Dear Mr. Murphy,
This is the best “SiFi” Story I had ever read!!!!
Hopefully at the end of this letter you could reflect and think a little better on your intention by writing this review. I am impressed on how you changed the situation to make it seem as you were “The victim”. I have been managing Yokahu Kayak Trips inc. for over 14 years and your situation is the second time we have had to call the police because a customer.
Since the beginning of the big situation, you arrived into the kayaking area and your rainforest tour guide told you to make the check in and you refused to pay. Even though, as the manager of the company, I authorized your tour guides to charge you only for the rainforest portion. However, you refused. You did not want to pay for the rainforest part; you didn’t even have the intention to pay a penny. So, the “honored person” you said you were did not show there in that moment. I don’t even understand how you did that entire math, paying more than even the agreement/notification you showed to the police!
Before you arrived to the park from where we depart to the bay, we were advised by the rainforest tour guide, that you had been complaining during the whole tour. You finished the hiking about 20 minutes before the rest of the group, and started arguing to the guide about how wrong he was on the hiking schedule. After the rest of the group arrived and got into the van you asked to the people in the same tour about the timing misinformation. But, they did not agree with you, instead they corrected you. There were a several more situations like throwing the van door and a few more complaints that you did throughout the entire trip that made our tour guide understand that you were trying to control and ruin the good day and fun trip to the others.
The rainforest is one of the best and most visited places in Puerto Rico! No matter how old you are, you won’t want to miss this opportunity! You are not obligated to do the hiking part. If you notify the guide, we would explain to you which other places you can visit meanwhile.
Glad you mentioned, “The Puerto Rico Tourism Company”. This agency endorsed our tours because we complied with all of the requirements of a legal and respectful business. They have been recommending our services since we started Yokahu Kayak Trips, Inc. As you said “The Puerto Rico Tourism Company” is a respectful company that is why they recommend our services. At the moment you booked we NEVER offered you a boat. We are an eco friendly business and do not promote boats in this type of sensitive environments. “The Puerto Rico Tourism Company” knows it. This information could also be verified on our website. You said “The Puerto Rico Tourism Company” called a few different operators letting them knows about your back problems, but not to us. At the time you booked with the tourism company they gave you a notification agreement with the rate of the “Rainforest & Bio Bay Tour”.
How can you book with a company that on its name it says KAYAK TRIPS and not know you have to kayak? If you were more interested on what you were going to do, you could enter to our website and read what we offer.
On the other hand, you said you will do the kayak portion if there was the kayak. Now I don’t understand you! The kayak was there for you, but you insisted after the police arrived, you have a back problem and that you cannot do this part of the tour. Actually, this is what you been saying on this review. But if you were able to do it, then why did you make the entire situation for? I believe you should re-read your story before publishing it.
About the police, Mr. Murphy, there were only two policemen dealing with you, not eight. As an experienced and professional person, as you said you are, you should know that refusing to pay after receiving a service is an illegal act. Probably you are trying to write another SiFi story with the company I manage. I want to remind you at the time the police arrived only one of them was bilingual and was able to spoke with you. He also asked us about the way we handle the reservations and tours; then, how could they determine we are always overbooked or overcharging tours? The truth is they were almost taking you to jail, because of your improper attitude and conduct. Your biggest problem on that day…ATTITUDE!
Even though the big situation and hard time you made us go through, we provided you a respectful and courtesy transportation all the way back to the end of the round trip. Do you see and understand our compromise with our customers?
In Yokahu Kayak Trips, we respect all of our visitors even with disabilities. For us there is no difference between one person and other. If the person advises us they have any medical or physical condition, we always explain how the tour works and we let them know if it possible for them or not to do the tour. That is why they select us! What is the difference between them and you? Their attitude! After police arrived, you started explaining about your back surgeries. I know spinal condition is a serious condition, we would not recommend any of our tours if we were advised about it. We are sorry this entire situation happened, you said this is the only tour you took in Puerto Rico you concerned and bad reviewed it, but I am sure it is the most adventures one you booked.
I want to apologize to the people who did the tour with you, who probably had a bad moment due to your conduct.
“Yoka who?” I am also glad you asked! Founder of Yokahu Kayak Trips comes from a very hard work family. Money for every business is essential but it is not everything. The passion with what we do is what keeps us remaining on top. On 1989 I saw my parents starting life from zero. Hurricane Hugo took every single piece of wood from our home. I was only 10 years old and learned about hard work since a kid. Cleaning patios, doing car wash and even selling mangoes at the beach, taught me the hard reality of life before people usually do. I started working with tourism since I was 16 years old; to start my own business there were no aids, only hard sweat to make it possible.
Working with honesty, love and determination brought the success. We carry hundreds of people per month in our tours and we know that the majority of visitors love the way we do it.
Sincerely,
Luis Méndez
President