ComplaintsforTBC Charters, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am the head cheer coach of ************************** in ****, **. We hired TBC Charters, LLC through the company ********** for a trip from ****, ** to *******, ** for our National cheer competition. There were constant problems with the bus company from the first day to the last day. The trip was 2/8 - 2/15. Throughout the trip, we constantly communicated with **********, who communicated with TBC regarding our experience. We were told throughout the trip that the issues would be resolved upon return. After providing ample information to ********** that was communicated to TBC. Ultimately it was decided that regardless of our experience we would still be required to pay the full amount. ********** tried to make it right on their end by offering us a credit to our account but I am seeking compensation or a partial refund from TBC Charters for what we experienced. I have attached the email communication that ********** received. In addition to ********** communicating with TBC Charters, I called TBC Charter on Thursday, February 29th at 11:18 AM. Immediately following our conversation, I sent over the information we discussed on the phone for them to review and let me know about a discount. It is now Monday; March 4th and it has been 2 full business days since our phone call. Per our conversation, the company knew the information was being sent and needed to be looked at promptly, yet I never received any communication back, not even to let me know they received my email.

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  Hello,
  My name is ******, operations manager at TBC Charters here in ******, **. I would firstly address this complaint that there are multiple facts the customer/ cheer coach added that were not completely true per drivers statement. Yes we acknowledged and apologized about his behavior and already provided a discount to them, what they were asking was beyond reasonable. All parties confirmed that total service for their trip was rendered, we did everything they asked for and more. Driver met their expectations, he accommodated to their schedule changes and was often waiting for them 2 hours plus that was not the original itinerary. Customer agreed that driver was never late and the bus never broke down or had a mechanical issue,they were driven to each of their desired destinations to and back in a safe manner from ****,** to *******, **. We had issues reported from the first 2 days where the customer did not want to hear the drivers input while he was being screamed at by the coach. Once they arrived to ******* they checked in hotel early morning and were not to be transported till 4:00PM; she called him saying they needed to get something from the bus while he was sleeping after driving 20hrs, he came down 30 minutes later she confronted him and he told her "please do not talk to me like one of your cheerleaders" which made her upset. She also claims driver called them a racist, driver says he never said to them.

   After the first day they arrived to *******, driver apologized and wanted to rebuild their relationship, she accepted his apology and did not hear anything from anybody after that as we thought all tension and problems had gone away. I held conversations with our driver each day and asked how everything was going he said good and assumed things were going good because we did not receive any more complaints. The customer also never requested another driver throughout the trip which I could've gladly done. We all thought everything was going smooth and they safely returned to ****, **.March 4 customer calls me demanding a discount whereas Charter up, the booking agent already had offered them a credit. TBC Charters did not bill them and discounted $631.86 dollars for the *************, we were told to pay it for them out of pocket and they would reimburse us later. That discount and credit provided by charter up was enough for any inconvenience they had for the driver's behavior. The customer wanted more and called me threatening saying they wanted no less than a $5,000.00 discount if not they were going to make sure my company never gets business again. I told her I will see what we can do as Charter up is the one who took payment and told her $5,000.00 is way to unreasonable after we had already granted them discounts.Charter up and TBC Charters believes their inconvenience was already settled and did not apply to any further discounts per terms all service was completed to their demands. 

  Customer response

  03/08/2024

  I am rejecting this response because The information the company provided was false and inaccurate. I do believe there is so much miscommunication from ********** to his company and from the driver to him. 
  I was never offered a discount from the company. In my original communication to **********, which I was told was relayed to the company, was that I would NOT be providing a second hotel room to the second driver. The second driver was not needed, in my opinion, and was something that was being sent per the bus company or charter-up's request. 
  I would like to clarify that the driver did NOT meet our expectations for the trip. Simply getting us from point A to point B in one piece is not acceptable, if the trip included vulgar comments, rude behavior, and additional travel time because he got lost or did not follow specific directions. The chaperones on the trip had to overcompensate for his behavior by having the athletes leave earlier and plan extra time in for his common mistakes. We also avoided using the bus because we knew how we were going to be treated. The chaperones also had to take turns speaking to the hired driver because of the way we were constantly spoken to. He never used the word "please" a single time he spoke to me. He did not say, "Please do not speak to me like one of your cheerleaders." He said, "You are NOT going to talk to me like one of your cheerleaders," and walked off. I would like to know SPECIFICALLY when he was "often waiting for them 2 hours"? We were a group of 45 (42 of them being high schoolers) and there were times we might have been 15 minutes late, but never an excessive amount like he is claiming. I also want to note that on Day 1 we spoke to our driver and let him know that the itinerary was an outline, but would be changing throughout the trip. He did not imply or say that would be issue. 
  He did not apologize. He said, "Sorry, but..." adding "but" to your "apologize" is not an apology. The definition of an apology is, "a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure." The moment someone says "but" it contradicts the acknowledgment of their fault. 
  At no point did I "threaten" ****** or his company. I called, out of courtesy, to let him know what had happened and allow him to make it right. I did not feel comfortable reporting him or his company until they had the direct opportunity to make it right. Even though ********** said they reached out, I wanted to be respectful and give the company a call myself and hopefully come to a solution. I did not say anything about "no less than $5,000". ****** asked me what I thought was fair compensation. We agreed that I could email over all my documentation and that he and his father would take a look and get back to me. I never received any communication back, not even a counteroffer to make this right after what we had experienced, which is unprofessional for a business. 

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