Props to Amtrak. I find it important to recognize (even in a small way) good customer service, mostly because in this day and age it's somewhat of a rarity, especially in the transportation sector.
So, the gist. A couple of weeks ago I booked Amtrak tickets, as I typically do in order to travel to my parents' house that's around 2 hours west of Chicago. I really don't mind taking Amtrak since I don't have to deal with traffic or pay insane gas prices (which is perfect since I'm in full support of reducing dependence on this resource), and it's actually a nice, easy ride. Plus it's cheap--$30 round trip. The only bad thing about it is that I don't exactly live next door to Union Station, where I depart and arrive back to, so hauling luggage and taking public transportation to get there and back isn't exactly a chill-dog event.
Anyway, so, I'm supposed to leave today at 5:55 pm from Chicago. I looked at my confirmation email just to make sure everything was set. Uh, glad I did. I noticed that my email noted a September 18th departure date. Um, today is the 17th. Right?! I checked my desktop calender icon on my computer. Sure enough, the 17th. My computer is right, right? Checked the iphone. Yep, for sure.
OK, soooo, small panic, but no big deal because the Amtrak is almost NEVER full. In all actuality, it's always pretty much not even close to full. That glass is half empty. So I called Amtrak to modify this slight oversight. I'm almost positive that I booked the trip for the 17th because I had planned on that departure date for weeks now.
Surely, I am not to blame.
So I call and go through the automated blah blah blah, and it sends me to a ticketing agent. So I brace myself to remain calm at all times because ticketing agents are skillfully and strategically trained to be matter of fact, you know how they are. Whatever is on their screen is on their screen and they have no time for any excuses. So, Lamisha gets on the phone, and from the second she sighed into the phone before even introducing herself, I knew this was going to get sticky.
Lamisha:*sigh*...thank you for...........calling Amtrak Ticketing Services, this is Lamisha, how may I serve your ticket-...........ting needs..........today...?
This was stated in several non-sugarcoated, flat, decaffeinated, non-interested breaths/sighs.
Me: Hi, um, I just noticed that my ticket was printed wrong...weirdest thing...I had booked it for a departure date on the 17th weeks ago, and now that I'm getting ready to leave, I double checked the confirmation email and, I have no idea why, but it says I'm leaving on the 18th. I need to leave today, can you modify the date for..
Lamisha: Sir what is your reservation number, slowly please.
Me: Blah.....blah....blah blah...blah....blah blah.
Lamisha: *sigh*...sir it says right here you booked your ticket with a departure date on the 18th.
Me: Shoot, OK, well I need to leave today. Can you help me?
Lamisa: Sir, I'll change it, but that requires you to pay today's ticket rate which is $6 more than what you already paid.
Me: Um, hmm, is there any way around that because I was under the impression I put in the 17th? I'm not really modifying my reservation, I'm trying to get it back to the way it was originally planned.
Lamisha: Sir, no, no, sir there is no way around this. This ticket was booked online. You put in the dates. I didn't. I am not responsible for this error, you either pay today's ticket rate or you travel tomorrow.
Me: I understand this was probably on my end, but it was an accident. I just want..
Lamisha: Sir, you have the two options I just said, do you want me to repeat them...?
Me: Um, I want to talk to someone else.
Lamisha: Mhm, of course you do...
I was transferred on impact. She probably Z-snapped me immediately preceding the transfer operation. So, I'm slightly amused at how ridiculous this is, but slightly frustrated that I potentially have to pay more money to change this reservation. Yes it's only $6 and yes, again, it was probably my fault anyway, but still...there's no reason for me to pay today's fare. The same amount of people are going to be on tomorrow's train that are going to be on today's train. I'm not crowding the train or jamming up the system. I'm just changing days. No, no...I'm fixing the scheduling error somebody made. I had always planned to leave today anyway. No biggie, right? I didn't think so...
So I pressed on, apparently being transferred to customer relations.
Markus: Hello, my name is Markus, an agent for Amtrak's Customer Relations Department, how are you doing today?
Me: I'm doing well, thanks, how are you?
Markus: Very well. Do you have an issue I can help you resolve?
Me: Well, I guess so, I need to modify my reservation and Lamisha, the ticketing agent, said I couldn't do that unless I pay today's going rate in addition to what I already paid for the tickets. Somehow, my ticket says I leave tomorrow when I booked it to leave today.
Markus: Alright Sir, what is your reservation number?
Me: Blah blah blah......
Markus: One moment Sir, we'll have your ticket modified so that you safely arrive to your destination today. Ah yes, you are scheduled to leave tomorrow, and you'd like to leave today at the same time, I presume?
Me: Correct!
Markus: Alright Sir, give me one moment and I will reset your itinerary to today. Okay, you're off and running! You leave Chicago today at 5:55 pm from Gate D, anything else I can do for you?
Me: Awesome, thanks Markus! I appreciate it. That's all I needed.
Markus: OK then, thank you for calling, and safe travels!
YEAH, LAMISHA. That's how it should be done. YES, I get it, it was probably my fault in the first place but, at the end of the day, that's how you treat a customer you are providing a service to.
To turn the tables, I too have no patience with rude/stupid people. I don't necessarily believe myself to be rude or stupid, but I'm sure I annoyed Lamisha to no end. I am the person/my situation was exactly the thing that makes her day redundant and irritating, yes, agreed. Fine. But long ago, I also recognized that I have no customer service skills whatsoever and would be HORRIBLE at handling annoying, stupid people all day. I mean, I'm always very nice to customer service people when shit happens...I fully realize that it's an enormously sucky job to deal with often overly enraged morons that want someone to fix their mistakes, got it, but still, in the sphere of all that is customer service there's a way to handle it, and there's a way not to handle it. Lamisha's attitude was that of, I hate my job, I hate customers, and I especially hate you Mr. Sumner. Whereas Markus' attitude was I have bills to pay, I'm going to do my job to the best of my ability, and I'm going to talk to customers like actual people, whether they are or not. Personally, I'm always try my best to be nice to people, everyone, regardless if I want to be. I don't do confrontation, I don't do back talking, and I'm not desensitized to understanding and appreciating those whom are different.
Lamisha, I'm sure you're on the verge of quitting anyway, or maybe you're just trying to get through your work day the only way you know how. I get it. Someone once freaked out at me when I worked at Pacific Sunwear years ago for something that had nothing to do with me, but that's just the name of the game. I'm nice, so why don't you be nice?
Be like Markus.
Cheers to Markus.
