The News: Amtrak has been making investments to its infrastructure, network, and stations while looking at its fare structures and amenities to deliver positive CX. More background on these announcements can be found on the Amtrak Media Center website.
Amtrak Approaches CX with a Variety of Strategies and Technologies
Analyst Take: The travel and hospitality sector has always needed to walk the line between internal operational and cost efficiencies and personal attention to the guest or traveler. The global COVID-19 pandemic caused many companies to reassess their priorities and current technology and services, focusing on those that will result in even greater efficiencies and a higher likelihood of smooth, friction-free journeys, and positive CX for those traveling.
I was recently able to chat with Kimberly Woods, senior public relations manager at Amtrak, about CX and how it is being supported at Amtrak.
“We think about customer experience across all access points from trip planning, to purchasing tickets, to using our stations, trains, and services. Throughout that whole process, we want it to be friction free and welcoming,” said Woods.
Amtrak’s customer service commitments center around a 10-point pledge that supports the company’s goals of providing safe, efficient, and comfortable travel while keeping customers informed. The enhancements and actions taken in support of CX focus on many of these points.
Upgrades and Enhancements Help CX
“Amtrak has been doing a lot of work to improve CX across several touchpoints,” said Woods. “This is wide-ranging and includes efforts such as enhancing accessibility for our customers with disabilities, making improvements at stations such as building new platforms, installing elevators, and reconfiguring parking. It also encompasses renovating restrooms and waiting rooms in stations.”
Amtrak is looking for ways to expand and improve upon its Wi-Fi, which can be challenging as the trains travel through tunnels and stations and across water. Right now, there is free basic Wi-Fi service on select trains and stations throughout the country, including the popular Acela route from Boston to Washington DC.
The company has also been improving dining options, particularly on long distance routes. This year, Amtrak introduced traditional dining for First Class private room customers aboard the Silver Meteor and Silver Star trains operating daily between New York and Miami.
The company is upping its game in this area, as evidenced by its partnership with restaurateur Stephen Starr. First class Acela route passengers have access to a featured entrée every season from one of the STARR Groups restaurants.
Leveraging Digital Technology for Communications
One of the crucial pieces of CX, especially in travel and hospitality, is communications, particularly having the ability for multiple channels to be leveraged.
“We have been doing a lot of work with our digital technology to improve the customer experience. For example, through our mobile app, the customer can plan for and book a ticket. And the app is also where we provide customers with important information on status and updates such as if there’s going to be a delay or a cancellation. That can all be done via our mobile app, but we also can provide that as a text message to customers or phone call and just depends on how the customer wants to be contacted,” said Woods.
Feedback is also solicited via a variety of mechanisms. Passengers receive a survey at the end of the trip and for other, more specific initiatives such as the one undertaken regarding accessible train travel, there were public meetings, in addition to a web-based survey tool.
Creating Offers that Resonate
While a revamped fare structure might not scream exciting innovation, it shows that Amtrak is in touch with what its customers want and is offering a bit of flexibility and personalization that is really important to customers and helps build brand loyalty.
A recently announced flexible, simplified and affordable fare structure has been introduced and is part of Amtrak’s continued efforts to create an easier booking experience. Fare structures have been reduced from three categories to two and introduced some new layers of flexibility with refunds in addition to some less expensive value options.
I mentioned to Kimberly my own personal experience on the Acela line, starting when I was in college and heading up or down the coast to visit DC or Boston and then continuing through to some girls’ weekends (let’s just say … many years after that). And how my needs and expectations changed during that time period. Amtrak crafts offers for all these personas and stages of life, offering Night Owl fares, an update on children’s discounts, and Share Fares, for group travel.
Said Woods, “Amtrak wants to make sure that we are really responding to our customers’ needs and providing them with the service they want. Our ridership has really increased with more leisure travelers and new groups of customers – some of whom may not have been on Amtrak train before. Amtrak offers a unique travel experience and we want to provide new and loyal passengers a welcoming and exceptional experience.”
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
Other insights from The Futurum Group:
Journera Introduces TripSignals to Smooth Travel Customer Journeys
Booking a Trip? The Digital Experience Matters
Delta Airlines Rolling Out Personalized Digital Experience for Mobile Devices
Author Information
As a detail-oriented researcher, Sherril is expert at discovering, gathering and compiling industry and market data to create clear, actionable market and competitive intelligence. With deep experience in market analysis and segmentation she is a consummate collaborator with strong communication skills adept at supporting and forming relationships with cross-functional teams in all levels of organizations.
She brings more than 20 years of experience in technology research and marketing; prior to her current role, she was a Research Analyst at Omdia, authoring market and ecosystem reports on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and User Interface technologies. Sherril was previously Manager of Market Research at Intrado Life and Safety, providing competitive analysis and intelligence, business development support, and analyst relations.
Sherril holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from University of Colorado, Boulder and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University.
