Below is an email complaint I have submitted to Metro-North this morning. Considering they have just launched a new Customer Care decree I was shocked at the treatment I received last night. Please read below for my account as sent to Metro-North:
I have been a daily weekday commuter on Metro-North between Stratford and GCT for a total of 6 years. Never before have I encountered such extreme rudeness and disrespect from a Metro-North conductor than I did last night (2/20) on the 4:34 p.m. train from GCT to Stratford.
I sat in what I thought was the third car from the head of the train. The conductor came through to take tickets as we were going through Westchester and let me know that I would need to walk back for Stratford. OK.
Then as we got into CT I heard on the PA that the first 2 cars and the last 2 cars would not platform in Stratford. I then thought I was OK to be where I was (the third car) that I now did not have to walk back.
When we left Bridgeport I got up from my seat and walked back a car anyway because I wasn't sure if I was in the 2nd or 3rd car from the front. As we started to come into Stratford station I heard over the loudspeaker, "The first 2 cars in Stratford will not platform, YOU standing there at the door, I must have made the announcement a million times, you need to walk back."
I did not know that the conductor was talking to me -- i.e. publicly shaming. As we pulled into the station I realized that my door wasn't on the platform so I quickly ran back a car, the conductor was waving at me.
I got off the train, the conductor was in his control booth window.
I said: "You said the first 2 cars, there has got to be 3 cars off the front of the platform."
"There are actually 4 cars off the front of the platform," he said, "but the first 2 cars aren't opened so I don't count them."
"How am I supposed to know that?" I asked.
"I told you to move back," he said
"But then after that you said 2 cars off the platform when there is clearly 4 off of the platform," I said.
"I don't count the unopened cars," he answered.
At that point I started walking away. He continued to yell at me as I walked into the parking lot "HAVE A GOOD NIGHT! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! MERRY CHRISTMAS."
Again, publicly embarassing me for the second time. I was upset, because clearly it was misinformation. If he had validated over the PA that the first 2 cars were closed so that I knew the first 2 OPENED cars were the ones that were off the platform there wouldn't be a problem.
This particular conductor usually is on the 7:05 train out of GCT into New Haven, he is ALWAYS on the PA talking about the bar car, publicly doing shoutouts to passengers and just using the PA as his platform, talking about tipping your bartender in the bar car, etc. He is incessant and disruptive and a bully.
I don't know if this complaint will change anything but it is something you should be aware of especially because you have just launched the Customer Care decree within the last month or so.
I now pay around $372 (approx) a month for a commute in dirty cars, with no heat (case and point this morning 6:59 a.m. train from Stratford), I usually only get to ride on a new train approx twice a month and now I get shouted and embarassed by your employees?
This is completely unacceptable, get your act together and practice what you preach.
