tour guide

customer service representative

mechanic

actor

utility worker

Old Town Trolley Tours

The operation as a conductor is good in general. Easy job for decent money. Hourly is very low, tips are good usually and we get a stipend for certain types of private tours, the seasons differ and you could be laid off for a few months if tourism is slow...management is corrupt and out to get you. This operation has its HQ in Florida and they try to operate the San Diego operation off of Florida rules. This has lead to a number of unlawful labor practices that resulted in lawsuits. The management team sees you as a number not an individual. They have a thing called “the matrix system” where every employee is a number according to their performance and that’s how they calculate whether you are a good employee. The numbering system is purely subjective and based on some factors that aren’t controllable by the employee. However, the managers themselves are not held according to the same standards. The GM especially feels like he’s untouchable. To give you an idea of the culture, the company has gone through 5 HR managers in a span of 3 years! The only thing you’ll love is your fellow conductors (some of whom you cannot trust due to gossip culture) and the guests on your tour. Everything else is beyond stressful, lack of leadership and inconsistent.

I did sales, which was fun. Selling tickets and meeting people was great. Even my manager was amazing. The company is very good at recognizing and honoring hard work. They were also very flexible whenever I requested for time off. They have a great HR person too.
But hourly pay wasn't good. We got commission pay but it was a very small percentage. Reaching your sales goal was a nightmare sometimes because near every depot location, there are third party businesses selling tickets for the trolley. And sadly, people were often encouraged by the office and driver's to purchase their tickets online, which would take away the opportunity for a sales rep. to get commission credit.
Driver's pay keeps going up, especially for new driver's but not for sales representatives. Senior sales representatives are greedy, and will do whatever it takes to make sure their sales look good (even when depots require teamwork), going as far as bullying new and younger employees. You will be working outside the majority of the time, rain or shine. Fans and water are not provided for smaller depots. Management will be sneaky and drive around to make sure you are doing your jobs. 

I honestly do not have a bad thing to say about OTT itself. The managers are wonderful people, there's really good job security if you work the right position, and there are also some really good perks involved, like free stuff and you can take all the tours for free. It's honestly a very healthy working environment in my experience there. It really is like a family there and I had excellent support from my managers.

However, they could stand to pay a little better. 

If you are working in sales, it's hit or miss. Most of the regular salespeople can make pretty killer money. However, you have to be okay with standing for hours outdoors in the elements. I was a concierge, which does not make much money, unless you're at one of the two big hotels, which is almost impossible to get into. Newbies get stuck at the Cotton Sail hotel, which only has 56 rooms so you will sometimes go days without sales. The base pay is nowhere close to a living wage, and the commission percentage is only 2-4%. The only reason I left was because I couldn't live on $700 every two weeks. But that was my experience. If you want to sell tickets for OTT, I'd recommend being a regular salesperson. You also have to get up early because work starts at 8:00.


What is the best part of working at the company?
The gift shop is a great place. You meet people from all over. And being able to see all the activities on the water and on river street is a vibe in its self. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The Most stressful part of working for Old town trolley (Simply Savannah ) is that if you don't fit in their circle, they will make your life miserable. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
They store is great. The Managers dont cate about you if you dont fit in tbeir circle and employees are Evil, Rude and Disrespectful. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The Most Rewarding and Pleasant part is Meeting and Greeting customers, helping them find the perfect gift for themselves or friends and family.  Being able to see all the container ships go by. And occasionally seeing a dolphin or two in the river.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Management is VERY accomodating. Corporate benefits are pretty good.
Safety is the utmost concern - you are reminded and paid to be safe, not fast. But most of all, if you dont mind dealing with the public, it's a great team and environment to work in. And since there are egotistical people everywhere these days, working here will avoid stress from those you work with.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Dumb people in public who think they're above society. (10% of people. Not bad)

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Relaxed
Safety conscious
Fun
But also fast-paced at times

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Get in 
Get assignments
Get moving
Mildly (or majorly) entertain people
Do a few good deeds
EoD tasks
Go home
Keeping a good attitude makes things easy

Remember: if you work here you are just a number to this company. Management: well, some management was great, other management was AWFUL, really a mixed bag. Some people working there have said awfully inappropriate things about female staff with everyone around to hear it, and no repercussions. Some days you do not get a break. Really a dead end job, no advancement. If corporate/HR and management like you, and you get along with your coworkers, consider yourself lucky. Holiday season is awful, don't do the holiday work for your own sanity. Do not stay here for too long: there is a reason there is a high turnover rate.

A typical day at work entailed answering tourist calls with their questions of location and cost of riding the Tours.  Everyone at Old Town Trolley helps each other in busy situations.  It is a wonderful family atmosphere.

The hardest part of the job was to prepare Cost Cash Reports each morning at a certain. time.  The time element was the issue.  After that, all accounting functions, etc was very rewarding throughout the day.

I have worked in the corporate world for many years, and found that Old Town Trolley Tours tops the rating of the other companies by a large measure. "So nice to work where you feel at home."

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working for the company is meeting people from all over the world ! I love working with people !

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Helping with a dissatisfied customer.   I've learned that you need to listen to their complaints and always be kind.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I enjoy working outside and enjoying our beautiful weather that we're blessed with in San Diego.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Meeting and greeting people from all around the world and coming from all walks of life.  It's a fun jobl

Grumpy drivers and terrible management. Don't expect to be given much training, and expect to be dropped off at a location for the entire day with virtually nothing to do except sit in a booth; and if you bring a book or something similar for a slow day, expect to get yelled at. Management doesn't care about you or your time, you'll be at base until all hours of the night at the whim of when they want to count your cash drawers. Not to mention you'll have to deal with angry customers because management insists to lie to customers telling them the Trolley's run between the stops every 10-15 mins, and when they don't guests are left with no way to get around.

I have about a million titles at Old Town Trolley! I'm an actor on 3 of their entertainment tours, I'm a sales rep, and during the off season I do office work for the company. I definitely feel valued as an employee. I didn't think I'd have work over the off season, but my bosses pushed for me to get the managers in the other departments to have me work for them. The management acts promptly and efficiently when customers are treating employees poorly. The most enjoyable part of my job is getting to get paid to be an actor- something I never thought would be possible.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Tour guide 178 salaries reported	$20.44 per hour
Customer service representative 68 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Mechanic 60 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Actor 50 salaries reported	$17.16 per hour
Utility worker 48 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour

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