The phrase that sums up my experience with American Limousine LLC is "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride". My first initial introduction with Bill Payne and his company was quite pleasant. The planning process was easy and Bill had everything mapped out very nicely and he was very friendly to work with.
Things changed the day of our tour. Since I had such a wonderful planning experience with Bill, I figured that the day was set and there would be no more worries... boy was I wrong! First, when he escorted us to the 'party bus' I was a little taken back since it wasn't the limo we had discussed, however I was actually quite excited since it would be easier for our party of 12 to get in and out of. Once entering the bus, I was completely taken back! It was unlike any party bus I have ever been on it looked more like an Airport Shuttle!! We tried to not let this sway our opinions of what the day was going to bring so we pressed on.
We arrived safely to the 1st winery seeing as our ride was the furthest away from smooth! The winery was fantastic! The staff was absolutely wonderful... the opposite was said about Bill's behavior. He marched around the back of the bar like he was the owner and then he decided that he was a part of the group and started drinking!!!! He decided that four tastings was not enough and when one of the girls decided to pour her wine out HE TOOK THE GLASS OUT OF HER HAND AND DRANK OUT IT!!!! Completely uncalled for! The staff finally noticed what was going on and when we told them he was our driver they cut him off (they thought he was a member of our group).
Now I knew where my day was heading... I was going to have to be the Designated Person for our not-so Designated Driver! We proceeded onto our second winery, which was just as delightful as the first! However, I had to run in prior to my group entering the tasting room to inform them not to serve our driver!! Completely unprofessional and uncalled for! Apparently, Bill's hearing is just as bad as his driving since it took my sister, the Bride, to get curt with Bill and tell him that he was not to have a tasting... his response should have been "My apologies" instead it was "it's just a sip darling"!
We finally survived the third winery, which was the perfect end to our not so perfect day! After returning to our hotel, it was time for me to settle the bill with Bill. After us talking, the bill was adjusted to reflect the 3 wineries that we went to rather than the 4 that I was quoted.
Bill ended the conversation with "I am sorry I didn't exceed your expectations", I kept my emotions at bay and told him that drinking on the job when you are specifically hired to be a designated driver is completely uncalled for and unprofessional AND LET'S NOT FORGET ILLEGAL! He proceeded to argue with me and another girl in saying that it is just a tasting! Yes, as a 26 year old I know that a sip of wine will not impair your judgment... but when it is your business and when you are in charge of driving people you DO NOT need to drink and drive! I was completely appalled that he had the audacity to hint for a tip. Please don't get me wrong I have work in the service industry and I always tip even if the service is terrible, except Bill was taking it way too far!
This review is long and thorough so I hope it paints a picture of what American Limousine LLC and its owner Bill Payne are really offering... drinking & driving... let's not forget looking at his phone & driving! DO NOT USE THEM!!! read more