Michael Rogero
2/5
Bus issues and how management dealt with the issues after the tour.... we had high hopes for this tour but it fell short of our expectations.
First off, there was chaos in the boarding area with multiple buses and no real direction. People with tickets were told to get in a kiosk line then after waiting 10 minutes, told that they didn't need to be in a line.
After waiting another 20 minutes, one of the tour guides told a group of us to follow her to bus #4. We unfortunately were getting a replacement bus that the operator had to rent to replace a bus that had mechanical issues the day before. One third of the rows faced side-way and the windows were so dirty, people couldn't see out of them. Because of the exhaust, the tour guide said that we could not open the windows but several of us got nauseous while the door was open and there were a few open windows. Finally, the door was closed and all the windows were closed so the exhaust fumes were no longer a problem but now the bus was very warm and the mini-bus AC system didn't seem to be able to get it cool. In addition, the microphone / sound system was so very poor, passengers past the first few rows couldn't hear the guide clearly so they started having their own conversations (and fairly loud). At this point, several customers got louder and verbal about the bus condition with one couple actually departing the bus because they didn't want to be stuck in the sideways seat looking out a window that they couldn't see through. The tour guide reiterated the story that this was substitute and apologized. I made a comment that I was not happy and it would reflect in my review of the tour which the guide took personally and upset her (was not meant at her but instead the condition of the bus). Finally, at 1:00pm (30 min late because the operator kept trying to find 2 more people to sit in the undesirable seats but none wanted to), we departed.
On with some positives of the tour, we did see some interesting scenic things including the paintings under the covered bridge and the National Park including a stop that overlooked the valley. The leaves on the trees turning were very picturesque. We did get to enjoy the views. My main issue to that point was on the condition of this substitute bus.
When we returned to port, the operator actually asked me how we enjoyed the tour and I gave him my very honest opinion of the bus used for our tour. He reiterated the story of the mechanical breakdown of his regular bus and how he had to get this substitute. I told him that he had a number of unhappy customers. He offered to refund one of the two tickets as compensation for the issues and I said that was fair. After waiting a week, I sent an email reminder of his offer and got no reply. I waited another five days and sent another asking for status. I told him that I had not written my review yet as I was waiting to see if he would follow through with his partial refund. We all know that things happen and it is how the management responds says a lot about the company. His reply was to get aggressive and tell me that he would not be honoring his agreement and that I could write my review and he would respond to it. I was hopeful to have written a review that said that we had bus issues that made the experience less that desirable but the mgmt/owner handled it wonderfully. Unfortunately, this didn't end up being the case.
In summary, this tour had a lot of potential as the places it was visiting really allowed a passenger that only had one day in Saguenay to see a lot. I am sure with a tour on one of the regular buses without issues, it would have been fine but that was not our experience that unfortunate day. Sadly, the owner/management didn't follow through to compensate for the bus issues and instead took an aggressive stance towards his customer.
