Extremely Toxic - Anonymous employee Railbookers Group Employee Review

1.0
18 June 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some nice people work there FAM trips every year Working in travel can be exciting

Cons

It is honestly difficult for me to figure out where to start. Especially taking into account things I experienced myself, and things I witnessed my fellow co-workers go through. For me, it started when I transitioned into the department and was given the responsibility of overseeing a specific line they already knew was not going to be offered moving forward. I was informed all the work was completed and to simply make sure everything flows nicely during the season. It was here, so early in my career with the company, where I realized I will need to learn to fend for myself. As I looked into everything, I noticed almost nothing was done and struggled through the season to ensure minimal chaos due to the lack of care for the product and someone in charge with the organizational skills of a 2nd grader. However, my hard work did not go unnoticed and I was rewarded newer responsibilities identical to those of the manager over me. Of course, I was excited to take on more, but had my reasonable concerns regarding my job title and compensation seeing as though I had the same responsibilities as the manager over me. I was then advised that I was not eligible for a promotion or further compensation but that they could take the added work away... however, it would be used against me should the position open up in the future. At this point, they had finally hired a Director of Human Resources which a lot of us were super thrilled for. My first meeting with this individual was great, and I could tell her intentions were to help as she had been hearing the same from so many of us. Not too long after, I requested my follow up meeting to discuss everything, and she mentioned she was busy and could not get me in the books. The following day, my direct manager had a meeting with me to discuss my concerns. I, personally, was not comfortable with something I brought up to the "Human Resource" department being relayed to my manager before further discussion but it is something I had to get used to. it was so surprising to feel the difference in demeanor and enthusiasm as compared to my first meeting with her... I could tell she was not able to help the way she had envisioned. Soon her job title was changed with a focus on "talent acquisition" and she was let go from the company and we were left without a legitimate Human Resource department, yet again. For the next year or so, I had the displeasure of doing the same job as the manager over me without proper acknowledgement. On numerous occasions I kicked up my concerns to only hear the same political answers from my direct manager who in, my opinion, doesn't have much regard for his employees. Career development didn't mean much more than just taking on more responsibilities it seemed. Again, in my opinion and many others, this not the way to care for your employees. Especially, when one has to sit in meeting with him hearing him talk negatively about his previous employees... makes me wonder what is being said about me now. I have seen long time employees let go during "restructuring" to only help grow existing concerns on job security. If someone with such longevity and so much knowledge of the product is who you decide to let go during a "restructuring period," how should growing employees feel about building a career with you? After so many were let go, responsibilities grew more so in the department I was in as I had to learn to do creative writing (something very new to me). I kicked my concerns up again and was not surprised to hear that "in a culture where we are restructuring, a pay raise is unlikely." In other words, they will save on all the employees let go, shift their work over to kept staff, but not compensate their "valued" employees even a little bit in trying to help them understand the situation in expanded responsibilities. I had to juggle my own responsibilities as well as other departments' who struggled because the workload is just unbearable for almost all teams. Of course, the helpful person I am was taken advantage of and I found myself always having to make sure my work was done, all while being "required" to stay late and/or structure my days around helping other departments. Then responding to critical emails from upper management questioning my work and how I am spending my time during the day. I hope me sharing some of my experiences helps anyone reading as I only have good intentions in sharing them.

avatar
Railbookers Group Response
7y
Thank you for taking the time to post your review. As we have only had one person leave recently and you were honest enough to share the department you worked in, we appreciate you letting us know who you are. We are truly disappointed to read your review as there are many things I can see that you are not being transparent about. In saying that I would like to address your points below to yourself and all as you complimented myself at the bottom, (I am the president’s brother) but you forgot a number of things you and I had conversations about. You talked about opportunity, title and compensation. We are all about promoting from within and giving all opportunity for growth. Even with yourself you didn’t mention that this was the 2nd time you worked for YLG and the first didn’t work out, yet we gave you an opportunity to come back and hired you for a role that you had no experience in but were willing to invest and train you how to do the role. You mentioned our HR Department. We have always had an HR Department. At times we have hired additional staff who were on the recruiting side to help in Talent Acquisition. The individual you had these chats with was serving in that capacity rather than an experience Human Resources professional. When you mention “talking negative about previous employees” that is not the case. We are always talking about any mistakes we have made and how we can learn from them to do a better job for our customers. That typically relates to processes, people or product, so that is not being negative its just about learning and being honest so we can improve. Also, when you mention that you had to “juggle my own responsibilities as well as other departments who struggled because of the workload” you forgot to mention that certain times of the year (booking time vs. customers traveling time) that all departments shift to support each other. In the case of your department- the product department…we put a hold on creating new product to ensure all is operating smoothly for our customers, so you forgot to mention that one as well. You also didn’t mention the time I had to speak to you directly about dressing more appropriate in the office and coming in late on a regular basis. You also didn’t mention how “thankful” you were when you left and how much you learned from the company and how you got a chance to fly around the US and visit all these different places and check out new destinations, hotels and products for our customers. Yet you post this after you leave. Lastly, you have many friends in our company who you grew up with and helped recruit you who have come to myself and others and who are as disappointed as I am. The truth is we wish you nothing but the best for the future as we wouldn’t have hired you back a 2nd time if we didn’t believe in you. We understand now you were not a fit for YLG nor were we a fit for you as we need everyone to be team players based on the needs of our customers. Either way thanks for your comments as well as giving me a chance to comment back in an honest way. Thanks, Jim Marini- Vice President

Explore other reviews about Railbookers Group

5.0
11 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Employee FAM trip annually for customer-facing roles Healthy work culture and environment Best leadership ever Paid travel Great benefits and bonus potential Opportunities for advancement

Cons

Salary on the low end of most businesses development roles

avatar
Railbookers Group Response
1mo
Thank you for sharing your experience and for recognizing the fantastic culture, great benefits, leadership, and opportunities at RBG. We’re thrilled to hear that the FAM trips, paid travel, growth opportunities, and supportive environment have made a meaningful impact on your time here. We’re grateful to have you on the team and appreciate the contributions you make every day. Best Regards, Ja’ Net McGhee Employee Engagement Manager
1.0
20 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Remote. Hourly + Commission. Health Benefits.

Cons

High performance metrics were not the primary factor in employment decisions. Leadership communication was inconsistent and lacked transparency. Policies prioritizing customer satisfaction leaves you feeling undervalued and used. Rapid operational changes occasionally impacted team stability. Goals and priorities were sometimes ambiguous and would change suddenly without explanation. Organizational changes created confusion and conflict to the work culture. Inconsistent enforcement of policies and standards. Constant increase to work load with no additional scheduled time to complete new assigned tasks. Management is mostly comprised of individuals who failed as successful Account Executives but got moved up to management. They impose unrealistic expectations that they themselves couldn't keep. You aren't just selling Rail Vacations you are teaching customers about how train travel works on the phone, this leads to very long phone calls and over time. Website pricing is misleading which leads to a lot of mad customers calling in taking it out of the people that answer the phones. Mandatory weekends, and monthly changes to schedule with only 2 weeks notice which leads to a bad work/life balance.

avatar
Railbookers Group Response
4mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not reflect the culture we strive to maintain. Our top priority is providing respectful, professional service to every guest we speak with, and we hold our team to clear expectations in how they represent our organization on the phone and in all interactions. When concerns are raised about behavior that does not align with those standards, we review them carefully and take appropriate action. Our decisions are always guided by our commitment to our guests and to maintaining a positive, respectful environment for both customers and employees. We remain dedicated to delivering a high level of service and appreciate feedback that helps us continue to improve. Thank you! Jesse Avalo Senior Sales Manager
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All