There’s always one.
You know the type. The chronically late, the always cranky, the overly indulgent or the downright disrespectful. One bad apple can spoil the bunch, and that’s true on a group trip, too.
Passengers who break the social contract on a trip and create awkward or unpleasant situations for the whole group are unfortunately common. And, if you haven’t encountered one on a trip yet, you probably will. But not to worry. Spotting difficult passengers early on can help you smooth over any problems quickly and get the group experience back on track.
Here are five types of difficult passengers and what to do when you encounter them.
1. Placating Chronic Complainers
One of the most common types of difficult passengers is the complainer. Whether they’re cranky from jet lag or naturally negative, these passengers will make their gripes about the itinerary, food and attractions known to everyone around them. A little complaining here and there isn’t the end of the world, but it can disrupt the group experience if it’s too frequent (or too loud).
Pull the chronic complainer aside and mention that you’re concerned about the experience they’re having. It’s important to express empathy when chatting with them to get to the bottom of the complaints and address whatever is possible — and reasonable — to address. If the passenger seems like they’re determined to be in a bad mood, return your attention to the rest of the passengers and redirect everyone’s attention to the positive aspects of the trip. Don’t waste too much of your energy trying to fix the unfixable. The lack of attention to the negativity will likely snuff it out.
2. Correcting the Rule-Breakers
Rule-breaking behaviors can include tardiness, ignoring instructions and schedules, and defying group rules. Group trips require cooperation to ensure everyone’s experience is top-notch; even one passenger showing up late to a group meal or wandering off without telling anyone can seriously disrupt the itinerary and even cause the group to miss out on an experience.
Talk to the group about your rules and expectations at the beginning of the trip, and don’t be afraid to dole out a few reminders. If one passenger is struggling with consistent lateness or other rule-breaking behavior, take them aside privately to reinforce your expectations and stress the importance of following the rules. Be firm, tell them how their behavior affects the group and continue to enforce boundaries during the duration of the trip. If they can’t make it down from their hotel room on time in the morning, let them know the group will attend the day’s excursions without them.
3. Redirecting the Socially Unaware
Socially unaware passengers can disrupt group dynamics and make the trip uncomfortable for other passengers. Some passengers are social dominators who monopolize group conversations, display provocative or attention-seeking behaviors, or even create a cliquish environment that makes others feel excluded. Any group leader should be able redirect the conversation to include others and smooth over disruptive behavior. If there are any opportunities for these dominators to shine, like audience participation or going first during a bus karaoke session, that could be one way to make everyone happy.
On the flip side, if a passenger is a bit of a loner or socially awkward, it may be helpful to act as a bridge between them and the rest of the group by finding out about their interests and introducing them to others who share those interests. Other socially unaware behaviors include starting contentious discussions, such as those about politics, religion or hot-button issues. Prepare a few backup conversation topics to throw out there in case you overhear a contentious discussion brewing between two passengers.
4. Coping with Itinerary-Ignorers
There will always be passengers who aren’t particularly suited to the trip. That could mean a passenger who didn’t bring weather-appropriate attire to Scotland during the rainy season or a passenger with mobility issues who signed up for a tour of historic, non-ADA-compliant European castles. They may be a perfectly pleasant person, but they obviously haven’t considered that the itinerary may not be suited to their needs or abilities — and they will undoubtedly require a lot your time and attention to accommodate them.
To prevent these situations, adding disclaimers to your booking pages about mobility requirements, important dietary restrictions or packing needs is a good idea. The best way to deal with itinerary-ignorers, if they’ve already arrived, is to accommodate them within reason. It can go a long way if you buy a passenger an extra hoodie to keep warm. But some things can’t be accommodated; you can’t cancel the castle tour for all your guests just because one of them can’t do it. Finding a suitable alternative, such as staying on the bus or back at the hotel, will have to suffice.
5. Drawing the Line with the Truly Unruly
Sometimes a difficult passenger’s behavior can escalate from unpleasant to downright unacceptable or even dangerous. That could include disrespect to anyone else on the trip, inappropriate or deeply offensive language, racism or discrimination, sexual harassment, or verbal or physical aggression toward you or other passengers. Sometimes overindulgence of alcohol can contribute to one or more of these unacceptable behaviors. If you notice any passenger overdoing it on the drinks, keep a close eye on them to make sure worse behaviors don’t follow.
On your booking page, make sure to have a mandatory checkbox about unacceptable or dangerous behaviors. Be clear that you have a zero-tolerance policy and that displaying these behaviors will earn passengers a one-way ticket home without refunds. If a passenger crosses one of these lines anyway, protect your group by shutting it down immediately and removing the problem individual as soon as possible. Use your best judgment to keep everyone safe; physical violence or harassment may require the assistance of security or law enforcement, while less dangerous behaviors may just call for a taxi to the airport.
