Wisconsin Coach Lines, Inc

Unfortunately our bus had a mechanical issue on the trip to O'Hare the customer was planning to take on our Coach USA Airport Express service There was a mechanical issue with the bus and not a personnel issue that the customer thought or may have erroneously heard Just like airlines,
mechanical issues do sometimes occur These are rare but can happen when dealing with mechanical equipment, however, it is our job to keep them to a minimum. We were never contacted by this customer directly, so the letter from the Revdex.com caught us "off guard." We have called the customer times as of this email with no luck in connecting with the customer as the customer never answered and does not have voice mail set-up In addition we also emailed the customer on November 16th and have not heard back We do want to refund the customer for her ticket purchase and have also explained the situation in our email. At this point, we await hearing from the customer so we can resolve the issue by refunding the ticket purchase However, we need her ticket purchase information and receipt so that we can refund. Thank you. *** ***President Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee Arcadian Ave. Waukesha, WI 53186 (262)-542-8861, ext, 140 www.wisconsincoach.com

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]I DID contact Coach USA directly through phone calls the same night the incident occur. It was the operator on the line from Coach USA that directly told me the reason the bus was cancelled was because they could not find a driver.I did not just OVERHEARD the message but got the message directly from Coach USA, which is an unfair and inaccurate accusation for Coach USA to make.It is also obvious that as I'm going to the airport because I'm traveling out of the country and therefore could not be reach at the time.I have responded to Coach USA for a refund and currently waiting for process
Regards,
*** **

I went on to coach USA website to purchase a one way ticket from O'Hare to Waukesha The transaction took my money but the webpage experienced and error I verified the funds were talking out of my account and they were I called but could only reach a voicemail I left message but heard nothing back I was concerned as I was traveling later that day and I did not have a ton of extra funds as this was a family emergency trip I spoke to a gentleman who said he would make sure the driver had my name so I could ride the bus without paying again because I would have to call back on Monday and request a refund otherwiseWhen I got to the bus not only was my name not written down I was told this is something they do but I should have had the other persons name I was made to purchase yet another ticket I showed him the funds were pulled aready and he told me I would have to call back later bit was unaware of the hours someone would be available to help

Coach advertises that between June and July 9, passengers can enjoy "For a fast and easy way to the Summerfest Mid Gate, park at any of the following Park-Ride lots and hop on a Freeway Flyer to Summerfest:" and advertise that passengers department from the Delafield location will leave at 8:and arrive to Summerfest grounds at 9:20pmTypically, buses do not stop at other pick up locations - and have never on previous years I have traveled from the Delafield locationAlso advertised is "overflow" will travel via School Buses (not Coach buses)I purchased my ticket on good faith that what is advertised would be delivered as promisedOur bus (#***) departed on time and made additional pick-ups, to the point of carrying more passengers than can be accomodated by seatsNot only is this unsafe, but it caused our travel time to be behind what is advertisedWe did not arrive to Summerfest until 9:31pm (minutes late) - causing us to miss the beginning of the fireworks display

My bus to O'Hare at 6:10p.mwas just cancelled and everyone waiting at the Milwaukee stop is informed right now at 6:p.mit is not ok to cancel a bus that suppose to travel you to an airport where people will miss their flights.I booked online a day ahead, there is plenty of ways to reach out to their customereveryone is now stranded and have to find a second way to get 70miles awayWhen I asked why was the bus cancelled, they response was"we didn't have a driver for this bus", what is the reason to not have a driver for a shuttle service that is scheduled daily/hourly? Then suddenly when everyone was lost and trying to figure out the options, a "private taxi driver" show up, who the clerk says in her freind claiming as friend, is offering ride to O'Hare for $200?!!! this is just a scam all together? The business won't even refund us on the spot, telling their traveler going out of the country to come back tomorrow? I'm not sure if this is bad service or scam put together due

Unfortunately, the customer is still not satisfied with the complimentary tickets valued at $that we sent him on January 20, We believe this was the "right thing to do" for this past regular customer, even though the customer was not at the bus stop, yet another customer was picked up at the exact location that Mr*** was suppose to be at It is clear that Mr*** was unhappy at missing the bus due to his tardiness in getting to the bus loading area while another customer was at the stop and boarded the bus Mr*** made no attempt to contact our office to see what could be done to help him in his predicament as it was happening There are many solutions in the interest of good customer service we could have offered at the time he missed the bus, as explained in my previous response, but rather he chose on his own to hire a taxi cab, assuming we would pay for it based on his complaint demanding full reimbursement Note that this issue happened on a Monday morning during business hours when we are fully staffed, including myself, when we could have helped the customer and perhaps even offered a better alternative than what he chose to do on his own without authorization from anyone in our company. Due to the fact that; 1) we did pick up a passenger at the bus stop who was following our general bus riding policies and Mr*** was physically late in walking up to the bus loading area and, therefore, missed the bus; and 2) Mr*** made no attempt to contact our company to help in his dilema as it happened; our sending of round-trip tickets valued at $has resolved the issue in the spirit of customer service. The tickets valued at $are in essence his extra cost to take a cab (without our authorization) since his cab ride was $less the $(therefore $extra to take the cab) he would have paid if he had purchased a ticket and rode our bus Note that the complimentary tickets he received a couple weeks ago can be used by anyone (the tickets are not name specific), can be used on any days, and they never expire We certainly would prefer he use the tickets to try our service again and earn back his business and trust, although he could sell them, as we have no control over what he does with them Thank you for your help in working through this complaint Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions. Sincerely, *** *** President Wisconsin Coach Lines *** *** ***
*** ** ***
*** *** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
 [redacted] from Coach USA refused to take responsibility for extreme wrong-doing. This is NOT an issue that would have been resolved by taking an earlier bus or leaving my bags unattended (!!!). It is an issue regarding a poorly behaved and unprofessional driver who arrived late, waited less than 1 minute, then drove off hastily while I was in clear sight. I became sick after this event from chasing the bus in negative temperatures.   I am deeply saddened that a company which I have used and enjoyed for many years would not only refuse to compensate me for this reckless experience, but argue that I was in fact the one the wrong for not following riding recommendations.  UNACCEPTABLE.    
Regards,
[redacted]

This is in response to claim #[redacted] that we received from the Revdex.com on Friday, January 23, 2015.  Mr. [redacted] emailed in a complaint letter regarding our Airport Express service which I chose to personally respond to via a phone call as opposed to an impersonal email.  Mr....

[redacted] missed our 11:10 AM departure from Goerke's Corners on January 5th, 2015 and claims our driver intentionally (he uses the word "vindictive") left him behind.  Here are the facts of this event: 1)  Our driver did stop for approximately one minute and did pick-up another passenger.  Our drivers have hand held ticket machines and in this case the driver even printed a ticket for this passenger.  We have on board GPS reports and a time on the ticket to show our driver did stop.  Yes, it may have only been for approximately 1 minute, but had Mr. [redacted] been waiting outside, or moved quicker when he saw the bus, or in the bus shelter that is on-site at Goerke's Corners to protect people from the elements (as the passenger used that did get on the bus), Mr. [redacted] would not have missed the bus.  Mr. [redacted] does admit in his complaint to the Revdex.com and in our phone call that the bus did in fact stop and pick-up a passenger. 2)  Because Mr. [redacted] was not at the stop and got out of his car slower than needed, the bus driver never saw Mr. [redacted].  Our buses are large 45 foot vehicles with diesel engines and it can be very difficult to hear car horns or see people from a distance.  It is evident that, unfortunately, our driver did not hear or see Mr. [redacted], but this was not intentional as Mr. [redacted] claims.  As we say internally, "we are in the people pick-up business and not the people drive by business."  In this case, our driver did not pick-up Mr. [redacted] because he was not at the bus shelter (which offers some protection from the weather), although another customer did use the shelter and did get on the bus.  Upon pulling away, just because the driver slightly slowed down does not mean the driver saw him.  That is being very presumptuous.  Driving a 45 foot motor coach takes extreme skill and there can be a variety of reasons why a driver may slow slightly. 3)  Mr. [redacted] could have left at least 1 piece of luggage in the bus shelter to alert our driver that someone was waiting in a car.  He did not do that and admits that.  Keep in mind that this is a large parking lot with capacity of up to 300 parked cars, so it can be difficult to see people in or by their cars.  I am not sure how leaving a bag at a bus shelter 25 feet away from his car where he said he had a clear view has serious safety ramifications as he claims, but that is of little significance for this complaint. 4)  The 11:10 AM bus that Mr. [redacted] chose to take has a scheduled arrival of1:30 PM at O'Hare.  As stated on our website and in printed materials; we recommend that you arrive at the airport at least (2) hours prior to any domestic departure time, and (3) three hours prior to any international departure time.  Please allow additional time during bad weather conditions or during highway construction periods.  We make these recommendations due to the inherent travel problems that can and do occur to anyone that travels by any mode of transportation.  Note there is extensive construction in Milwaukee on I-94 on which our route travels, and in early January we can and do have bad weather.  In this case, Mr. [redacted] only left 1 hour of lead time upon arrival at O'Hare leaving him few alternatives should he experience any type of travel problems.  Therefore, he chose to take a taxi all the way to O'Hare knowing he had little wiggle room.  He could have taken an earlier bus (we have hourly departures from some stops) which would have made it easier for him to handle any travel issues without the need of a taxi.  We have buses arriving at O'Hare at 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM daily. 5)  This event happened on a Monday morning during normal business hours.  After Mr. [redacted] missed the bus, his dad drove him to Barnes and Noble at Brookfield Square where he choose to take a taxi all the way to O'Hare.  Mr. [redacted] had 2 things he could have done regarding him hiring a taxi.  #1-he could have called into our offices and explained his situation and asked what we can do to help him.  We are fully staffed at 11:30 AM on Mondays.  Specifically he did not call in for any type of authorization from our company in advance to pay for his taxi.  He choose to take a taxi all the way to O'Hare and just assumed were going to pay him back.  In the interest of good customer service, although it was no fault of ours that he missed the bus as noted above, there were far less expensive alternatives we could have provided for Mr. [redacted] had he attempted to contact us before he hired the taxi which he clearly expected us to pay at the time he hired the taxi.  Again, in the interest of customer service, in past issues we have been known to send our own smaller company vehicles to pick-up points where customers may be stranded and given customers personal rides to handle the situation.  In most cases our solution was quicker than a taxi, and in all cases, was a less expensive alternative.  We were never given the opportunity to handle the issue at the time it happened.  #2-Mr. [redacted] could have taken the taxi to meet up with the bus he missed at other stops we make on the way to O'Hare including Mitchell Airport and the Iron Skillet/Petro Station in Sturtevant, WI.  I am unclear how a driver pulling away from a bus stop after a 1 minute stop constitutes making a driver "highly dangerous" as Mr. [redacted] claims.  In both of the cases I mentioned, the solutions were far less expensive than the one Mr. [redacted] choose on this own. We also note on our website and on printed material; We are not responsible for errors in schedule, damage suffered from late arrivals or departures, failure to make connections, nor situations beyond our control. As stated above, I did personally talk to Mr. [redacted] for approximately 20 minutes on Friday, June 16th, 2015 at 5 PM (CST).  Mr. [redacted] explained that he has used our service multiple times over past years, and in fact, usually around Thanksgiving and Christmas and has not had any problems in the past.  I did apologize that he missed our bus, but based on the reasons listed above I did not believe a taxi refund was appropriate based on the facts above and that consumers in general have a responsibility to follow business' policies which he did not do.  As a past satisfied customer and in the interest of good customer service, I did tell him that I was going to send him 2 complimentary round-trip tickets between Waukesha and O'Hare to try our service again, as I told him I want to give him a better experience like he has been used to the next time he travels with us.  The value of the tickets is $118 (each round-trip is $59) and the tickets can be used at any time, on any day, by anyone (they are not name specific), and never expire.  In fact he can give or sell them to someone else, if he would like.  The tickets were sent out Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 with an a handwritten apology about missing the bus on a note card.  I could not send them on Monday, January 19th, 2015 since there was no mail service in honor of the Martin Luther King Day holiday.  Keep in mind that Mr. [redacted] did not make an advance ticket purchase, so he would have spent $33 on a one-way ticket had he taken our bus.  In essence he was prepared to pay $33 and the taxi ride was, therefore, an additional $122 out of his pocket, not the $155 as he demands. Mr. [redacted] flat out said no to the tickets and demanded we pay for the taxi.  There was no other solution, compromise, or alternative offered by Mr. [redacted].  He demands we pay for the taxi and nothing less as he stated that we are a big company, and $155 means nothing to our company.  However, that argument is irrelevant. Mr. [redacted] states that he is fearful to ride our bus again due to the issue possibly happening again.  That is certainly up to Mr. [redacted] to feel however he wants, but the issue would not happen again if he were to ride our service by following the policies we prescribe for our customers. In summary, on behalf of our company we believe in the interest of good customer service, the 2 round-trip tickets sent with my apology in the note card that was included are more than fair considering we were not at fault (the bus was there and did pick-up another rider), as the customer was at fault for not being at the bus stop as another passenger clearly was, and because the customer made no attempt to work with us to help with the situation as it happened.  Basically our bus was at Goerke's Corners for 1 minute, did stop and pick-up and ticket a customer and because Mr. [redacted] was not at the passenger loading area, missed the bus.  In addition, Mr. [redacted] then made no attempt to contact our company, but rather chose on his own to take a taxi (assuming we would pay after the fact) with no authorization that we would pay the taxi or communication with the company to help resolve the situation as it was happening.  It was only after arriving in O'Hare, and then on to his final destination, that Mr. [redacted] did indeed contact us by emailing a letter to us demanding $155 to pay for his taxi ride. Having given over 1.5 million rides with only 4 complaints over the last 3 years, we do value our present A+ rating at the Revdex.com because we are a company that values our customers over our 74 years of existence because we do the right thing.  In this case, even though it is no fault of our own, we believe we are doing the right thing having sent 2 complimentary round-trip tickets to Mr. [redacted] for future use valued at $118 (in reality he spent $122 more than he planned) as a good will gesture in the best interest in customer service. Please feel free to contact me should you have further questions. Sincerely, [redacted] President Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee [redacted] 
[redacted] 
[redacted]

Fortunately on 11/21/16 the customer finally made contact with us and we have resolved the matter with the customer and refund her bus ticket money.  This matter can be closed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, [redacted]
President Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee 1520 Arcadian Ave. Waukesha, WI  53186 (262)-542-8861, ext, 140 www.wisconsincoach.com

There was a online glitch when [redacted] tried to use her credit card on May 6th that occurred because he credit card number did not match the name on the credit card account according to the 3rd party administrator that handles our credit card transactions.  The transaction was pending...

because the last name associated with her credit card account was different than the name she submitted when purchasing her ticket.  The charge was just pending and the charge was actually removed from her account later last week.  We were in communication with Ms. [redacted] from May 8th through May 15th, 2017 as she was aware we were working on what went wrong.The charge has been removed from her credit card, negating a possible "double charge."  Ms. [redacted] has received an email from one of our customer service representatives that the pending charge has been removed.  We consider the matter resolved as she has been properly charged for only one ticket.Sincerely,[redacted]PresidentWisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee1520 Arcadian Ave.Waukesha, WI  53186(262)-542-8861, ext, 140www.wisconsincoach.com

Hello.  This is in response to complaint #[redacted], where a customer complaint has been filed stating we were 11 minutes later than our scheduled arrival time on our Summerfest shuttle service which caused the customer to arrive 1 minute late for the 30 minute "Big Bang" fireworks...

show.Wisconsin Coach Lines runs a special shuttle from Waukesha County to Summerfest for the 11 days of the festival.  We have been doing this for over 20 years.  There is a posted schedule with service every 30 minutes.  Buses start at the Nagawaukee Park (I-94 & Hwy 83), then proceed to the Meadowbrook Park and Ride (I-94 & Hwy G) and pick-up 10 minutes later; then to Eble Park Ice Arena on Bluemound Rd. and pick-up 15 minutes later; and then to the Goerke’s Corners Park and Ride (I-94 & Barker Rd.) and pick-up 5 minutes later.  The bus then proceeds to Summerfest with a approximate drop-off time of 25 minutes after departure from Goerkes’ Corners.  A copy of our schedule which is also posted on our website is attached to this email.  Depending on other buses being available, or should a bus fill to or over-capacity at any stop, the bus may be sent straight to Summerfest and not make all the stops.  The stopping of the bus at multiple locations is a traditional type of bus route concept used by a majority of bus systems.  We have run this service with multiple stops since its’ inception.  If Ms. [redacted] travelled with us in the past where the bus did not make additional stops, then the buses she was on must have been at close to, or full capacity, and we also had additional buses available at that time to serve the other park and rides.Note that standing room on buses is completely legal and a common practice of all bus operators (including the Milwaukee County Transit System) that are running service to Summerfest due to the popularity of bus service to Summerfest, and in fact is standard practice on public transit systems in large metropolitan cities such as Chicago, Detroit, New York and Boston just to name a few.  Fortunately with how we operate we rarely have standing room.The “Big Bang” fireworks, a Summerfest tradition on the first night of Summerfest, were unfortunately postponed this year from Wednesday, June 28th (the first night of Summerfest) to Thursday, June 29th due to heavy rain and storms on the evening of June 28th.  The Big Bang fireworks started at 9:30 PM that evening which I have verified with officials at Summerfest.  Ms. [redacted] chose to ride our last departure of the evening at 8:25 PM, with an approximate arrival time of 9:20 PM, after completing stops at the Meadowbrook Park & Ride, Eble Park Ice Arena, and Goerkes’ Corners.  The bus did arrive at 9:31 PM (11 minutes later than the approximate arrival time) and 1 minute after the start of the 30 minute firework show that was moved to Thursday.  The bus arrived late due to traffic near Summerfest where a City of Milwaukee Police Officer directing traffic into the bus area was severely hit by a “hit and run” motorist a bit earlier and caused delays for bus arrivals.  We do say on our schedule (see attached) and on our website, “That times may vary due to construction and traffic delays.”  We also say, “Please plan your trip to Summerfest to account for possible construction and/or traffic delays."  Note that we offer service every 30 minutes, with departures earlier than 8:25 PM, such as 7:55 PM and 7:25 PM.  Our adult price is $5 one-way, which is $10 round-trip for this economical service between Waukesha County and the Lakefront.In this case, had Ms. [redacted] called in and asked which bus departure she should take to see the fireworks, we would have recommended our 7:25 PMor 7:55 PM departure per our statement on our brochure.  We do not believe arriving later is false advertising or making multiple stops is false advertising.  Multiple stops for a route is common practice, and we clearly note that buses can be delayed or run behind schedule.  Our service has grown significantly over the years due to the great service we offer.  Yes, many of our buses can arrive late due to traffic and many other factors out of our control, as we state, as that is why over 99% of our customers plan their bus departure time accordingly.  We believe our riders have a responsibility to plan their trips accordingly and factor in possible delays.  We deliver safe and economical service for $5 each way.Although we do not believe we have any fault in this complaint, in the interest of good customer service, we will refund the fare to Summerfest ($5) as that is the trip that is the source of her complaint.  She has no complaint with the return trip.  We are processing a check for $15 (3 riders x $5 one-way, per rider) this week, which will be mailed to Ms. [redacted] in approximately 5 to 10 business days.Sincerely,[redacted]
[redacted]
PresidentWisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee1520 Arcadian Ave.Waukesha, WI  53186(262)-542-8861, ext, 140www.wisconsincoach.com

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The issue is about a VINDICTIVE bus driver whose act of UNPROFESSIONAL behavior resulted in my becoming sick and putting my family through considerable stress. [redacted]'s behavior in regards to this incident -- somehow trying to show that its outcome was the result of my wrong doing -- is outrageous.  Shame on him.  Let it be known to the population of viewers on Revdex.com what happened me on that morning.  In fact, [redacted] should know that I am making a great effort at this time to spread the word of this incident around the web.  Perhaps others will remember in the future that doing such things as leaving their bags unattended at bus stops in negative temperatures will cause bus drivers to act professionally.      
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: Strong diesel smell in buses. Carrier claims that exhaust from other buses warming up gets into upholstery and that is why it smells. Particularly awful on route OW5 on 2/28/14. Many of us were sickened. Carrier claims they use Fabreeze to get rid of the smell, but that is just a chemical odorant, which does nothing to get rid of the carcinogens present in diesel fuel.Desired Settlement: Refund cost of ride. Clean all buses with a steam cleaner or other method to completely remove diesel residue. Inspect buses for diesel leaks.

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted] also emailed a complaint to our company directly on February 28, 2014. On March 5th, 2014 I responded by email on behalf of the company to Ms. [redacted] to the email address her complaint originated from. The response of my email is attached to this email and offers; 1) free tickets; 2) an apology; 3) the bus in question to be inspected by our maintenance department; and 4) the bus in question to be professionally cleaned. This email response that I emailed on March 5th, 2014 actually addresses all of her concerns that she brings up in complaint #[redacted].

To date, we have no response email from Ms. Hinkforth and therefore have not sent out any free tickets. Now that we have obtained her address from the Revdex.com complaint, we will be sending her some complimentary tickets due to her unpleasant experience on our bus.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any other questions.

Sincerely,

President

Wisconsin Coach Lines

Review: Every week I ride the Wisconsin Coach Line from Milwaukee to Kenosha on Saturdays. The night of 8/31/13 I got on the coach line downtown Milwaukee at the terminal around 8:30 p.m. going to Kenosha. The bus # was 3303 and the driver name is Jerry. As everyone boarded the bus they put their luggage at the bottom of the bus, the driver did not get off the bus to assist. However when we arrived to Kenosha the driver let a woman off at [redacted] and assisted her with getting the luggage. When we arrived at the next stop in which I got off to get my luggage, my bag was missing. He then stated he gave it to the woman who got off at the [redacted] stop. He did not seem to care and said oh well. I had over $1000.00 worth of books in my bag and they are very valuable. I would like my luggage back asap. Wisconsin Coach line need to find this woman that the driver gave my luggage too or they need to reimburse me. I deal with this driver every week and he is very rude and prejudice. So I wasn't surprised by his response when he said oh well about my luggage after admitting he gave it away. To me this is theft on behalf of the driver and I would like some resolution which is getting my luggage back.Desired Settlement: I really want my luggage back because that is more valuable than money however if they can not get my luggage back that the driver gave away without verifying, then to admit he did it with no remorse is unacceptable. Very poor service and since he work for Wisconsin Coach Line is represents them and they are responsible for my luggage. Otherwise they need to reimburse me $1000.00.

Business

Response:

Customer [redacted] had

a bag stolen or lost from our bus on a trip to Kenosha. This is certainly

unfortunate. Although we assume no liability on lost/stolen bags,

we worked with Mr. [redacted] to resolve his claim. We are appreciative

of Mr. [redacted] working with us to find a reasonable solution for all parties

involved.

Claim #[redacted] has been resolved. Please

feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

President

Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee

1520 Arcadian Ave.

Waukesha, WI 53186

The amount of effort the consumer has to expend to get reimbursed is unfair since in my case I did not receive the tickets that were purchased online. To spend $153 twice is quite an expense. The lack of a suitable infrastructure for reimbursement is in need of improvement. Additionally, the lack of professionalism and empathy displayed toward me as I tried to resolve and determine why I on my vacation would have to do additional work, ie scan a second receipt, is discouraging and disappointing.To say the least I will not be using or recommending this companies services in the future.

Review: I sent an elaborate letter to Coach USA concerning a disastrous experience with their service on January 5th, 2015:

Key points:

* Dangerous temperatures outside (-5+ degrees), so we waited in running car for bus to arrive.

* As we saw bus arriving, I exited car and began to walk to bus (about 25 ft) in clear viewing distance from the bus driver.

* Bus was late by 5 minutes, driver did not exit bus to assist passengers as usual, was stopped for < 1 minute, and exited parking lot before I could enter bus.

* Two cars held horns down as bus began to exit. Bus driver *did* notice because it slowed briefly, but continued to drive away, This was vindictive.

* We chased bus with bags in dangerous temperatures. I became sick following this experience.

* We were uncomfortable and fearful of driver, so due to safety reasons, did not attempt to beat bus to stop in Milwaukee, prior to Chicago. My parents also needed to get to work.

* Took cab to Chicago airport.

* Would like top be compensated: $155.00.

Full Letter:

" To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you concerning my experience at the Goerkes Corners Park N’ Ride in Waukesha, WI on January 5th 2015.

My parents and I arrived at the Park N’ Ride at 10:50 AM in preparation for the 11:10 AM airport express bus to arrive at

Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 1:30 PM. We made the conscious decision to purchase the bus ticket from the

driver, since our last experience purchasing a ticket online resulted in having to repurchase the ticket from the driver anyway

due to not ever having received a confirmation email.

The weather was 5 degrees below zero, so instead of waiting at the bus stop, we waited in our car with the engine running in

the parking lot, directly facing the bus within about 25 feet. Another car sat behind us in the same manner since the

temperature was dangerously cold to be standing outside. When we observed the bus turning into the parking lot (at 11:15

AM, 5 minutes late), I exited the car and began walking to the bus. But within seconds of arriving at the stop, the bus began

to exit the parking lot! Our car was in obvious viewing distance from the bus driver, so my parents, along with the car sitting

behind us, held down their car horns in a panic to indicate to the bus driver that passengers had been left behind. The driver

slowed briefly, but then sped up again and exited the parking lot. We believe the driver’s behavior was vindictive. Moreover,

I am now sick after having chased the bus with my bags in below zero temperatures. Unacceptable.

My flight into San Francisco was at 2:30 PM. The airport was over 90 miles away, and since I had no way to get there

because my parents had to work, the only alternative was to call a taxi service. The cab service was $155.00 and we would

like to be compensated.

We are deeply saddened and extremely uncomfortable with this lack of professionalism.

"

On January 16th, 2015, Tom [redacted] from Wisconsin Coach lines contacted me via phone:

* Claimed right away that they won't give a refund to me. Offered complementary bus tickets, but I told him that after the experience, we were no longer comfortable, and in fact fearful of using the bus service again given the possibility of this problem reoccurring.

* Claimed that I should have taken the earlier bus. This is irrelevant. Bus driver was unprofessional and vindictive.

* Claimed I should have placed a bag at the bus stop. Leaving an unattended bag has serious safety ramifications. Instead, our car door was open as the bus approached the stopping area. It was virtually impossible for driver not to see us.

* Claimed that a passenger did board the bus. This is true, but the person ran fast within the very short (< 1 minute) period in which the bus was stopped.

* Claimed I had the option to chase the bus down, but "chose" to take a cab instead. As stated previously, we were in no position to chase any buses, especially since we feared that the bus driver was highly dangerous.

I told Mr. [redacted] that given this situation, we would like to be compensated, but Mr. [redacted] again refused and began to repeat over and over how since it was my decision to take a cab, Coach USA is not responsible. Mr [redacted] appeared to be uncomfortable at this point: He indicated that it was "nice" of him to call me and not email me (actually no email address was even given), then went on to say that he was acting professionally during the phone call and didn't use any swear words with me; I think this statement requires no response.Desired Settlement: My family and I would like an apology from Coach USA and a check refund in the amount of $155.00. We are happy to provide a copy of the cab receipt.

Business

Response:

This is in response to claim #[redacted] that we received from the Revdex.com on Friday, January 23, 2015. Mr. [redacted] emailed in a complaint letter regarding our Airport Express service which I chose to personally respond to via a phone call as opposed to an impersonal email. Mr. [redacted] missed our 11:10 AM departure from Goerke's Corners on January 5th, 2015 and claims our driver intentionally (he uses the word "vindictive") left him behind. Here are the facts of this event: 1) Our driver did stop for approximately one minute and did pick-up another passenger. Our drivers have hand held ticket machines and in this case the driver even printed a ticket for this passenger. We have on board GPS reports and a time on the ticket to show our driver did stop. Yes, it may have only been for approximately 1 minute, but had Mr. [redacted] been waiting outside, or moved quicker when he saw the bus, or in the bus shelter that is on-site at Goerke's Corners to protect people from the elements (as the passenger used that did get on the bus), Mr. [redacted] would not have missed the bus. Mr. [redacted] does admit in his complaint to the Revdex.com and in our phone call that the bus did in fact stop and pick-up a passenger. 2) Because Mr. [redacted] was not at the stop and got out of his car slower than needed, the bus driver never saw Mr. [redacted]. Our buses are large 45 foot vehicles with diesel engines and it can be very difficult to hear car horns or see people from a distance. It is evident that, unfortunately, our driver did not hear or see Mr. [redacted], but this was not intentional as Mr. [redacted] claims. As we say internally, "we are in the people pick-up business and not the people drive by business." In this case, our driver did not pick-up Mr. [redacted] because he was not at the bus shelter (which offers some protection from the weather), although another customer did use the shelter and did get on the bus. Upon pulling away, just because the driver slightly slowed down does not mean the driver saw him. That is being very presumptuous. Driving a 45 foot motor coach takes extreme skill and there can be a variety of reasons why a driver may slow slightly. 3) Mr. [redacted] could have left at least 1 piece of luggage in the bus shelter to alert our driver that someone was waiting in a car. He did not do that and admits that. Keep in mind that this is a large parking lot with capacity of up to 300 parked cars, so it can be difficult to see people in or by their cars. I am not sure how leaving a bag at a bus shelter 25 feet away from his car where he said he had a clear view has serious safety ramifications as he claims, but that is of little significance for this complaint. 4) The 11:10 AM bus that Mr. [redacted] chose to take has a scheduled arrival of1:30 PM at O'Hare. As stated on our website and in printed materials; we recommend that you arrive at the airport at least (2) hours prior to any domestic departure time, and (3) three hours prior to any international departure time. Please allow additional time during bad weather conditions or during highway construction periods. We make these recommendations due to the inherent travel problems that can and do occur to anyone that travels by any mode of transportation. Note there is extensive construction in Milwaukee on I-94 on which our route travels, and in early January we can and do have bad weather. In this case, Mr. [redacted] only left 1 hour of lead time upon arrival at O'Hare leaving him few alternatives should he experience any type of travel problems. Therefore, he chose to take a taxi all the way to O'Hare knowing he had little wiggle room. He could have taken an earlier bus (we have hourly departures from some stops) which would have made it easier for him to handle any travel issues without the need of a taxi. We have buses arriving at O'Hare at 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM daily. 5) This event happened on a Monday morning during normal business hours. After Mr. [redacted] missed the bus, his dad drove him to Barnes and Noble at Brookfield Square where he choose to take a taxi all the way to O'Hare. Mr. [redacted] had 2 things he could have done regarding him hiring a taxi. #1-he could have called into our offices and explained his situation and asked what we can do to help him. We are fully staffed at 11:30 AM on Mondays. Specifically he did not call in for any type of authorization from our company in advance to pay for his taxi. He choose to take a taxi all the way to O'Hare and just assumed were going to pay him back. In the interest of good customer service, although it was no fault of ours that he missed the bus as noted above, there were far less expensive alternatives we could have provided for Mr. [redacted] had he attempted to contact us before he hired the taxi which he clearly expected us to pay at the time he hired the taxi. Again, in the interest of customer service, in past issues we have been known to send our own smaller company vehicles to pick-up points where customers may be stranded and given customers personal rides to handle the situation. In most cases our solution was quicker than a taxi, and in all cases, was a less expensive alternative. We were never given the opportunity to handle the issue at the time it happened. #2-Mr. [redacted] could have taken the taxi to meet up with the bus he missed at other stops we make on the way to O'Hare including Mitchell Airport and the Iron Skillet/Petro Station in Sturtevant, WI. I am unclear how a driver pulling away from a bus stop after a 1 minute stop constitutes making a driver "highly dangerous" as Mr. [redacted] claims. In both of the cases I mentioned, the solutions were far less expensive than the one Mr. [redacted] choose on this own. We also note on our website and on printed material; We are not responsible for errors in schedule, damage suffered from late arrivals or departures, failure to make connections, nor situations beyond our control. As stated above, I did personally talk to Mr. [redacted] for approximately 20 minutes on Friday, June 16th, 2015 at 5 PM (CST). Mr. [redacted] explained that he has used our service multiple times over past years, and in fact, usually around Thanksgiving and Christmas and has not had any problems in the past. I did apologize that he missed our bus, but based on the reasons listed above I did not believe a taxi refund was appropriate based on the facts above and that consumers in general have a responsibility to follow business' policies which he did not do. As a past satisfied customer and in the interest of good customer service, I did tell him that I was going to send him 2 complimentary round-trip tickets between Waukesha and O'Hare to try our service again, as I told him I want to give him a better experience like he has been used to the next time he travels with us. The value of the tickets is $118 (each round-trip is $59) and the tickets can be used at any time, on any day, by anyone (they are not name specific), and never expire. In fact he can give or sell them to someone else, if he would like. The tickets were sent out Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 with an a handwritten apology about missing the bus on a note card. I could not send them on Monday, January 19th, 2015 since there was no mail service in honor of the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Keep in mind that Mr. [redacted] did not make an advance ticket purchase, so he would have spent $33 on a one-way ticket had he taken our bus. In essence he was prepared to pay $33 and the taxi ride was, therefore, an additional $122 out of his pocket, not the $155 as he demands. Mr. [redacted] flat out said no to the tickets and demanded we pay for the taxi. There was no other solution, compromise, or alternative offered by Mr. [redacted]. He demands we pay for the taxi and nothing less as he stated that we are a big company, and $155 means nothing to our company. However, that argument is irrelevant. Mr. [redacted] states that he is fearful to ride our bus again due to the issue possibly happening again. That is certainly up to Mr. [redacted] to feel however he wants, but the issue would not happen again if he were to ride our service by following the policies we prescribe for our customers. In summary, on behalf of our company we believe in the interest of good customer service, the 2 round-trip tickets sent with my apology in the note card that was included are more than fair considering we were not at fault (the bus was there and did pick-up another rider), as the customer was at fault for not being at the bus stop as another passenger clearly was, and because the customer made no attempt to work with us to help with the situation as it happened. Basically our bus was at Goerke's Corners for 1 minute, did stop and pick-up and ticket a customer and because Mr. [redacted] was not at the passenger loading area, missed the bus. In addition, Mr. [redacted] then made no attempt to contact our company, but rather chose on his own to take a taxi (assuming we would pay after the fact) with no authorization that we would pay the taxi or communication with the company to help resolve the situation as it was happening. It was only after arriving in O'Hare, and then on to his final destination, that Mr. [redacted] did indeed contact us by emailing a letter to us demanding $155 to pay for his taxi ride. Having given over 1.5 million rides with only 4 complaints over the last 3 years, we do value our present A+ rating at the Revdex.com because we are a company that values our customers over our 74 years of existence because we do the right thing. In this case, even though it is no fault of our own, we believe we are doing the right thing having sent 2 complimentary round-trip tickets to Mr. [redacted] for future use valued at $118 (in reality he spent $122 more than he planned) as a good will gesture in the best interest in customer service. Please feel free to contact me should you have further questions. Sincerely, [redacted] President Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee [redacted]

Consumer

Response: