Hi Sophie, sorry to hear you were disappointed and offended by the team at Kaikoura Kayaks.
We have met with all staff this morning to discuss your feedback and find it very unusual that you felt this way as out of the 24 clients that were booked on, the only complaint was the one from yourself.
It is totally understandable that you were disappointed that you were unable to go kayaking due to the strong winds picking up unexpectedly. We made everyone aware of this and you chose not to kayak for obvious reasons.
Our customer service has always been outstanding in the past and we pride ourselves on being straight up and honest with travellers about the sea conditions and what they might expect on any given tour.
For over a year Kaikoura Kayaks has been voted number one activity in Kaikoura and we believe this is testament to delivering outstanding customer service as reviewed by the traveller.
Below is an example from the same windy tour which you decided not to take part in (with good reason)
“Good evening.
We were on yesterday’s sunset cruise. The tour was originally scheduled to have 24 guests but because of the weather, most cancelled the trip and we went out with 4 people (including us) and 1 guide. I believe the guides name was Cohen but not positive.
In any event we had a wonderful trip and got to see a seal killing/eating a fish in the middle of the water. And the weather wasn’t as bad as we expected. It was one of the highlights of the trip so far.
I believe our guide (Cohen) took a couple of pictures and said he would send them to us.
Thanks, Peter Schwartz”
Sent from my iPhone On Jan 12, 2020, at 8:37 PM.
Sophie everyone I personally refunded in full or transferred (Including “The poor group who decided to go out were brought back onto land after less than 2-3 minutes”) after they chose not to go kayaking in the strong winds were very happy and made comments like “Good Safety Call” or “Thanks for being honest”.
Unfortunately, I never got to meet you or discuss your concerns as you chose to walk home from the kayaking departure site over the Peninsula and not return to base.
Upon your hike over the Peninsula you reached Whalers Bay and took an image of “Calm Waters” which was an area completely sheltered from the gusty North West winds. Unfortunately to kayak to Whalers Bay you would have had to paddle through the strong gusty winds of South Bay which you were not prepared to do. The image you posted was not the departure point of the tour which is a bit misleading.
None of us recall you visiting our office the next morning to ask about booking another tour and we never heard anything from you till we received your feedback and the refund request from Book Me.
Tylar expressed you asked him at South Bay Reserve after you had decided not to go if it was an option to kayak the next morning. Following this, you informed him that you had booked the tour through Book Me at a discounted rate (not at a premium). Tylar advised you that you may have to pay the difference which is standard practise as there were no deals on Book Me for the following morning however that is something the manager would need to decide.
Sophie we are sorry you took our safety calls and abruptness the wrong way and that we never got to discuss your concerns in person.
We felt everyone concerned had been informed clearly of our procedures around windy kayak tours and had the opportunity to either receive a full refund, transfer to another departure time or paddle on the windy kayak tour with the below Special Conditions in mind.
Special Conditions
“Kaikoura Kayaks reserves the right to cancel trips due to weather and sea conditions. Where Kaikoura Kayaks cancels a trip prior to departure, a full refund is available. Where a trip has commenced and is subsequently cancelled, participants shall receive a 70% refund.”
Sophie your comment about using another operator because they are cheaper is a little perplexing.
While the other operator has great customer service they also run a shorter tour and use Sit On Top Pedal Kayaks which are open to the elements and expose you to getting very wet compared to our Sea Kayaks with dry enclosed cockpits which use spray skirts and rudders for steering.
Our ½ day Seal Kayaking tours have been voted “best value for money” by numerous traveller reviews on Trip Advisor, Google Reviews etc.
All kayaking tours in Kaikoura operate around the Kaikoura Peninsula which encompasses the Peninsula walkway, one of the best ½ day walks in New Zealand!
Sophie again we are sorry you may have misinterpreted some of the information portrayed to you concerning the windy kayak tour on Sunday evening and we wish you all the very best for the rest of your travels while in New Zealand.
Yours Sincerely,
Matt Foy and the team at Kaikoura Kayaks.