Groome TransportationReviews of groometransportation.com

On one hand you don’t have to drive. On the other hand you do not know who hi are traveling with. For example rn I am on a shuttle with a guy on the phone who is talking directly in my ear. And bonus! He’s fighting with this girlfriend. For an hour before him a woman talked on the phone for an hour. There should be no cell phones on the shuttle it’s so rude. Please make this a rule.

A long rant: First of all - myself and my family have used this service for many years, to:from MSP to Hinkley MN to visit our mother in northern Wisconsin. Historically it was been a convenient service, with friendly professional drivers for the most part. These last couple years the standard has definitely unravelled, but this latest fiasco has prompted me to review. My overseas flight to MSP was delayed, and I’d have missed the shuttle to Hinckley. I tried to call, but my foreign phone number was not being accepted. So I emailed and asked if I could be put on the next shuttle. No response. I gave my mother’s telephone number and said could they text her if this was okay. I wrote again, nothing. Then the flight was moved forward with the chance I could make the original shuttle - I wrote again saying I just might make it - but if not, could I be moved to the next shuttle? No response to my emails or sent as text to my mother’s phone. (My mother is 91 and drives 2 hours to meet me at Hinckley - I didn’t want her showing up for the first shuttle if I didn’t make it or know what to tell her if I wasn’t moved over to the second shuttle). I booked the return shuttle for Tuesday 2 July. My flight was changed to Wednesday, and the Groomes website said that any modifications needed to be done before noon the day before. I was able to do that - and went through the entire process of changing the shuttle to Weds 3rd with their online form. It asked again if I wanted to include a tip (and I remarked to my family that was cheeky as I’d already included the tip on the original booking). I said yes, then got notice the tip from the original booking would be transferred. All set - we left at 03:00 on Weds, arrived for the 05:35 shuttle - and it didn’t show up. It was a tight connection for my international flight as it was, so I was anxious. 20mins we waited and nothing. The Toby’s attendant let me use his phone’s hotspot to get online. Used my mom’s phone to call. All I got was the repeat recorded message that office hours are 8am. What happens if there is an issue with a shuttle before that? Looked up other numbers - ended up with Groome’s in Tennessee - he connected me back to Minnesota to the same recording that office hours open at 8am. I’m now missing my flight and stranded and no one to contact and find out what happened. Absolute disaster. There are not even Ubers or alternatives in that area but by now I was missing the flight. Upon my return, I called the Groome office on Saturday 6 July, and spoke with T who was sympathetic and heard the entire story and said there must have been an issue with their website. She said she’d explain all to the manager who would contact me on Monday (took my overseas number and email). Nothing. I called on Tuesday and spoke with Heather, who said the manager was “in a meeting” and he would call back. He never did. It is now Wednesday and I called again, speaking with H. She said he “was in a meeting”. She asked for my phone number again (which they already have) and this time says they aren’t able to call overseas. I said a courtesy email to let me know that would have been welcome. She kept saying my reservation was for Tuesday. I explained it was changed to Wednesday - the entire oneline form and procedure, including did I want to tip a second time. That continued with the back and forth. I was told the manager B would contact. What a shambles. I see on Trustpilot I am certainly not alone in my dissatisfaction with the customer service. Leaving me stranded and missing a flight with no ability to contact anyone is unacceptable. Post script - after 2 weeks and multiple phone calls (from overseas) the issue was resolved. For future reference I asked if there was an outside of office hours telephone number as many of the shuttles are earlier/later. There isn’t.