I was considerate of their feelings too. Remember that they are not robots but human being just like you and me.

Dave, even if they do have other duties and responsibilities it's the attitude that they project that just goes beyond the pale....

 

[Steve4031]

Nobody is implying that a sca is a personal slave. I am able bodied and usually go to the diner. I've eaten in my room maybe twice. Once was on the three rivers when my room was on the right side and I wanted to eat lunch and enjoy the view as we went around horseshoe curve. I didn't want to go in the dinette car and be sat on the left side. In this case I evaluated the situation. An excellent sca who had been attentive all morning. The dinette was one car up. As the op did, I asked if it was possible to do this. Explained my purpose, and she was very accommodating. She received a twenty.

The second time was on 22. I was tired of dealing with Polly, the infamous lsa. The sca had already commented on her nasty demeanor. I was in the lax sleeper on the back at the opposite end of train from the diner. I asked about lunch in my room, again explaining my purpose. He was glad to do it and got a twenty.

If either situation involved an attendant that would likely be resistant I would have gone to the diner.

It is possible for a diligent attendant to do this.

 

[VentureForth]

The way I see this, based on my own experience, the on-board employees already have a "full roster" of duties they must perform, and most need to be completed within a certain time.

The sleeper attendant probably already has a long list of items they must attend to, and is already overwhelmed. And here comes an able bodied passenger who is simply too lazy to walk to the dining car, to stuff food into there face. Would you all be happier if the attendant's response was like, "I could fit brining lunch to you at around 4:50, after which, I will finally be able to get a lunch break for myself". No, of course not.

In other words, the sleeper attendant is not your private personal slave.

Same goes for the dining car. The servers there already have a car full of passengers waiting for service; waiting far far longer than the passenger who just walked in, and expects to be immediately attended to, because theirs is "to go". Well, you aren't that special. Waiting your turn would actually involve you standing there for a least an hour, and if they made you do just that, you'll be fuming over that too.

And for what? A rare possibility of a tip, a measly $1 tip? Yea, I know. Many of you all like to brag here that you always leave a $20 tip, but even if that is true, it definitely puts you into a very small minority of passengers.

Your "On Board Experience" wouldn't happen to be as an OBS would it?

The fact is, plenty of SCAs perform their duties with pride and self respect. Others don't. For many, the Union protection that they are offered is incentive to go as long as possible doing the bare minimum or less until caught or reprimanded.

And how do you know that a $5, $10 or $20 tipper is a "minority"? Did you ask 'em? Did they tell you the truth? Are you a <= $1 majority?

From a generic OBS job listing posted right now on the career site:

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

•Must be at least 21 years of age upon completion of classroom training (due to service of alcoholic beverages).

•Successfully complete a customer service aptitude testing instrument.

•Successfully complete drug screening and pre-employment medical exam.

•Be able to lift heavy items.

•Be able to work while standing for long periods of time.

•Must be able to work a variety of hours and days off, including up to eight days away from home crew base.

•Demonstrate a friendly, outgoing, and courteous disposition.

•Must wear company provided uniform, comply with company grooming policies.

COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

Must have good written and oral communications skills and positive attitude.

I don't suspect that it is unreasonable for these "hiring" requirements be maintained throughout employment.

 

[rrdude]

The way I see this, based on my own experience, the on-board employees already have a "full roster" of duties they must perform, and most need to be completed within a certain time.The sleeper attendant probably already has a long list of items they must attend to, and is already overwhelmed. And here comes an able bodied passenger who is simply too lazy to walk to the dining car, to stuff food into there face. Would you all be happier if the attendant's response was like, "I could fit brining lunch to you at around 4:50, after which, I will finally be able to get a lunch break for myself". No, of course not.In other words, the sleeper attendant is not your private personal slave.Same goes for the dining car. The servers there already have a car full of passengers waiting for service; waiting far far longer than the passenger who just walked in, and expects to be immediately attended to, because theirs is "to go". Well, you aren't that special. Waiting your turn would actually involve you standing there for a least an hour, and if they made you do just that, you'll be fuming over that too.And for what? A rare possibility of a tip, a measly $1 tip? Yea, I know. Many of you all like to brag here that you always leave a $20 tip, but even if that is true, it definitely puts you into a very small minority of passengers.

***? Sorry, I'm usually not one for personal attacks, but have u lost your cottin-pickin' mind?

I got stiffed so many times, by so many different "classes/types" of pax you'd be shocked. But it NEVER, EVER, ONCE changed the way I did my job on board. I can only hope u r a troll, just trying to get a reaction....