SHOCKING SERVICE

I am writing to express my shock and disappointment with the service provided by Greyhound on a current journey from Pretoria to Mossel Bay, as well as the shocking lack of professionalism in your call center.

I paid R1,000 more for these tickets compared to what I would have paid with InterCape, in the belief that Greyhound offers a superior experience. Unfortunately, our experience is far from what I expected.

Below is a summary of the issues encountered:

Unhygienic and Unprofessional Service at the Motorcoach Terminal The Greyhound offices at the Motorcoach Terminal are in an appalling state, dirty and unkept. When I approached the check-in counter, the gentleman at the desk was nearly asleep. When I asked him about the check-in process, he stared at me blankly, got up, and walked away without acknowledging my presence. Eventually, a lady waved me over, instructing me to proceed to the bus.

Delayed Departure with No Apology or Explanation The bus was scheduled to depart at 14:05 but did not arrive until 14:20. It is ironic that, Greyhound's Terms and Conditions (clause 4.1), states: "Should a passenger be late for the scheduled departure time, a new ticket will have to be purchased." Yet, there was no apology or explanation for the delay in arriving on time, and the bus finally left at 14:30.

Air Conditioning Failure and Unhelpful Responses At 14:50, I received a call from my daughter, who informed me that the air conditioning was not working, and passengers were visibly uncomfortable and complaining. Keeping in mind that it was 31 degrees. The bus driver was not helpful or assisting in turning the air conditioning on. I called Greyhound at 14:52, only to be directed to the Operations department. After holding for two minutes, I hung up and called again at 14:55. The representative I spoke to claimed that the air conditioning would not work if the windows were open—this explanation seemed completely illogical. At 16:53, I received a message stating, "The air conditioners are still off." I called again at 17:17, explained the situation to Jabu, and was placed on hold. When I was transferred, the call was cut off. I called once more at 17:21 and spoke to Aphiwe, who was initially rude but promised to call me back, which he did. At 17:41, Aphiwe connected me to the driver, Sello, who explained that the air conditioning was working when the bus was at the depot but stopped functioning once they left Pretoria. "At least the windows and sunroof are open so the passengers do have air" I was shocked by this reasoning, wondering if the driver was enjoying air conditioning. Again this seemed unbelievable, and I would have preferred an honest acknowledgment from the start.

Air Conditioning Suddenly Working After Hours of Complaints At 18:50, I was informed that the air conditioning mysteriously started working after the bus stopped in Klerksdorp. This was after several hours of unbearable heat.

Given these issues, I must ask: Would you have been happy to travel on a "luxury" bus for several hours without air conditioning? Especially when paying extra for these "luxury" services, as advertised by Greyhound.

I will never ever recommend Greyhound to anyone, and I am deeply concerned that my children will have to experience this poor level of service when they travel back from Mossel Bay to Pretoria. It is no wonder that InterCape is the preferred bus service for the Springboks and major rugby teams—they clearly prioritize customer comfort and satisfaction.