HappyTraveler852
Jul 2023
I regret picking this company to go rafting with in Durango.
Before the trip, I received communications from them where they were prompting for tips, and wanted 18% to 22%. Businesses typically make a pitch for tip at the end of the adventure, but we haven't even arrived to Durango yet.
Arriving at their checkin station, we found big tipping barcode sheets taped to almost all of their tables there.
We got on their bus for the ride down to the river, and inside the bus, there were signs for tipping the guides posted inside the bus.
Finally, there was a shout-out that you can't over tip the guides at the end of our trip.
No. Not final. Back in my hotel room, I received text and email with link to tip the guide. (I already used their barcode and tipped our young guide 20% at the end of our trip. Even-though I did not like this company, I did not want to take it out on our young guide, whom I liked.)
Durango mostly cater to the domestic crowd...we already know how to tip, and some of us are really good at it.
Besides tips, they want something else too...their 5-star reviews.
Our guide told us that they have a competition among the guides, if they get the most 5 star reviews, (so we must name our guide in the reviews), then they get $10 extra dollars in their pay check. We heard two other guides nearby giving the same pitch to their paddlers.
So, in addition to tip requests, after the trip, we got text and email to leave them 5-star reviews, but nothing short of 5 stars.
Well, I wish I had known these about this company. I picked to go rafting with this company because they have 200+ 5-star reviews.
I felt cheated. 5-star reviews ought to be earned, not arggressively cultivated in this manner.
I wish that I had picked a rafting company that treated their guests with more respect, and certainly not a walking wallet and marketing tool.
We only spent 2.5 hours with this company, which yield about one hour floating on the Animas river, yet they have tirelessly bombarded me with texts and emails for tips and 5-star reviews. We are back in California now. I just got yet another email from them today asking for 5-stars, and nothing short of 5-stars. But this is not the way to earn 5 stars.