The purpose of this article is to help you deal with these walkers in order to modify their behavior both with you and, in the future, with other Gurus.

From experience, if these recommendations are followed, the walker's behavior changes, and both of you have a better experience on the platform. 😉 We ask that you contact them according to the recommendations in this article and not cancel their bookings.

With this, we want to give you some recommendations or advice that, based on our experience, we know will help you when dealing with walkers reported for bad behavior regarding the following issues:

Pays little/doesn't pay:

It is important to consider that a walker may have been reported for "pays little" or "doesn't pay" in various contexts and situations, such as:

1.- They had a poor experience on the tour.

2.- They paid little compared to the high cost of living in the country they were visiting, and it wasn't enough for the Guru.

3.- They paid little considering the number of walkers in the booking.

4.- They didn't have cash and couldn't pay the Guru at the end of the tour.

In these situations, the first thing we want to remind you of is to check that walker's history on the platform and assess whether that report is significant in your case or not.

That said, here are some tips for walkers who concern you because they have been reported as paying little or not paying:

• Personalize the reminder message for this walker, explaining how a free tour works, ensuring they bring cash, and giving tips on how to withdraw cash from an ATM without being charged fees. It's very helpful to make a fun comparison about the cost of a beer in the destination (often low payments are due to the walker’s lack of knowledge about the cost of living because they just arrived), remind them that the payment is per person, etc.
• Clarifications or comparisons regarding the currency of your destination, as sometimes the payment may be lower due to ignorance of the exchange rate between their currency and yours, thinking they are paying correctly and according to what the Guru expects. Example: 50 Baht = 1 euro approximately.
• At the meeting point, without making it too heavy or awkward, repeat this information again for everyone. You can indicate an approximate payment range based on their experience (you can rely on what we show them in the tour description, from 10€ to 50$).
• When the tour ends and you're waiting for the payment, try to get the payment in hand, don't leave a bag or backpack aside, give good tips and recommendations about the destination, and mention that as they pay, they can ask more questions or request more personalized recommendations.

Arrives late:

1. For walkers reported for arriving late, it is important that you send them a very detailed reminder message with the meeting point, how to get there by public transport or car, even if there are parking lots nearby and the approximate cost.
2. Emphasize again that they should arrive a little early because the tour starts on time, and if they're not there, they may lose their spot even if they have a reservation.
3. Send them the real-time location and/or indicate what the next 2 stops are and approximately when you usually arrive at each one so that if they arrive late, they can join the group.
4. If your city is a destination where it's hard to get internet without Wi-Fi, tell them to download the tour map with the meeting point the day before when they do have internet.
   

Left in the middle of the tour:

In some cases, it must be considered that a walker may have left in the middle of the tour due to its lack of quality. Therefore, review the complete history of that walker to see if it was an isolated incident or not.

Recommendations and tips:

• Before the tour starts, tell the group that it's very important that if someone wants or needs to leave before it ends due to an emergency, they must inform you for safety reasons.
• To avoid walkers leaving or getting lost in the middle of the tour, try to avoid making stops in very crowded places where there are many people, making it easy to get disoriented from the group.
• Try to carry some noticeable accessory that's always easy to see or remember if you don't carry an umbrella.
• If there's time to enter a monument or place, try to stay at the door to keep track of the walkers as they exit.

1. There are certain things you can include in the tour dynamics as a game that can help walkers feel more involved with the Guru and the group, making them less tempted to leave halfway through the tour or get lost. Here's an example that has had great results for many Gurus on the platform 🤗:
   

1.- As the reservations arrive at the meeting point, assign a number to the person under whose name the reservation is made. For example, if the first reservation is under Patricia, Team 1 will be Patricia. At this point, tell Patricia to remember that she belongs to Team 1 because roll call will be done periodically.

Additionally, at the end of the tour, her number (in Patricia’s case, it will be 1) will be part of a game involving a prize or reward (here we let your imagination fly, but it's usually something sweet or a typical product from the city).

2.- Approximately every two stops, do a roll call like, "Okay guys, let's check that everyone is here and we haven't lost any participants along the way. Team 1?" and Patricia must respond, "Here we are!" And so on, with all the groups you created at the meeting point and those who may have joined later during the tour (the inevitable latecomers).

Why does this work?

Because it involves everyone! This way, if a group isn't present at roll call, the rest of the group has them in sight and can give you information you might not have noticed ("they're buying water at that kiosk," "we saw them looking at a shop," "they had a problem with their child"), allowing you to wait a moment until they rejoin and not lose them. If this happens, it's important to remind them that they need to inform you because the rest of the group is waiting for them.

3.- At the end of the tour, you finish with a fun game and reward. Additionally, payments are usually better. As they say, "kill two birds with one stone 🤭."

Bad behavior: Cases you have reported to us so far:

• Walkers who are not in a good state to complete the tour (drunk, on drugs, etc.). It’s important to note that this isn't typical behavior but a "red flag" and doesn't necessarily mean the behavior will always be repeated.

Advice: If you notice that they won't be able to follow the tour well, won't be able to participate, and might even make the rest of the group uncomfortable, we advise explaining the reasons and telling them you can't accept them on the tour due to their condition.

• Walkers who talk during the explanation, disturbing the rest. Walkers who make offensive comments during the tour. Walkers who confront the Guru. Walkers who ask to discuss topics not specified in the tour, disrupting the flow and involving other walkers who are not interested in the topic.

Advice: In these cases, it's best to try to address the issue as soon as possible and not give them too much attention in front of others. If necessary, shorten the time at that stop and start walking to the next one. On the way, approach this specific walker and politely ask what’s going on, why they’re behaving this way, whether something is missing from the tour, and mention that their behavior is affecting the experience of the other walkers and cannot continue. In short, a friendly warning. If this behavior repeats at the next stop, respectfully ask them to leave the tour so the rest of the walkers can continue to enjoy the experience. It’s important to stop bad behavior as soon as possible so it doesn't affect the rest of the group.

• Walkers who ignore the stops and stop at places to shop or look at things, not following the group and making them wait.

Advice: At the beginning of the tour, remind the group that for safety reasons, it’s very important that the group stays together and that you'll be doing frequent headcounts. It’s very difficult to ensure nothing happens (theft, getting lost, falls, etc.). Clarify that during the tour, stops can be made; they just need to inform you to avoid wasting time wondering what happened, searching, waiting for that walker, calling them, texting them, etc., and causing a general delay in the activity.

• Walkers who don't return radios or items provided free of charge to complete the tour.

Advice: At the start of the tour, remind everyone that the radio is provided to ensure a good experience, that it's not material provided by the platform, so if it's lost or broken, the cost is borne by the Guru. Also, mention that if, by accident, they take it with them, they can always contact you through the platform or WhatsApp, and there are always ways to return it to the Guru (leaving it at the post office, a supermarket, a hotel, etc.).