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October 8, 2007
An Amtrak Experience
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Brand & Identity
The commercial above is an Amtrak commercial from this year. I like it. I'm a Coldplay fan, so I like the "Coldplay-ish" music. The whole thing makes Amtrak seem like a friendly, modern, smart way to travel. Perhaps even I should consider it for a relaxing vacation getaway.
The only problem is that's not the experience I have almost every week. I take the train to work every day. Some days, depending on the time, the train I catch is an Amtrak heading south to San Diego instead of the usual commuter train. Last night was one of those nights.
One of the Amtrak conductors got onto the PA and announced which train we were on and where it was going--so far, so good. Then she began to explain that the cafe car was not yet open. This is what she said (added irritation in italics): "The cafe is closed. That means there shouldn't be anyone down here! As soon as we get everyone on the train we will get going, people!"
Now I know that train passengers can be unruly, and anytime you're asked to corral a lot of people it can get irritating. I don't mean to pick on Amtrak. But it would probably be in their best interest to work on instilling customer service and training policies that make their advertising true.
It was a good reminder that people judge your brand not on your intentions (advertising) but your actual actions (product or service).
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