Summit Express — Attraction in Silverthorne

I used this shuttle service for a round trip between the airport and Copper Mountain. While they got me to and from my destination on time, there were several areas where the experience could be improved.

Positives: • Some dispatchers were extremely friendly and helpful. Their reminders were a nice touch and showed that they are organized. • Door-to-door service is convenient and worth paying for, especially when navigating mountain roads. • Shuttle services in general are a great alternative to renting a car in this area.

Areas for Improvement: • Gratuity is paid upfront: This would be fine if the drivers consistently provided excellent service, but that wasn’t the case. A post-ride gratuity system would incentivize better service. • Navigation issues: Both drivers struggled with navigation. On the way there, the driver stopped for 10 minutes and asked if a passenger could plan the route for him—this is unacceptable for a professional service. On the way back, the driver called me for directions, despite me being unfamiliar with the area. • Lack of attention to detail: The driver on the way there made multiple roadside stops—one for a passenger to use the bathroom on the side of the highway at night during snow(which felt unsafe) and another to check children’s seatbelts, something that should have been done before departure. • Unnecessary comments about speed: While it’s good to be mindful of passenger comfort, my driver repeatedly asked if we were okay with his speed and mentioned he had received complaints before. This came across as unprofessional—following speed limits should be standard practice. • Luggage handling: Upon pickup, the driver had us board first, meaning we couldn’t confirm if our luggage was actually loaded. Given the driver’s overall absentmindedness, this made passengers uneasy. • Booking confirmation issues: I booked a round trip but didn’t receive confirmation for my return trip. I had to call to verify, and while the agent was friendly, I was asked to check my credit card statement as if they couldn’t confirm the booking on their end.

Final Thoughts:

This company does the basic job of getting you to and from your destination, but they need to improve their customer-focused culture and refine small details that impact the experience. More emphasis on professionalism, navigation training, and leveraging technology to prevent recurring issues would go a long way in making this a...

Updated in 2019 with a very positive review.

This is the second year in a row we've had a bad experience with Summit Express. Both times we've responded to their request for feedback with excessive detail of the problem and we never heard back.

2016: Overbooked shuttle, late numerous times (initial pick-up/first transfer/second transfer), no van coordination of any kind and drivers seem to have no clue what is going on. My ski bag nearly fell off the van in downtown Denver, had to pull over and put it back in.

2017: Van had kids with car seats scheduled but there was no coordination of where people would sit. We were forced into the back where there are two wheel wells that render those seats useless. People with kids didn't pay more for preferred seats but I paid more for bad seats even though it should be first come first served. My point is to call it open seating and then tell people it's not. Plan where people will sit, inform them of what is going on. Driver was nearly incapable of packing vehicle, I had to help and at every stop to load and unload. Said he had a separated shoulder.

Overall, this service has tanked over the past several years. They are hiring drivers who are nice but who are either unable to do the actual job of loading/unloading and also seem completely unaware of what is going. No one ever seems to know how many bags they'll have for efficient loading or how many people in a party and how that actually fits into a van. They collect all this information but it doesn't seem to be used. Most of all, whenever we've talked to customer service no one seems to care, it's just the way it is. We'll go back to spending more money to rent a car even though it will sit unused for 90% of the week because the shuttle service went from a breeze to a huge stress

Update 2019: We decided to give Summit Express another try this year and everything has greatly improved and gone back to the way it was. I still think they should assign seats when booking but the driver was incredible and very attentive to everyone’s needs. Considering how flexible they are as well when your plane is late, it’s probably a mess to do assigned seats. I think gist here is I would definitely recommend the service and...

I can’t say enough about my experience with Summit Express. In response to a big snowstorm, I had to call several times to change my shuttle day/time as my flights changed. Sometimes they could accommodate my new time request and sometimes they couldn’t due to Covid capacity rules but each time, the call was answered fairly quickly and there was a respectful, patient and competent person who explained the situation. They seemed to really care. Eventually spots opened up as everyone was shifting flights and I got the time I needed. Don’t let the simple fact that they answered the phone be missed as 3 previous calls to competitors went unanswered. One call to a competitor put me in a queue for 20 minutes before disconnecting me. Getting the simple things right, like answering the phone, is a big deal.

Now, as I write this, I am in my final shuttle to the airport. The ride is comfortable, they offered me a free water and we get a comfort stop along the way. Nice! The driver is friendly and courteous as well and there is even free WiFi on the shuttle. What more could I expect??? This alone would be a good experience but I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to write a review. The best part of this story happened when I was picked up from my hotel by a shuttle driver who took me to the main shuttle.

In our 20 minute drive, she not only engaged with me in conversation, but showed empathy and kindness when it was needed. What a lovely person who made me feel special and cared about. Then she carried my bags, said thank you for riding with company and gave me a big smile as she transferred me. Her name was Beth and although I had numerous conversations with various employees who were all excellent and efficient, Beth gets the gold star for going above and beyond and adding a human touch that was so well received and appreciated.

There is a common thread throughout all these stories and Summit Express has clearly established a culture of competency and caring that is rare in today’s world. I’m definitely a loyal customer moving forward and will tell others if I ever get the opportunity.

Doug Zirkel

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