Buckle up buttercup! Do yourself a favor and buckle your seat belt in a rental car instead of this shuttle van! Please note I very rarely write negative reviews. I wish I could give zero reviews. This may be the longest review I have ever written, but I'm trying to save anyone from an awful experience.
For the owner, I do think offering the shuttle service has the potential to be valuable, AND I hope he will take the time to read all the reviews on Yelp and other travel review sites, which are mostly one star. As a business owner, it is key to get feedback, check on how your employees are treating customers, care about, and then implement the feedback to make service better.
I paid ahead for a roundtrip reservation. Early in the morning, I emailed the company know my flight was slightly late, with the new eta. They have your flight #. The shuttle was scheduled to leave at 1:30. I called them when I landed and hurried to baggage claim. I had a carry on but the airline made me check it as becoming more common.
The manager Cathy called me FIVE times while I was running to baggage claim asking me when I was exiting the airport. Then someone else from the office called me and I said I was doing my best. Cathy said some had arrived early and the other people had been waiting and her driver didn't want to wait for me. I told her I was doing my best and that bags were being unloaded. I told her that their website said 1:30 not 1:15, and then I would be there in a minute. she said she would have her driver circle twice, but they would only wait 60 seconds after 1:30. Then she hung up on me. She then told me she would call me before the driver left, and that otherwise I would have to wait until the next shuttle which was THREE HOURS LATER!I begged her to to have them wait, I was crying, and she said no. I RAN out of the building with my luggage at 1:31 to the shuttle and the driver had just left. I called their office and spoke to Cathy (the manager) and asked her to PLEASE have the driver pick me up, and she said no.
Get this: I had a friend on that shuttle that said all of the people were willing to wait for me, she said no one was complaining, and that my friend asked the driver if she could run out and get me and call my name-the driver said "No, she has had enough time." THIS WAS 1:31, if a company advertises they'll leave at 1:30, they should not call customers, yell at them, and badger them to be early, than hang up on them, esp if you're a manager-what the heck? My friend was also called and told to rush. Other reviews also mention the vans sometimes leaving earlier than promised on their website. Then she hung up on me. I called my family and friends and they were completely shocked that someone would not wait even a few minutes.
Keep in mind this was a 3 hour ride. If it were a short ride to a hotel, I would have taken a ride share no problem, but were were going 3 hours. I eventually took the 4:30 and of course it was then rush hour and took ages, and I got to dinner 5 minutes before it closed, having missed a whole day at my destination.
As a business owner myself and someone who has worked in customer service for many years, I would never dream of treating a customer like that. It was rough entry to NC, and I missed a whole day at the place I was going. All the other drivers that I rode with were decent, but all of them seemed super rushed.
I waited until 4:30 because there was no other choice unless I wanted to rent a car and the manager said I would not get my money back if I chose to do so.
I think the point of a business, esp a small business is to provide good service, keep your word, and be kind. I was completely upset and it ruined my day. It was so upsetting to be left. If I were the driver, I would have waiting at least 10 minutes, understanding that sometimes it takes that time to get your bags. And if I had been a passenger on the shuttle and I were there before 1:30, I would not have minded at all waiting for a woman for even 5/10 minutes, much less 60 seconds (!) rather than leaving her and making her wait THREE Hours at an airport when she was promised to be on that ride. Everyone on the shuttle was willing to wait, it was the driver that refused to wait until 1:31.
Harassing a customer by calling 6 times and hanging up when they are doing their best to get to you, and not letting them on a van for being 60 seconds late was rude, ridgid, mean, and downright bad customer service. If you care about running a business, your employees need serious customer training, or else hire some kinder more flexible staff. 10 minutes is not unreasonable to wait for someone, nevermind 60 seconds. Just awful.
Potential customers, do yourself a favor and rent a car and spare yourself!
PS whoever called me on the phone aside from the manager when I was waiting, which was the 6th call I got when I was waiting at baggage claim never even apologized! read more