Paddywagon Tours Reviews

Spent years working with this outfit. The toxicity, narcissism and selfishness of upper management of this organisation permeates right down through the organisation. Over time this has resulted in any half decent guide // driver finding employment elsewhere in any of the other tour companies that respect workers rights ( i.e. workers receive a roster ( don't find out if working 6pm the day before) / workers don't get fined up to €500 for frivolous reasons / workers not asked to drive illegally over tachograph times ). Overloading buses with passengers (especially with younger backpackers) happened on many occasions. Management were aware of substandard buses being brought out on tour with defects such as faulty gearboxes, no air-conditioning, fumes in cabin, microphones not working (It's a tour company). A driver once had to drive a 33 seater bus full of backpackers down the Burren Coast Road with no brakes (yes, NO BRAKES). Any protestations from the drivers where met with shrugs and indifference. As with any company, there were accidents and frequent breakdowns on buses during my time here, but I am shocked that there were no serious accidents in this company due to the lack of maintenance towards the buses. This organisation has nothing but utter contempt for its customers (check tripadvisor reviews), the guide // driver is then left to deal with many irate customers ( tour cancelled on morn of tour / tour overbooked/ customers left waiting at side of road / MULTIPLE bus changes in one day ). Tourist are delivered around the country as if they were mere cargo. Delivering bad news to excited tourists is the norm, this ensures working with PaddyWagon is challenging, and over time front-facing staff take on and embody this contemptuous attitude. Such is the toxicity of this organisation, when I left Paddywagon for a competitor, it actually took some time to reset my attitude towards the customer. This is such a shame as the organisation was different in its earlier years. It could of been an industry leader. It has since lost its RUNAWAY dominant market share in the face of more professional outfits. Today Paddywagon is ragtag one-stop shop for precarious service workers and substandard driver/guides who are unable to find employment elsewhere. This is known and unsaid within the organisation, if staff have the means to leave, they will, otherwise they have no choice but to stay and put up with exploitative employment practices, and irrational and manipulative upper management. Avoid.