Leave The Driving To Me With This Kind Of Bad Customer Service
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger
Seasoned sailors know that when you go out own the ocean, you load up on water, snacks and other survival provisions because you never know when you may get stuck out there.
I did not realize one has to do the same thing when riding FlixBus.
Seeking an alternative to driving between San Diego and Los Angeles, I decided to try this form of travel. I could get from downtown SD to USC near downtown L.A., and on the way, enjoy comfortable seats, a charging outlet and WiFi. At $14.99 it was far cheaper than Amtrak ($35) and had the added advantage of dropping off at the USC campus rather than Union Station, which is a lot easier to get to Manhattan Beach, my final destination.
But a couple of minutes into the trip, the bus stalled just before getting onto the freeway ramp. The driver lost power steering and then the bus died. Fortunately, we were able to disembark and retreat to a business’ parking lot while the driver sorted out things.
It was obvious FlixBus would have to find a replacement bus, and with buses leaving about every hour, this did not seem like a big deal. But we were basically stranded for nearly three hours (2:45 to be precise) while FlixBut did nothing to appease us passengers.
Nearly two hours passed before we were provided with any information or an alternative. And the latter was shaky at best – our driver told us to call Ubers to take us back to Old Town and we would probably get reimbursed. She hardly seemed convinced, tho, that it would actually happen. Once there, we could board another bus bound for L.A. But it did not depart for another three hours.
I needed to get to LA and was on the verge of hitting “Confirm Pickup” on Lyft when our driver said another bus driver was coming to our rescue in 20 minutes. Well that turned out to be about 40 minutes and it would be going to – of course – the inconveniently-located Union Station.
The replacement driver said he got a call “from our company” but did not specify what company initiated the call.
Facing the dreaded “port of indecision” in the words of Jimmy Buffett, I decided to take the replacement bus and then try and get reimbursed for the expected $40 Uber ride to Manhattan Beach (it turned out to be $33 with tip).
During this process, all FlixBus did was offer us, via text, a $15 meal compensation if we send them a receipt. There was no comped ride, no apology and no offer for a voucher toward a future trip. Any extra transportation – a shared ride, taxi or public transportation – occurred as a result of the mechanical failure was at our expense.
“We are so sorry for the inconvenience you experienced and would like to offer you a complimentary ride in the future so you may experience our service at its convenient best,” or something to that affect, should have been sent.
Nope.
Unlike our original bus, the substitute one actually had FlixBus panted on its side. FlixBus contracts with several bus companies and the buses do vary. But the company advertises WiFi and other non-Greyhound type of amenities and this one had none of them. It was pretty much exactly like the buses that I take to Buffett concerts. Smelly bathroom and all.
So despite this bus not having the features that FlixBus advertises, this was a “full fare” trip.
Hey, I fully understand things happen in travel. As one correct-attitude passenger said, “I would rather a bus break down than an airplane.” But what wore on myself and the other passengers was the inaction and lack of any customer satisfaction on the part of FlixBus.
When you’re trying to get people to use your transportation service instead of driving or flying – which FlixBus is attempting to do, especially in California – you had better back it up with excellent customer service. Even when something like a bus breaking down happens, if people know you’ve got their back then they will bend over backward to use your company.
Perhaps, when it comes to riding buses, I should just stick to Jimmy Buffett concerts.
Leave a Reply