I’ve always gone the extra distance for tours and clients – and work with them directly to meet their needs. I’ve always delivered the agreed upon tours. I’ve also never encouraged customer reviews as this is a very part time business – however I do get them every once in while. One latest review clearly had a personal agenda and was a negative review.

Tours by Locals then started harassing me to deal with that review even though I never reply to any reviews especially such as this one which had some sort of agenda not related to the actual tour and no substantial information about why that person gave a bad review. This company then started calling me repeatedly, leaving phone messages and emailing me. Then they accused me of hiring another guide in my place to conduct the tour by sending out an email to me about their policy of not hiring other guides (I’ve never done this).

Then out of the blue about 6 weeks after they finally stopped harassing me they decided to completely lock out my guide account after years of guiding for them and also locking me out of several pending tours. Wow – this is certainly one way to deal with your guides. Talk about amazing service.

If you don’t treat people right (in this case their guides) you will lose good people. Tour by Locals is rotten to the core in that regard.

I would be *very* careful when using this company and or as a guide deciding whether or not you should sign up with them. There are plenty of other companies offering similar services for both guides and clients including for a 3 Day Vacation in Barcelona – I would certainly think twice when considering using Tours by Locals for any service.

Exactly the same thing happened to me with TBLS. After guiding for them for 3 busy years and only 5 star ratings, an American woman who also had a hidden agenda, demanded a refund and I had to give up 200 euros. Another American client did not like the restaurant we went to and TBLS asked me to contribute to a refund for this very wealthy client.

As enough is enough for me, I sent TBLS a very nice resignation email stating that I did not agree with their questionable business practices, and to never contact or harass me again. Their loss.

~ Dave

Thanks,
G

http://www.davestravelcorner.com/links/tours-trips-and-treks/local-tours-guide-companies/

~ Dave

I had a very unpleasant discussion at the phone with Gavin, who by the way continued to tell that this was their customer care policy.

I agree with who was saying above, that they are loosing the best guides with this approach and they do not respect our rights! Anyway I lost about 1000€ of work.

thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experience

Elena

After 5 years of proficuos partnership with TbL, and many 5 stars comments (only one 4 stars in my 100 feedbacks), I’ve got so many trouble this year.
I had to refund about 4 tours, always because clients complaint for some silly reasons:

“….I did not the guidance they expected…” 50% refund
– I’ve always provided the same great job and my 100 positive comments telling a lot about the good services I’ve always delivered

“…I had not enough time to enjoy the tour and to see everything…You have to inform us better about the tour schedules….” 50% refund
– In all the booking and confirmation forms, there are clearly specified the itineraries and the last of the tours.
For the guest they accepting the agreements, there are no excuses about NOT respecting the timing of every single tour.
If people taking too much time in the first sights, probably there is not enough time to experience the next stops.
I’ve delivered so many extra hours, without charging one penny for this, also because the system NOT allowing us to calculate any eventual extra fees.

“…I could book a different guide for the same service, for much less price…” 50% refund
– So, why if clients might have so many “better” prices, they are NOT going to book with someone else rather than I?
Probably because some of them they learned about how to complaint and how to get easy refunds.

“….We expected you walking with us for much more times….” 50% refund
– As it is very well described in my bio and my tours information, I’m NOT a walking tour guide (but a driver/guide) and I’m NOT allowed to get into churches, nor museums, nor town, providing such type of guidance which, in many European country it is a business for other workers: the officially licensed walking tour guide.

“….We have paid too much for such type of tour….”
– Sure!!! You are booking through TbL system which charging you the 20% of fees, when you could easily make a research online and find most of the local guides, providing exactly the same great services for a very reasonable quotations.

So I’ve replied all the times to TbL staff to don’t give such easy refunds to the clients in order to NOT creating a precedent and making a bad vicious cycle.
I was ok with of taking a bad reviews (with the chance of reply of course) since sometimes “bad” experiences could happen.
The the answer has been always: “NO, because we take care of our reputation!”

So they are taking care of TbL fame, NOT allowing “bad” 1-2-3 stars reviews, keeping their good reputation, but using the money and the time of the guides.

No only, but it seems that TbL staff consistently influencing the comments system, which is NOT REAL anymore, but is filtered/moderated by TbL staff.
Congratulations!!

Remember
“….Money can’t buy happiness….”

Anyway I want to share my bad experience too, since it is very similar to your stories.

After 5years of brilliant and proficuos partnership with TbL, dotted by several (more than hundred) success and comments 5 and 4 stars, this year (2017) TbL decided to easily refund “unhappy” customers, USING my account.

This is very easy, since the topics of the unstatisfaited clients are always silly details:

“….I’ve expected to have a guide that walking with us more time….” 50% of refund
– Hey?!?! I’m NOT a walking tour guide (but a knowledgeable driver), as it is VERY WELL specified in my bio and in my information.
For this kind of service in Europe, you need to hire officially licensed walking tour guide!!

“…I had to take care of an old couple with big motion troubles and an heavy scooter to handle every day, up and down to the vehicle….” 50% of refund
– Hey?!?! In my information there is clearly specified that I’m NOT preparred (vehicles for disbled) for people with wheelchairs and motion troubles.
But of course the tour was booked by a travel agent and she didn’inform the clients, nor I.

“…We could find much cheeper guides for the same type of service…” 50% of refund
– So, why people booking with some “expensive” guides if after the tour they complaint? Please book directly with the cheapest ones.
Ah, I understand, because they can get a great 5 stars service and than get easily refunded if after the tour they make some unsatisfaited comment.

Of course if TbL charging a 20% of fees(!!!) it will be very easy to find someone else (outside of TbL network) cheeper for the same service.
Only going looking for a driver/guide in Google and find dozens of guides charging a more reasonable price.

“…The last of the tour was not enough time for us to enjoy our day-trip…” 50% of refund
– If the clients not respecting the schedules and spending too much time in the first sights, there is probably not enough time to experience the second part of the trip as well.
Furthermore, in every single tour offered, there is CLEARLY specified the last of the tour, with NO chance of charging any eventual extra hours and the clients accept and the KNOW the terms and conditions, including the last of the tours.
I don’t remember how many times I’ve passed this time, without charging a penny for my life-time.

I spoke with TbL staff and please to don’t accept refund so easily, they can evidently create a precedent and createing a bad vicious cycle, playing the game of some (not all of course!!!) unfair clients.

I said I was ready to accept some bad reviews (bad days always could happen for everybody), but NOT available for refunds.
The TbL Gavin McGee answer was: “we need to take care of Tours by Locals reputation”.

Ok I understand, please do it if you want, but using YOUR money, don’t do it with the money of your guides!!!

I’ve lost more than 1000€ this year and always for silly topics and because TbL don’t accept bad reviews.

So it seems VERY CLEAR that the reputations of the company and the guides are based over NOT REAL reviews (since they are all MODERATED by the staff) and of course this “rating” it is definitelly NOT TRUSTWOTHY, since is NOT a free information.

Congratulations!!

Who knows….This should be another good question….