Southern Connections

09/22/2008 Posted by SBofColumbia

Our company booked service through Southern Connections for eight dates. On the second booked date we had several issues with the bus...poor air conditioning, bad smell, dirty bus with broken window. Complained to management and requested discount of 50% considering bad experience and we had to put our guests on this bus, but only offered $100. GM said several people had stayed on bus and possibly attributed to the smell! After our company decided we would not do business any longer with SC, but were going to use them for the next date (which was the following day), we sent an email explaining our troubles and our regret that we would not be able to continue with the future dates, the owner called our company at 5:30pm and said they would not provide the bus for the following day! Our company was left with no notice and no bus and apparently this was not the first time they had done this to someone! I felt horrible for the employees and even the GM. Apparently the owner off business and treats customers in an unprofessional mannner often. Although everyone (except the owner who canceled our bus) apologized profusely, the damage was done. Luckily we were able to contact another company who graciously helped us out and provided a bus for us on such short notice. Although Southern Connections price was a little less expensive than others, apparently with this company you get what you pay for! HORRIBLE SERVICE! The owner needs to stay out of running the company before they lose all their business! IF YOU MUST work with this company, make sure you work with Jennifer and DO NOT complain, otherwise the owner may leave you on the side of the road somewhere! Mediocre buses, great employees, BAD OWNER.....We will never do business with this company again unless the owner is no longer there!

Pros: Friendly staff, except the owner

Cons: If you complain, you may be walking!

07/27/2007 Posted by lakeviewbaptist

I used this company twice in the last three years. The first trip was to West Palm Beach with a group of teeneagers and adults. The bus they sent was very old. The air-conditioning broke down about 5 hours into the trip. The driver was very nice. He dropped us off at a mall in Jacksonville, Fl. and took the bus to be repaired. We were in the mall for 5 hours. There was never any call from the owner apologizing for the problems we had. Our most recient trip was in July. I called Southern Connections around October of 2006 to schedule the bus. I told Michelle at the time of the problems we had with the bus on our trip to West Palm Beach and she told me that bus was no longer a part of their fleet. The morning of the trip the bus Michelle told me was no longer a part of the fleet showed up in our parking lot. The air did not work very well, a panel came off the side of the bus and came in contact with the car following us, we stopped several times to keep duct taping the remaining part of the panel to the bus, we also had to stop to dump the septic tank because the smell was so bad. I tried to call the bus company to talk with the owner while on the trip. I left several messages and no one ever returned my calls. The bus driver was in contact with the owner but the owner refused to speak with me. By chance the bus driver saw another Southern Connection Bus traveling in the opposite direction and called that driver. The drivers agreed to swap buses so we took over an hour to move our luggage from one bus to the other. The second bus was better although it had problems with the air-conditioning and the restroom. I contacted Michelle a week after our trip. I told Michelle I did not like the fact that she lied to me about the bus no longer being in their fleet. She said she did not appreciated being called a liar. I told her the mechanic told me that I was lied to and that it was in fact the same bus from two years ago. She hung up on me. I will not use them again.

Pros: None

Cons: Many

05/21/2007 Posted by kgoodman59

This place was absolutley the worst place I have ever dealt with. Well in the beginning I never could get ahold to Michelle Coates whom was supposed to be our Tour Consultant, everytime I called she was always at lunch or not in her office. Well someone else finally got in touch with me a couple of days before the trip, so at least I knew they hadn't forgotten about us.The day finally arrived for our trip we were supposed to leave at 6:00am Saturday morning. Well the bus did not show up until 7:00am so I had a group of elderly people standing outside in our church parking lot waiting for the bus for an hour and 15minutes. It was horrible. When the bus finally arrived and we started on the way well around 10:30am it started to get quite warm and I noticed that the a/c did not work. We had to stop the bus and allow the passengers to get off so they could get some air, it was the worst trip ever. I called and complained to the owner of the company, George Gainey, but he seemed like he could care less. I honestly feel as though people like that should not be in business!

Pros: NONE

Cons: The whole company.

03/15/2007 Posted by sdonner

I ordered a Charter bus for the week of March 5-8 for my 2nd grade students field trip. Well I called them in October 2006 to find out a quote and to get everything set up. Well the girl who I spoke to at first was very friendly and told me that Michelle would be calling me back. This is not the first time I have used this company so I knew to call in plenty of time ahead because they don't call people back right away. Well I waited for three weeks and finally called them, I asked to speak with Michelle. Michelle said that she did not have my information ready yet and she would call me back in a few minutes. I was very upset by this time. She didn't call that day, she called the next day and told me the price I agreed to it and told her to go ahead and send a contract to the school, so I could get a purchase order. It took her another three weeks to get that to me after I called several times. So after all that was finished and sent to me the school went ahead and sent the purchase order. Well on the day of the trip the bus was an hour late to arrive to the school which is only thirty minutes away, I had to call the company and find out what happened to the bus, they didn't seem to know that we even had a trip. I was irrate by this time. They hired another bus company to come get us so we were almost two hours behind schedule, but with Henderson Charters our trip went a whole lot better. The principal at our school will not use Southern Connections EVER again!

Pros: NONE

Cons: Everything about the Company! It really stinks!