written by Murdockfw50 on 20/07/2014
Tour: European Delight, Star Date of Start: May 28, 2014 Agent Sameer, Atlanta
Pick up Wembley, London Drop off: Southall, London Tour Manager: Atul Survey
We a family of four (me, my husband and our two adult sons) booked the European Delight, starting May 28, 2014, with confirmed pick up as Wembley, London and confirmed drop off as Southall, London with all payment made 30 days in advance.
Star Tours was recommended by one of our family friends. We were excited about the tour and planned for more than 3 months in getting all visas and other arrangements. Over all tour was good but not as expected and could have been better, if Star Tours were more organized and we had a better tour manager.
On the first day itself, after pick up at the scheduled point we were kept waiting for a group, which was joining us from a different tour. This cause missing of Ferry, further wait and a delay of more than 3 hours and we reached after 11:00 PM at the hotel and got dinner close to mid-night. This could have been avoided if the group was brought in time. But this was organized by Star tours. On this day it was a total travel day from 6 AM to 8 PM without any place to visit and without any food arrangement from Star Tours except dinner, which was provided close to midnight.
The first day Tour Manager Mr. Rajesh was nice, courteous and taking care of all members. The late joining of other party was beyond his control but in the control of Star tours and could have been managed to join in time, when around 30 persons were waiting for that group and delayed too much.
Next day, Mr. Atul Survey joined as a tour manager, who has a good accent, but proved NOT a good, NOT organized and NOT professional tour manager. There were families of sizes 2 to 9 members.
On the tour other families getting mixing up and were chatting about future tours through Star Tours, but as the time passed by we and other families felt change in our opinion to negative for Star Tours.
Behavior of Tour Manager, Atul Survey:
Mr. Atul Survey was not working as a tour manager for the whole coach but for specific groups only. More than 50% person in coach were feeling bad about this. If that group comes late to coach 15-20 minutes, it was fine to the tour manager while all others were waiting. He did not say a single word to the group. On insisting by others about watching time and asking the group to be in time, he giggled and replied, that he is not going to say anything; whereas to others on delay of 2 minutes or even in time but being last person to come back, he used to made them realize that they are late substantially and made a big mistake.
Two of the groups have 4 members and have two double rooms for each group; and requested that their rooms to be adjacent for sharing their belongings. But the other group never gets their rooms together through the tour manager.
Mismanagement /Misbehavior of Tour Manager, Atul Survey:
Another, much disorganized matter was packed lunch. There were 3 occasions of packed lunch. The food was horrible and not provided to everyone. The last persons either have no lunch or not complete lunch (like missing water/apple/yogurt). Either the food is not in the requisite quantity or the tour manager was not able to distribute individually, despite help from us, the tourists. He first fulfill the requirement of ‘favored’ families and then distribute to rest whether it is or every one left or not. First time no-one said anything being courteous and not complaining about food as all are nice and well settled families and were traveling for leisure and enjoyment. Second time, when it happened, being all vegetarian and not having much choice to have food from outside, people complained about missing items like water, yogurt and apple (getting no food or just puri and rice). Instead of feeling sorry he said, shamelessly,”at least you got something” (with anger tone); that was very un-ethical and professional. Some people even return the food, whatever part they got saying, take it back, we do not need it.
People paid to Star Tours for this kind of service? Travelers are not at mercy of tour manager, rather he is being paid by travelers, indirectly.
On tour, whenever you ask anything to the tour manager, the response is that he does not know, he does not think so. Some are getting extra care at the cost of others, and the rest are feeling neglected. When we were sharing our observation, one of the traveler was of the opinion that the favored family may be giving tip all the time. Brochure of Star Tours on page 52 says: Tips and Service charge included.
In case it is required by management of Star Tours or employees to receive tips every day for better service, that should have been placed in the brochure.
Irresponsiveness of Tour Manager, Atul Survey:
On the 11th day of tour it was in the program to have free time in Paris (travel of your own). We 7 members of 2 families separated from the tour after lunch informing tour manager that we will be back by dinner there as the dinner place was also same. He said that is fine and dinner time is 7:30 to 8:00 PM.
While coming back we realized that we will be late so we sms/text him about our possible delay and reaching there around 8:00 PM. We want to hear from him whether it is fine/ or we directly go to hotel in case he will get us packed food/ instruct restaurant owner to provide us food/ get our own dinner of our own. But he did not responded at all, our sms or phone call.
We reached to the restaurant at 8:04 & learnt that our group already left. There was no instruction to restaurant manager about us 7 from Atul Survey. We were standing their confused. There was another tour manager from Star Tours. The restaurant owner/manager was really nice, he recognized us talking to Atul at lunch and welcome us to have dinner. We thanks him.
We were shocked for non-responsiveness of Atul Survey and caring on behalf of Star tours. He responded to us around 10:00 PM providing us information for the next day.
Careless, irresponsive and insulting behavior of Tour Manager Atul Survey
While retuning we informed the tour manager in France only that our drop off point is Southall. He said, that he does not know that, if it is known to London office, they will arrange it. Unfortunately we were only family for Southall drop off. Our boys dropped off at East Ham to join user in Southall. Everybody went in to the dining place at Wembley drop off point including tour manager Atul Survey, informing us “wait someone will be coming to pick you up”. We only were standing there for an hour on the road side at the mercy of Star Tours. Whereas it could have been pre-arranged synchronizing with arrival of coach or the coach may have dropped off directly to Southall.
After waiting 40 minutes my husband asked the tour manager about our ride, when he stepped out of the restaurant, he said, that he dies not know. Then he called someone with a small private car, who parked opposite side of road. As you know we were four adults paid for the trip and were having 3 travel bags, 4 hand bags and my purse which is less than allowed per your terms and conditions. The car driver was not agreeing to take us with luggage, whereas the tour manager Atul Survey was forcing us to weave through the busy road with baggage and load in that car, instead of bringing the car at the drop off point. We moved our baggage ourselves through the busy traffic, and the car left without taking us.
Then the tour manager Atul Survey said, that he did not know we have that many bags. That was too much for me, I got mad and said to him, “we are 4 adults and supposed to have 4 travel bags per your rules, but we have only three. You supposed to make a proper arrangement for us, we paid you for that.”
Finally, he called a private car and told the driver to drop us at Star Tours drop off point. We requested to drop at Mehfil Hotel in Southall, which is on the way of Star Tours drop off point from Wembley. But the tour manager Atul Survey said, that he does not know Mehfil Hotel and I am responsible only for temple, it is between you and the driver. After ONE HOUR WAITING the tour manager was able to provide us a ride, not knowing where the Mehfil hotel is. The ride was pre-booked and paid on 28th April (41 days in advance) to star tours.
I believe, Star Tours and its tour manager, know about Mehfil Hotel, well known to Indian Community; which is only 0.6 KM from Star Tours drop off point and is on the way, but the tour manager said shamelessly, he does not know, Mehfil hotel, bill the contracted rate up to drop off point to Star Tours and charge to the passenger, whatever you like for the Mehfil hotel”, to your pre-contracted private car; and left us at the mercy of the driver.
Star Tours brochure claims that they provide all service they say in their itinerary. But I do not realized that this is a legitimate claim. My feeling after traveling on your European Delight 12 day’s tour is that the tour manager provides the promised services only on getting tip, though your brochure says, “ tips and service charges included”.
My experience with Star Tours taught me that if someone wants to use Star Tours, it is good one, provided you keep some extra good money for getting the promised services, considering it as hidden charges.
I booked the tours considering, people in European countries are not very friendly and helpful, and one can have some problems. But because of the Star Tours’ tour manager Atul Survey, we learnt that people in European countries are also nice and humble. The following incident my confirm it. As the tour manager failed to provide adjacent rooms to same family and respond, he does not know what happened”. The families tired of this and talk to the hotel personnel directly. Surprisingly, they happily helped us.
I can say the tour manager Atul Survey was useless, careless, unprofessional and disorganized.
For Star Tours management, promising high and charging accordingly is not enough if the tour managers are not trained to fulfill the promises, as they represent Star Tours. Probably as time passes-by I may not remember the specific tour manager, but my bitter experience with Star Tours will stay in memory.
Like I mentioned, on the first day, tour manager Rajesh created a positive image of Star Tours, but now I do not think that in near future I will choose / recommend Star Tours.