Tee Time Golf Carts - Problem & Resolution

[starjazz]

I wanted to share an experience I had because I know many people recommend and use Kenny with Tee Time Golf Carts.

On our arrival day I received a call from Kenny stating that he would not be able to fulfill our reservation. We had reserved 2 carts for a week in early February. We made the reservation in November - 3 months early. Needless to say, I was far less than happy to hear this. He said one had been wrecked, and another was waiting on parts, and blah blah. Of course, I couldn't get a hold of him at the time.

I ended up renting two from Disney, which of course, cost a LOT more. At least we were still able to get carts. We had a big group with little ones and were in the 2700 loop - far from the boat dock.

I contacted Kenny when I got back in town, told him I was disappointed for sure, and that I wanted a full refund, and I'd appreciate it if he paid the difference between his rates and Disney's. Had I been given more notice it might have been one thing. He acknowledged that he did not go in order of when reservations were made because he just doesn't have a system in place to do that. He needed two carts, and mine were "available" so he dropped my reservation. I explained that a better system might be in order, and that a heads up would have been appreciated.

Needless to say, I had a very involved phone call with Kenny, and nicely explained that I wanted to give him a chance to make things right, and that I knew he had a very good reputation among forum users (at the least) and I wanted him to keep that intact because I gave him the benefit of the doubt regarding his circumstances.

The result? Kenny did indeed refund my money, as well as the difference in cost between his rate and Disney's rate. Did he have to do that? Absolutely not. Will I give him a second chance? Still not sure. But I will say that from a business perspective, I believe he responded well and treated this customer fairly.

He runs a small business with a few employees, and mistakes are bound to happend, and I get that. That certainly leads to some inherent risk when deciding who to use for this type of service. But, there's always some risk I suppose, and I feel satisfied by the end result of this situation.

So, I just thought I'd pass on my story.

 

[Flametamr]

Glad he made it right with you. I agree he needs to prioritize based on length of reservations were made in advance. I still plan on renting from him in October. Thanks for the update.

 

[bama_ed]

starjazz,

I am glad things worked out for you. Your story was one of the very few I'd heard of that didn't go as planned with Tee Time.

One of the things people on comment on is the inconsistency of contact. Kenny started with a phone number. Later he's migrated to a website and email. Personally I prefer working via email because it leaves written documentation that can support both sides if needed.

IMO (which you nor he asked for) I think Kenny should move more toward email exclusively for taking reservation requests, confirming the reservations, and contact parameters. By parameters I mean:

- he will respond to your initial email request within "x" days as to availability and rates

- he will contact you by cell or email again "y" days before arrival regarding pickup

If those parameters were on his website and they were adhered to, that would help tremendously. Setting customer expectations and then meeting them (and exceeding them hopefully) define the customer experience and builds repeat business.

It does mean checking email and responding daily but that's the life blood of his customer network.

Thanks for providing the update.

Bama ED

 

[MDKLHunter]

I have a reservation with Kenny for one cart this coming up Easter week. I made my request on the website probably in like September, received a call from a woman a day or two later with my information and she took my credit card number and explained it would be charged whenever and I asked about if I needed to cancel. Around November I remembered I had seen an online contract that said needed to be completed, but I couldn't figure out how to electronically sign it. So I sent another email request with my question. Kenny called me back and said he didn't have my billing information/cc#, but seemed to have my reservation. He wanted another credit card number as he didn't have one, didn't seem interested in the woman who called me, and the total she had given me was incorrect, she had quoted me about a day short. He told me I had to pay the new rate (which did make me ), took my card#, and said he'd call me the day before. I'm hoping all still goes well as his reputation is fabulous, but I didn't like wondering where my previous card# went. Oh well, no weird charges so I guess we're good!

 

[Mary2e]

Needless to say, I had a very involved phone call with Kenny, and nicely explained that I wanted to give him a chance to make things right, and that I knew he had a very good reputation among forum users (at the least) and I wanted him to keep that intact because I gave him the benefit of the doubt regarding his circumstances.

The result? Kenny did indeed refund my money, as well as the difference in cost between his rate and Disney's rate. Did he have to do that? Absolutely not. Will I give him a second chance? Still not sure. But I will say that from a business perspective, I believe he responded well and treated this customer fairly.

He runs a small business with a few employees, and mistakes are bound to happen, and I get that. That certainly leads to some inherent risk when deciding who to use for this type of service. But, there's always some risk I suppose, and I feel satisfied by the end result of this situation.

Keep in mind, IMHO, Kenny has at least one shill on this board. I also had a long, involved, conversation based on something that the shill told him that was only the partial story. At first, I did not mind, but after thinking about it for a while, he has now lost my business. He does provide a good service at a very fair price. However, I did not appreciate the conversation and don't think it's the way a business should be run. I even contacted him via email with further information and he did not even give me the courtesy of an email back or even a thank you.

So, shill, if you're going to tell Kenny, please read him the whole post. Make sure you tell him my decision is because of the phone call NOT because of the service which was good, as usual.

I'm glad to hear he made things right with you and agree he did do the right thing for you. I do think these situations are exceptions, rather than the rule, and many, many more people have had good experiences with Tee Time than bad. It's how he deals with the bad that needs to be worked on In the end, the $$$ savings are so great, it's worth it to give it a shot.

 

[2bnepcot]

Yesterday I called the Ft Wilderness golf cart number. I was asking various questions and was informed that they are no longer allowing outside vendors to rent golf carts in the Ft Wilderness campground.

 

[Mary2e]

Yesterday I called the Ft Wilderness golf cart number. I was asking various questions and was informed that they are no longer allowing outside vendors to rent golf carts in the Ft Wilderness campground.

Officially, they are not. Unofficially, they allow it.

 

[Old Snipe]

We booked a six seater cart from Kenny. The day before we arrived, we got a call saying the six seater was damaged by the previous renter and was unavailable for us. So he gave us two four seater carts and only charged us for one at the four seater price.

We were happy with that and he went the extra mile to ensure we were taken care of.

Best Regards!

 

[Cindy F]

Keep in mind, IMHO, Kenny has at least one shill on this board. I also had a long, involved, conversation based on something that the shill told him that was only the partial story. At first, I did not mind, but after thinking about it for a while, he has now lost my business. He does provide a good service at a very fair price. However, I did not appreciate the conversation and don't think it's the way a business should be run. I even contacted him via email with further information and he did not even give me the courtesy of an email back or even a thank you.

So, shill, if you're going to tell Kenny, please read him the whole post. Make sure you tell him my decision is because of the phone call NOT because of the service which was good, as usual.

I'm glad to hear he made things right with you and agree he did do the right thing for you. I do think these situations are exceptions, rather than the rule, and many, many more people have had good experiences with Tee Time than bad. It's how he deals with the bad that needs to be worked on In the end, the $$$ savings are so great, it's worth it to give it a shot.

The red highlighted areas- Provides a good service at a fair price, service was good as usual, problems are the exception rather than the rule, more people with good experiences than bad, and the specific incident listed was handled in a way you agree with, to satisfy the customer-- not sure what else you would look for with a business? The green highlighted area- seems as though it really doesn't involve Kenny as much as it does the other person you mentioned.

Anyway, we've rented from Kenny, 2 other golf cart vendors (when Kenny was booked solid) and Disney golf carts over the years and I would have to say the best price, best service, bend over backwards, vendor would have to be Kenny, hands down. Of course, this is just my opinion and no more valid than any other opinion.

Disclaimer: I am not a shill, nor do I know Kenny in any capacity other than golf cart rental customer.

 

[Jennifer41]

What's a shill?

 

[Mary2e]

The red highlighted areas- Provides a good service at a fair price, service was good as usual, problems are the exception rather than the rule, more people with good experiences than bad, and the specific incident listed was handled in a way you agree with, to satisfy the customer-- not sure what else you would look for with a business? The green highlighted area- seems as though it really doesn't involve Kenny as much as it does the other person you mentioned.

Anyway, we've rented from Kenny, 2 other golf cart vendors (when Kenny was booked solid) and Disney golf carts over the years and I would have to say the best price, best service, bend over backwards, vendor would have to be Kenny, hands down. Of course, this is just my opinion and no more valid than any other opinion.

Disclaimer: I am not a shill, nor do I know Kenny in any capacity other than golf cart rental customer.

And that was the point I was trying to make here - that his service is good, except when there are problems. I suspect that it's very likely the person got a very satisfactory resolution because of those shills.

I also don't disagree with your opinion, but have decided to take my business elsewhere because of what I posted above. That was a decision I came to after thinking about our conversation, which lasted well over 30 minutes, for over a month. Will I pay more? Probably. Do I care? No, not really. If the cost is too much, I'll either not get one, or just pay it.

[FWIW - I'm pretty sure I know who at least one of the shills is, as Kenny hinted at it - your not it ]

 

[retired and happy]

What's a SHILL???

 

[Flametamr]

A shill, also called a plant or a stooge, is a person who publicly helps a person or organization without disclosing that he has a close relationship with that person or organization.

 

[starjazz]

I suspect that it's very likely the person got a very satisfactory resolution because of those shills.

Just for the record, I intentionally did not write anything on any forums regarding this situation until it was resolved. Had he not done what I asked, my post would have been...well...unkind, to say the least.

Is that a threat, or blackmail, or whatever? Maybe - and I did explain to him that I guessed a decent portion of his business was due to the name he's built here and other forums, and while it takes a lot of good feedback to get that name, it only takes a few bad comments to ruin it. But, at that point I had been charged for two carts, never got them, and I was pretty hot about it. So, I felt I was justified in explaining that to him.

He told me that he didn't care one way or the other what I said on these boards, and maybe thats true. Doesn't matter. What does matter is that without hesitation, he made it as right as he could.

He has room for improvement in how he runs his reservations, and in his communication policies as has been noted by PPs, but one thing that can be said about him is that he certainly puts customer service as a high priority.

So, next time, would I give him another chance. I think I probably would. I mean, as long as he's 40% less than what Disney charges, its hard to justify paying their rates. For their prices, I could get a car - which comes with different challenges and what not, but still...

I don't know - tough call. Unfortunate situation for a company with such a positive reputation. I hope he gets the business side of things down so he can keep that rep up!

 

[Mary2e]

I would swear I saw a post by you in another thread indicating you had an issue. If it was not you, please accept my apologies. When I saw this post my first thought was that I was happy you got it resolved.

FWIW - I don't blame you for going off on him. I would have as well, particularly since you had no notice.

I never had bad service and was satisfied with my rentals. I've also discovered that for the way I vacation and the time of year, a cart may or may not be necessary. If the parks aren't open late we may not use the cart that much and it just sits. In the summer we use it more, but again, I can plan my days so that I rent by the day from Disney or find another supplier if I want one all the time. At worse, we use the bus system, which is ok too.

The email I sent him, and spent quite a good bit of time offering business suggestions was not even acknowledged. He could have quite a nice business for himself if he would just tighten up the communication and problem resolution side.

Again, accept my apologies for confusing you with someone else.

 

[starjazz]

Oh, hey, I didn't really take offense.

I actually saw the post you're referring to. He apparently had to cancel on a few folks that particular week, which made it even fishier from my perspective. However, I told myself and I told him that I would allow him the opportunity to do right. I was far more interested in getting my money refunded and hopefully the extra money too, than I was in flaming him on a Disney forum. So, thats what I did. Waited to see what he'd do, and I then I made my report.

I actually never really "went off" on him. I sent him some well worded emails that made my point without being nasty, other than I admit, the second email was somewhat threatening in the sense that I acknowledged that I could and would report things in a much different light had he chosen to totally screw me. But he didn't - he made it as right as he could.

 

[Sundancer330]

We had the same problem with Kenny on our trip to the Fort 2/6-2/14. I had reserved a cart with Kenny last October signed a contract and gave him my credit card info. I called Kenny two weeks before the arrival date just to confirm everything and he said all was good and he would call the day before we arrived. I didnt hear from Kenny the day before so I sent him a text which he did answer and said to call or text him once we arrived and had a site number. Since we also were renting a trailer and the golf cart I was nervous that it would all come together. When we arrived I sent Kenny a text with the site number and also to the company with the trailer. The trailer showed up within 30 minutes, it was a brand new trailer and made the camping experience great. I didnt hear from Kenny for a few hours, he then text me that he would not be able to get us a cart, one was damaged from an accident and another one was waiting on parts. I understand that things like this happen but what I dont like is why did he wait till we got there to inform me of the problem, he had to know the day before, not a good way to run a business. He said he would refund my credit card, when I got home I checked and he had not given me a refund. I called Kenny a few times left messages but never heard back, I had to file a dispute with my credit card company and they paid me. Kenny did call a week later and said he ran into many problems at the beginning of Feb and had to cancel many reservations, he did offer to cover any extra cost if I had to rent from Disney which I did not, he then offered me a free cart next trip to the fort which will probably never happen. I am not saying don't use Tee Time, from what I had read here he sounds like a good guy that has run into some problems that he doesnt know how to handle. This was our first trip to Disney for me and my eight year old son, we had a blast and took many great memories home with us.

 

[starjazz]

I thought I remembered reading your post. Thats a bummer that you had to go through your credit card company, but at least you got your money back. I'm guessing they tracked down Kenny and were subsequently reimbursed.

Yeah, I agree, it sounded like he had a rough stretch there during that time, and didn't have any plan in place to handle the situation. Hopefully he does now.

Did seem crazy that it was supposedly "low season", and that was going on. Bummer. Glad all turned out well.

 

[Disbug]

Even though Kenny had problems sounds like he is honoring his commitments or making good on them. Ultimately, that is the true measure of customer service...I just returned from our trip at FW and wish I had decided to go with him! We went with Central Florida Golf carts and in the end, for the value we received we paid as much with him as we would have for a Disney cart...

We rented for 8 days and got 4 to 5 total days of use due to no headlights. They were not able to come out until Monday morning to replace the cart. Everyone was very nice to us except the owner. He only started communicating with us when we sent an email asking for a partial rebate. He actually accused us of causing the problem! The first cart had multiple problems, but we let them go until we lost the headlights... it was like the last straw. The 2nd cart was perfect and if we had that cart initially, we would have been happy campers!

I contend that everyone at Central Florida Golf carts was very courteous to us, except for the owner. He basically told me he didn't care if we were unhappy and too bad, so sad! Who does that? So lesson learned... if not renting a Disney cart... stick with Kenny.