Amtrak

Hester is a super lady when it comes to accommodating her passengers along w/ the staff today on my Amtrak ride .. I have never seen a better job done w/ services ! Thx so much to this team making our train ride AWESOME!

I called Amtrak Customer Service to get a quote for travel at 1-800-872-7245. I received a call back from 1-610-387-2289 at 844AM Washington State time. The customer rep that called me back started off kind of rough, I usually tell them that is ok and get off the phone because I can tell this will be a bad experience but needed the info on schedule and prices so I proceeded with the call.

The customer rep was a little rough around the edges the whole call but then after the pricing , I politely informed her it would be cheaper to fly and that I did not want to reserve a ride. She immediately responded rudely with, thank you for calling have a good day and hung up with out any response from me. Very rude and unprofessional.

I hope by submitting this that someone from Amtrak will check into this negative experience I had with Amtrak Customer Service today. I believe I have called in the past and had a similar experience. I don't understand if you are not a people person, have no patience with people. Why? Are you a Customer Service Rep for any company? Thank you..

On January 29, We (my daughter and I) filed a complaint due to the poor services I received throughout our roundtrip. I have yet to receive a copy of my complaint.
I went to the Fort Hood VA Emergency Room in Temple, Texas. I did not use Medicare. I only have Medicare A and have never used it as it only covers hospitalization. I am a veteran and use only the VA facilities. Enclosed are the copies of the discharge report from the VA facilities. I went to the San Diego Naval Hospital Emergency room a week after my visit to the Ft. Hood VA.
The following are the problems we had during the trip from LA to Temple on the Texas Eagle (train 2230):
1. Door to my room was very difficult to open and close. Major safety hazard
2. The call bell didn’t work
3. All the toilets in our car were out of order. We had to proceed to the next car to use the bathroom.
4. Upon my return from lunch the train jerked so much and so hard that as I was descending down the stairs, I fell down a flight causing me to injuries to my arm, hips and back and two ladies assisted me to my room. I was in a lot of pain for a little over two weeks.
The following are the problems we had during the return from Dallas to LA on the Texas Eagle (train 2130)
5. The train was approximately 5 hours late causing us to miss lunch that was included with our purchase.
6. Electric outlets kept going out rendering my daughter’s cpap inoperable and further inconveniencing me to physically get the attendant to reset multiple times throughout the night.
7. The Attendant Alexi overslept causing me to miss my breakfast because he would not answer the call bell. My daughter said he woke up when she was assisting the elderly couple (Joe and Mary Ballinger) at about 0930.
8. My daughter assisted a elderly couple after breakfast because Alexi was asleep and they needed to be able to sit down. She also said that everyone’s cabin call bell was lit up on the top car.
9. I had to go to the dining room for lunch because the attendant did not come to take my order earlier. My call bell was on for over an hour. The train was delayed several times for hours causing our arrival time to LA to be well after lunch and when we went to the dining car, they said they were out of food but would comp us at the café. The café said they were out of meals but would comp us snack/junk food.

The following was the problems we had during the return trip from LA to Seattle:
10. Our cabin smelled heavily over urine the whole return ride. The attendant attempted to attribute the smell deriving from the ventilation system but my daughter checked other cabins and inquired with other customers and there was no smell. I strongly believe that someone had urinated quite a bit on one of the sleepers. The floors were filthy!
I cannot believe how bad Amtrak services has declined. I use to love traveling by train. For $1500.00 and my daughters $720.16 I expected so much more. I have experienced so much more in the past! I could not get a train schedules on any of the legs of our trip. All the attendants explained they don’t provide them anymore. Again, I would like my daughter and I to receive a refund for services not rendered and the injury that occurred ruining my vacation.
I would also like a copy of the complaint my daughter and I made by phone to the customer Relations department.

Dear Mr**:Thank you for your recent correspondence.I appreciate your taking the time to bring this issue to my attentionI have contacted Amtrak Customer Relations regarding the discrepancy of the Amtrak Guest Rewards bonus points that you did not receiveAs a courtesy, Amtrak Guest Rewards has confirmed that the bonus points have been added to your Guest Rewards accountPlease accept our most sincere apologies for your inconvenience.Once again, thank you for writingWe look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future.Sincerely,Aluster LF [redacted] Customer Relations Specialist

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response If you wish, you may update it before sending it.] Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is acceptable although not entirely satisfactory to me it was not only the poor travel conditions but also the lack of communication by the Amtrak employees to the passengers I will accept this only because I know that I am spitting into the windIf you truly wanted my return bussiness you could have offered something more substantial like a private car or at least half of the total we paidI was and am more than willing to discuss further, but knowing the world works I will be practical smile and say thank you but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for me to use your travel voucherA little could have gone a long way in this situationI had always dreamed of taking the train across country when I was a kidAt years old I finally got to do it, and it was, along with the lack of sympathy far below what I had thought it would beFor that reason I say thank you for your offer I regretably accept soley because at this point I don't believe I will try AMTRAK again Regards, [redacted]

Go ahead and brush this off like nothing and ill accept the responseits not like anything is going to change, its all going to remain the sameAmtrak can best believe ill never ride the train again

From: S***, Vanessa Sent: Friday, January 30, 3:PMTo: ' [redacted] 'Subject: Amtrak Response Dear [redacted] :We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.comI was sorry to hear that the assistance that your father expected was not provided to him Please be assured that Amtrak is absolutely committed both to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act We calibrate our service to assure that we are providing full access to our passengers with disabilities As part of our ongoing efforts to provide superior service to our customers with disabilities, an enormously important segment of the American population, we provide in depth training for our on-board and station employees Please accept my sincere apologies for your father’s inconvenience.It was disappointing to read about the problems you experienced with regard to the difference in fares you had to pay when making any changes to your father’s reservation There is no penalty charged when customers have to exchange tickets Amtrak, similar to airlines, uses a pricing system that allows fare reductions based upon availability when tickets are purchased in advance The fares can vary depending upon the train, date, and how many seats or accommodations have already been sold on a particular train at a given point in time Under this system, there are several possible fares from one point to another The deepest discounts are offered first and the remaining discounts continue until all are sold out When you had to make changes to your father’s reservation , the agent correctly offered you the best available fare I apologize that the same or a lower fare was not available.Please accept my apologies for the delays your father experienced Most of the track over which Amtrak operates is owned by freight railroads with which Amtrak has contractual agreements Unfortunately, our trains can be delayed by a large number of freight trains utilizing the same tracks While we do not guarantee on-time performance, we understand that delays inconvenience our passengers We are making every effort to deliver our passengers to their destinations in a timely manner I regret that we failed on this occasionWe also apologize for the toilet malfunction your father experienced during your journey Amtrak's first priority is to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation We have concentrated our efforts on expediting repairs to equipment, rails and rights of way Our progress thus far includes major overhauls of sleepers, coaches, locomotives and track We are committed to bringing our equipment and services to the level of comfort that you have come to expect, and will continue to work toward this goal.Regarding your report of your father’s injury, a different office handles these matters Kindly contact Amtrak’s Injury Reporting Hotline at ###-###-#### regarding your concernsI am sorry you feel that the Transportation Certificate provided by our Customer Relations Desk is unsatisfactory Amtrak’s policy is not to offer refunds when transportation is provided Therefore, we feel that the Transportation Certificate for the full value of your father’s fare is fair compensation Therefore, we are holding on file for your father a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $1, The Certificate must be redeemed on or before October 28, and is not transferable I hope your father will use it toward his next Amtrak ticket purchase To redeem the Certificate, please have him call 1-800-USA-RAIL, make a reservation, and then ask to speak with Customer Relations Our Customer Relations Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of a.mand p.m Please note that the Certificate is being held electronically and can only be redeemed by calling Customer RelationsOnce again, thank you for writing While I cannot compensate you at the level you requested, we value your patronage and hope we may serve you again under better circumstances.Sincerely, Vanessa S*Customer Relations SpecialistOffice of Customer RelationsWashington, DC

To: ' [redacted] ' Subject: Amtrak Response Dear [redacted] : We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com I am sorry to learn that your daughter was removed from the train when they traveled in June It is regrettable when a situation such as this occurs Each train has a Conductor who is in charge of it The Conductor is responsible for maintaining smooth operation of the train At the discretion of the Conductor passengers may be removed from the train with the assistance of Amtrak Police or the local police when warranted We regret such an occurrence There are a number of reasons that it may occur, and I am sorry this happened to your daughter Once again, thank you for writing We value your patronage and hope we may serve you again under better circumstances Sincerely, Vanessa S [redacted] Customer Relations Specialist Office of Customer Relations Washington, DC

From: S***, Vanessa Sent: Monday, April 06, 1:PMTo: ' [redacted] @***.com'Subject: Amtrak Response Dear [redacted] :We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com.I would like to sincerely apologize for the delays you experienced and the lack of communication you received when you traveled from Del Rio to Los Angeles in March In a situation such as this, we expect our employees to provide the most up-to-date information available We are sorry that you received otherwise We are working hard to improve the level of customer service that we deliver to each of our passengers and regret that we did not meet your expectations A copy of your letter has been forwarded to the responsible management for review and corrective action in hopes we can provide better service in the future Please accept my sincere apology for your inconvenience.Amtrak normally does not provide refunds in these types of cases However, due to the circumstances of your case, an exception has been made I have authorized an automated credit in the amount of $to be made to your [redacted] account This transaction was performed electronically and no paper credit slip was generated It should appear on your statement electronically within to business days Depending upon your bank’s procedures, it may take one or two billing cycles to appear on your account statement received in the mail or viewed online.As a token of my regrets for your disappointment, I am holding on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $ The Certificate must be redeemed on or before April 5, and is not transferable I hope you will use it toward your next Amtrak ticket purchase To redeem the Certificate, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL, make a reservation, and then ask to speak with Customer Relations Our Customer Relations Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of a.mand p.m Please note that your Certificate is being held electronically and can only be redeemed by calling Customer RelationsOnce again, thank you for writing We look forward to the privilege of serving you again in the future.Sincerely, Vanessa S*Customer Relations SpecialistOffice of Customer RelationsWashington, DC

From: [redacted] < [redacted] >Date: Wed, Nov 26, at 10:AMSubject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint # [redacted] .To: "[email protected]" I would like to add that upon travel the menu was completely misleading charging for a salad with dinner when online stated included As several other things were out of date.....The employees were beyond courteous and a pleasure if not for that it would have been trio from hell

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:This was AMtraks fault my bank even covered all charges I incurred and gave me a curtosy deposit till Amtracks debit/credit card vender reversed the charges The only money I am still out is the plus dollars I lost not being able to pay my work crews So Amtrak can blame my financial institution all they wantI am not as ignorant as most that they will believe that it "is the banks fault" and I am not as ignorant as thier employees that insulted me along with the bank managers by telling her she was not who she was and not educated Actually since my experiance there have been others that have been to my bank with Amtrak issues You can bet I will never use the services againEven though the employees on the train were amazing and you can bet any person that asks me about my experiance dealing with Amtrak will get my honest opinion about the CSR's on the phone and the ineffiecany of your internet transactionsRegards, (you inserted regards they have anything but my REGARDS) [redacted]

From: S***, Vanessa Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 9:AM To: ' [redacted] ' Subject: Amtrak Response Dear [redacted] : We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com Regarding your inquiry about a survey, I have been unable to find any information regarding a survey, which promised a cruise upon completion of same I, also, am unable to find any travel information for you in July Please accept my apologies for your inconvenience Without further information, I will not be able to assist you Once again, thank you for writing We value your patronage Sincerely, Vanessa S [redacted] Customer Relations Specialist Office of Customer

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: this is not acceptable you admit your service was terrible , hours late is unacceptable, a few hours understandable but ten is just outright garbage, and you offer me a voucher, ? why would I want to use your service every again after the way I was treated this is not acceptable, there is no where I need to go in the next year that I cant drive myself Regards, [redacted]

January 5, 2015Dear [redacted] :Thank you for your recent correspondence.We are disappointed that you experienced a problem receiving with your Amtrak Guest Rewards pointsWe can certainly understand the inconvenience and frustration this caused youPlease accept our most sincere apologies for your inconvenience.Our records indicate that you were awarded points on July 12, for your [redacted] purchase dated May 9, Your account was credited an additional points on October 29, 2014, for your [redacted] purchase dated May 9, We are unable to locate any purchase through the Points for Shopping website dated on May 25, We have verified that your account was rewarded points on June 23, for your [redacted] purchase.Please contact Amtrak Guest Rewards with any questions that you may have regarding your accountTo speak with Amtrak Guest Rewards, please call ###-###-####Our Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of a.mand p.mEastern Time.Once again, thank you for writingWe look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future.Sincerely,Aluster FCustomer Relations Specialist

From: [redacted] < [redacted] > Date: Thu, Sep 25, at 9:AM Subject: Re: open cases To: "S***, Vanessa" This was closed as 'Resolved' 8-20- On Thu, Sep 25, at 8:AM, S***, Vanessa < [redacted] > wrote: Hi [redacted] , Did you get my response to [redacted] It’s your ID [redacted] I received a notice that it was closed as unresolved Thanks Vanessa S [redacted] Customer Relations Specialist Office of Customer Relations Washington, DC Phone: ###-###-#### Fax: ###-###-####

October 29, 2014Dear [redacted] :Thank you for your recent inquiry.I am sorry that you feel the refund amount of your Gift Certificate is unsatisfactoryWe can certainly understand the inconvenience and frustration this may have caused you.The Gift Certificate which you submitted to our Refund Center was valued at $In accordance with our Refund Policy for Gift Certificates, a refund fee of 10% of the certificate value up to a maximum of $will applyWe authorized an automated credit in the amount of $which was applied to the [redacted] account by which the tickets were purchasedThis procedure has been performed electronically on August 8, 2014.We look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future.Sincerely:Aluster FCustomer Relations Specialist

From: S***, Vanessa Sent: Friday, April 10, 5:PMTo: ' [redacted] 'Subject: Amtrak Response Dear Mr***:We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.comWe are so sorry that you received misinformation from one of our reservation agents with regard to the hold limit on your reservation In spite of our best efforts, there are always those times when communication breaks down and misunderstandings result Please accept our sincere apologiesAs a token of my regrets for your disappointment, I am holding on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $ The Certificate must be redeemed on or before April 9, and is not transferable I hope you will use it toward your next Amtrak ticket purchase To redeem the Certificate, please call 1-800- [redacted] , make a reservation, and then ask to speak with Customer Relations Our Customer Relations Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of a.mand p.m Please note that the Certificate is being held electronically and can only be redeemed by calling Customer Relations It may help to refer to the case number listed below when calling Once again, thank you for writing We value your patronageSincerely, Vanessa S*Customer Relations SpecialistOffice of Customer RelationsWashington, DCCase #: [redacted]

From: S***, Vanessa Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 1:PM To: ' [redacted] ' Subject: Amtrak Response Dear [redacted] : We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com We are disappointed that you experienced a delay while traveling with us We can certainly understand the inconvenience and frustration this caused you We are working hard on a number of fronts to improve our ability to run on schedule In spite of our best efforts, delays due to weather, mechanical difficulties, other rail traffic, or operational factors are an unwelcome but unavoidable part of the transportation business Please accept our most sincere apologies for your inconvenience Amtrak does not offer refunds in these types of cases; however, as a token of my regrets for your disappointment, an electronic Transportation Certificate in the amount of $is being held on file It is valid towards the purchase of future Amtrak travel The Certificate must be redeemed on or before July 25, and is not transferable To redeem the Certificate, kindly call our toll-free number, 1-800-USA-RAIL (###-###-####), and ask for the Customer Relations Desk prior to making payment on a reservation The Customer Relations Desk is openMonday through Fridays between the hours of 7:a.mand 10:p.mEastern Time Once again, thank you for writing We value your patronage Sincerely, Vanessa S [redacted] Customer Relations Specialist Office of Customer Relations Washington, DC

November 10, 2014Dear [redacted] ***:Thank you for your recent correspondence.We are sorry that there is no record of your changing your departure date to October 27, In spite of our best efforts, there are always those times when communication breaks down and misunderstandings resultPlease accept our sincere apologies.Amtrak offers several different fare costs between each city pairThe least expensive fares are sold on a first come first served basisOnce these fares are sold the next highest fare is offeredAt the time your reservation was modified the lowest available fare resulted in your paying an increase for the difference.We must respectfully decline your reimbursement request.As a courtesy, we have enclosed a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $which is valid towards future Amtrak travelKindly refer to the reverse side for usage instructions.Once again, thank you for writingWe look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future.Sincerely,Aluster FCustomer Relations Specialist

From: S***, Vanessa Sent: Thursday, September 25, 11:AM To: ' [redacted] ' Subject: Amtrak Response Dear [redacted] ***: We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from Revdex.com Let me apologize on Amtrak’s behalf for the delays and service disruption that your relatives experienced when they traveled with us in August We certainly understand the frustration this caused you Delays due to weather, mechanical difficulties, other rail traffic, or operational factors are an unwelcome but unavoidable part of the transportation business Please accept my sincere apology for their inconvenience Because good customer service is very important to us, I was disturbed by your description of the unacceptable service your relatives received We expect every Amtrak employee to treat our customers with courtesy and respect and to perform their duties in a professional manner We are sorry that you received otherwise Your comments have been forwarded to the responsible manager for appropriate action As a token of my regrets for your relative’s disappointment, two electronic Transportation Certificate in the amount of $each is being held on file for [redacted] and [redacted] It is valid towards the purchase of future Amtrak travel The Certificate must be redeemed on or before September 25, and is not transferable To redeem the Certificate, please kindly call our toll-free number, 1-800-USA-RAIL (###-###-####), and ask for the Customer Relations Desk prior to making payment on a reservation The Customer Relations Desk is open Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 7:a.mand 10:p.mEastern Time Again, thank you for writing We hope to see you on board again soon Sincerely, Vanessa S [redacted] Customer Relations Specialist Office of Customer Relations Washington, DC