Firstly, I really don't like making negative reviews and I will be happy to put this experience behind me, but when something so blatantly disrespectful happens we have to shine a light on it. The facts of this experience indicate that management is not only careless, but "intentionally" not honoring customer reservations.
1. Intentional mismanagement.
2. Disrespect of the customer's time.
This was a kayak trip with my two daughters for Father's Day. I made reservations 2 days in advance and - SINCE WE HAD TO DRIVE 2 HOURS TO GET THERE - even called twice that day to make sure they had all my details documented to avoid any problems or conflicts.
1. My reservations were scheduled for 12 noon.
2. The only river trip they were offering typically takes 4 hours.
3. They don't start launching kayaks until 9 am.
4. THEREFORE, it is impossible to launch a kayak at 9 am and have it complete the trip by 12 noon (since that's only a 3-hour span of time).
When I got there, they did acknowledge having my reservation, but all of their kayaks had already been launched that morning.
1. We witnessed another customer's frustration of having PRE-PAID for his trip and they did not have his reserved watercraft available either and had to issue a refund. Everybody has a bad day once in a while, so I decided to wait "as they requested."
2. A few times they asked if I wanted to use a tube or canoe instead of kayaks, which I specifically didn't and is one of the reasons I made sure to secure reservations. (In hindsight, I see this was their chosen tactic of dealing with the situation rather than communicating how unlikely it will be that 3 kayaks arrive in a reasonable timeframe, especially considering the river was low and moving slower than normal.)
3. AFTER PATIENTLY WAITING 2.5 HOURS (and having time to do the math, realizing it was technically impossible to have a kayak and that - being a campground that's been running river trips for years is OBVIOUSLY aware of this math), I expressed my frustration "without cussing or raising my voice" to the mid/late twenty-something pregnant lady they had running the kayak booth, which also happened to have several teenagers lounging around it, presumably summer help taking a lunch break.
As I'm about to leave, an older male representative (presumably management) approaches me about my frustration. Instead of apologizing or offering any concessions for what is blatantly their failure - and most likely intentional mismanagement of customer reservations - HE ACCUSSES ME OF MISCONDUCT and says those are minors at the kayak booth and they don't need me yelling at them... Unbelievable.
1. I was not directing anything towards the teenagers, I only had an interaction with the older pregnant lady in which I "did not use profanity or raise my voice."
2. If the people running the booth responsible for distributing kayaks and customer interaction are not competent, they should not be in that position in the first place.
3. Since management doesn't hold those people accountable for scheduling, then it falls on management for making such obvious problems that put those people in a position of having to deal with frustrated customers.
Perhaps the best part is, when I told him that I will be writing a bad review, he motioned towards the other customers cars and said, "You see all this, we don't give a shit about your bad review!"
Well it's not for them, it's for the people they would so casually and intentionally disrespect without remorse.
It's for you. read more
