A Team Tours

[Kris Munroe]

Being new to Tobago, we booked a tour with Keith from A Team tours on our second day. Keith himself was fine, but we would strongly recommend not booking with A Team because it is Keith's wife, Sue, who will take you around Tobago.

Tobago is stunningly beautiful, but with the incessant rant of Sue in your ear Tobago finds it difficult to compete. Sue subjected us to her life story, and we didn't want to hear it. Not only that, but because she is married to a black man, she thinks it is fine to be openly racist and offensive. Sue managed to moan about 'white trash', 'black's', 'muslim's', etc., within a half hour of our day long tour. Not only that, but she subjected us to her regular swearing, views on black men's genitalia, right wing politics, and intricate details of her sex life.

Following this tour, we met others who were equally offended by Sue, and who felt that A team tours should, therefore, come with a health warning....

[Sue Samuel]

Sorry you feel the way you do, I do not recall who you are so find it very difficult to respond to your comments. As yours is the only negative reveiw we have had I can only speculate that it is indeed true you can not please all the people all the time.

Our trip is operated three to four days a week, most of the visitors are through word of mouth recommendations, this has been the case for the past five years. I accept you may find this information at odds with your view, but the documented facts are that we have many hundreds of happy customers. Many of whom come on our Island tour with each visit they make to the Island.

While there is little benefit to be gained at this point, I would suggest that if you had issues on the day it may have been more productive to voice them at that time.
For the record I am sorry if I offended you, for I have no wish to upset or give offence to any person or visitor to our Island. I have absolutly no issues with people of different race colour or opinion to myself. I do have some strong views about the political injustice long sufferred by the people of TT.

I can only repeat my sorrow that you did not make your comments at the time. I am very sad that your time in the rain forest (when being with our expert guide Fitzroy and without my presance) was not worthy of comment.

Finally with all your comment fully noted, I would respectfully point out that I do make a point of addressing as openly as possible all questions asked of me. If in so doing I was guilty of inadvertently offending you I once again apologise. Susan Samuel

[Julia C.]

I'm probably going to regret expressing my opinion here, but I find posts like Kris Munroe's very unfair.
If disatisfied with a purchase or service it is surely better to take it up with the provider first, giving them a chance to put things right, before making a public critisism? If, given the chance, the provider doesn't put things right then fair enough, a warning to others may be helpful. But to critise publically in this way without communicating with the provider first is, in my view, very unfair.

[Steve Wooler]

Here, here, Julia!

[David Watkins]

Hear,hear Julia and John W. David

[Sue Samuel]

Many thanks Julia C. for the time taken to make your objective comments, also thanks to Steve Wooler and David Watkins in acknowledging your point.

A Team Tours operates seven days a week throughout the year apart from our annual holiday. It is more then a business, as we have had the good fortune to become good friends with many of our customers over the years.

Many of whom invite us to visit them on our yearly trip back to the UK, unfortunatly due to family commitments when in the UK it is not possible to accept all the generous hospitality offered.

However as Tobago has a very special place in hearts of so many of our Island visitors, it is always really great to see them return again and again.

Regards Sue Samuel

[Paul Tallet]

I have thought about Kris' rather scathing report of A-Team Tours for a few days.

I believe that he was wrong to make this post if he has not taken this up with A-Team Tours in the first place, as Julia quite rightly says.

On the other hand, if I were Sue I would not have replied ...

... I find her response (or counter claim) that she answers all questions as openly as possible as very intriguing ... if Kris' allegations have any foundation (and I am not suggesting they don't), does that mean that she was responding to questions from someone on the tour ????

Being on holiday, had I been on that tour ... I have a sense that I would have enjoyed every minute of it !!

Can't please all people I suppose.

[Mark Hall]

Well done "A" Team Tours. You made our holiday several times over. I think I can safely speak for the 28 of us on the Beach barbecue.

As mentioned in previous posts if someone has a gripe, why not deal with it on the spot. I know we had the conversation several times regarding the quality of tours, resolving issues & general expectations of customers( sorry its friends with you guys).Maybe some people are just born to moan(at the wrong time).

Its true you cant please em all the time.

Keep up the brilliant work you are doing.

See you on our next visit to Tobago without a doubt, book them seats in advance as we want to enjoy all the trips again & again, never tiring of what you deliver... Thankyou Sue & Keith

[Sue Samuel]

Many thanks to Mark for his kind comments, they are very much appreciated. In order to be open and indeed honest, Mark and his wife have become firm friends since their first visit to Tobago. They always hook up with us within a day or two of arrival to book their trips.

I also thank Paul for the time taken to make his comments, but given what I suspect is a mischievous sense of humour and lacking courage at this time. I will resist his bait and offer no other comment.
However next time you are in Tobago give us a call, Keith and I will be delighted to buy the first round.

Regards to both Sue Samuel

[Sam Deeks]

I agree that to express personal dissatisfaction about an individual (with potentially disastrous effects on their livelihood) here without having the decency to take it up with them personally first is a shame.

I understand that to confront someone with what you feel uncomfortable about may be too hard / unpleasant to do right there and then, but that does not make it ok to do it publicly here as an alternative.

I think that Sue, your response was measured and respectful in the circumstances, and I think it was right you responded. I suspect that you - as any of us would - have taken those comments seriously and considered if or where you may have been (or not been) inappropriate. I myself have done the same many times in my life. Always I came out wiser (either feeling that I conducted myself well or that I could see where I might have done it differently).

My partner and I enjoyed our liasons (no inferences there ) with Keith over the last couple of weeks - and found the A Team that we experienced fine. To prove the point, I thought I'd lighten things up with this picture of Keith who was good enough to pose with my kid's teddy bears... but since this board won't let me upload the image, I can't. Still - anyone who knows Keith can imagine it instead

Best wishes to all

Sam and Clare

[img]