Jeff Gaura

Review of Northwoods

We just returned from our 14th trip to the BWCA, a...

We just returned from our 14th trip to the BWCA, and we selected these guys to provide us guidance and gear. We chose a short, 2 night trip to Birth Lake. Once we arrived at the drop off point, the towboat operator told us that we had been issued the wrong maps. He was concerned to see us enter the park without adequate way-finding. On the last day out, we got lost and paddled longer than we needed to. Once we finally got back to the outfitters, one of the employees approached us and heard that we had been given the wrong maps. We fully anticipated that he would attempt to make things right, as he didn't deny it. Instead, he started with a monolog about how we should get maps "next time." No apology for us getting lost. Didn't ask us how the trip went. No reference to the outfitting side of the company not in communication with the retail side when outfitting sends someone their way. He did what I call taking "anti-ownership" of the problem.
I spoke to a local whom I have known for 30 years who reiterated that my experience was not unique and that once this outfitter gets your money, customer service comes to a halt.

The other person with me on the trip is a customer service guru, and he wanted to suggest that could have picked one of three options:
1) So sorry. How can we make things right?
2) Can we give you the correct map, instead?
3) I am sorry that we put you are risk and played a role in you getting lost.

Nothing.

Go find an outfitter who cares about customers. These guys are not it.