Amtrak Survey: How's your Long-Term Memory?

Forty-five days after the travel, that's a month and a half folks, I received a very detailed survey from Amtrak asking about one specific segment of my trip.

It's mostly multiple-choice. There's no "I forget" answer. I remember plenty about that trip generally, but I didn't know I was supposed to keep the memory separated by travel-segment for a quiz after more than a month!

So this is your warning! Next time you travel, take your clipboard.

Personally, I carry a pocket notebook.

I've gotten that survey a couple of times. I thought there was a no comment or "N/A" option. Anyway, my train trips usually linger in memory for quite awhile, so it's not an issue for me.

These "marketing surveys" I have always found to be annoying. Amtrak, along with (IMHO) "too much" of the hospitality industry makes use of them.

Stay anywhere at a Marriott brand hotel, you can be sure the "marketing survey' will not be far behind. I even learned that my Sister received "marketing surveys" from my (decd) Father's Marriott managed nursing home.

Take my auto in for dealer servicing, that's good for a two pager. Attend a seminar? more of same. Here, there is always the chance the sponsor will withhold reporting of your CEU to the licensing agency account course incomplete.

I have learned that it is pointless not to respond; they will simply nag you with e-mails and , God forbid, telephone calls until you do.

Possibly those around here with hospitality backgrounds (Mr. Drumcorps) will disagree, but as far as I'm concerned, "Hey, I voted for your service with my $$$, aint that enough?".

I tend to agree with Mr. Norman on this one. But I am generally not a fan of most "marketing" - I find it to generally stifle innovation and tends to dumb things down. And don't even get me started on focus groups.

(In the irony/hypocrisy department, I should note that I work for a marketing firm. But all that marketing does tend to pay the mortgage

On a side note, the newest annoying hotel trend is TV on the elevators! What moron thought that up?

Anyway, I usually send a short and fairly dispassionate email to Amtrak after every trip, and always get a response from them - but I've never received a survey from them.

Don't be so quick to dismiss customer surveys. As someone who works in the conference facilities of a hotel, we find the survey feedback to be an important tool in maintaining our service standards. They show us where are strengths and weaknesses are, so we can adjust our procedures where necessary. We learn a lot by what our customers say after their event. They tend to be more honest than they are face to face. By filling them out you give Amtrak, or whoever, the opportunity to identify and fix problems.

I guess you have a point to some extent, Mr. Toy.

I can recall attending a Not for Profit Conference, long' about 1996, at an "ultra-high-commercial property" (alright, Fairmont) that under a contractual provision I had with a Child Welfare Agency client, I was required to attend (the State Accountancy Board didn't care but the Agency did).

Anyone else around here near the financial end of the Not for Profit community knows what impact SFAS 116 & 117 had to their agencies. They were "popping" stuff at this seminar I HAD to know in order for me to properly service this client (my other NFP's as well).

Well, the audio "uh not exactly" worked (for Mr. Toy, it "cut in and out" and his counterpart at the Chi Fairmont was unable to address it). Nevertheless, I guess enough of the 300 seminar participants "sounded off" on their surveys (including me) that the sponsor chose to offer 10% off the fee (about $500) next year.

Great amends, but at least they tried.

I've received those surveys at a Student Government meetings I attended during Junior High.

AmtrakFan

I guess I should modify my original statement a bit - I don't have a problem with customer survey cards or things like that. As Mr. Toy points out, they do shed light on both strengths and weaknesses of the operation. The thing I don't like, and is all too common, is when they are so poorly designed that all the guest is doing is filling out some generic multiple choice questions with no chance for input based on their specific experience.

Also, the comment card should be in the room at the time of the trip or sent no later than two weeks after the trip if you really want to get a customer's opinion.

updrumcorpsguy wrote:Also, the comment card should be in the room at the time of the trip or sent no later than two weeks after the trip if you really want to get a customer's opinion.

We had comment cards in our room on the CZ in 2000. Haven't seen them since. However, it costs money to print them, and relatively few get returned. The e-version is more cost-effective. The company I work for has gone exclusively to the electronic comment cards.

Amtrak sends out the surveys because they want your feedback. 45 days is enough time for your emotions to settle down and provide a logical response to their questions.

How would you suggest Amtrak go about getting feedback from customers? The only other way I know Amtrak gets feedback is when people write them letters on how horrible their trip was!