Speedi Shuttle

Based on our experience 1/25/15 - 1/31/15 in Kona, I highly recommend taking either a taxi or rental car and avoiding SpeediShuttle. The customer service and particularly the lack of quality of a certain individual staff named Sheldon on a return segment from the Hilton Wikoloa to the airport was the worst in my travel experiences, such that it makes us wonder how staff like Sheldon are hired and maintained by SpeediShuttle. Arriving into Hawaii, there was no staff at the airport to meet and greet us...an atypical first for us in several trips to Hawaii. Timely, but not user-friendly without the greeter. However, on the return to the airport, a 45-minute tardiness by SpeediShuttle and 60 minutes in total with the advice to be ready at the pickup 15 minutes prior to shuttle departure. My wife and I were traveling with an infant and we were so concerned about making it on board for our flight from Kona to Seattle. Meanwhile, the friendly and apologetic reservations staff were not straight forward with us as we waited for the shuttle: first it was to be delayed for 20 minutes due to extra stops that were needed, then we were informed that the shuttle had broken down and another was soon on its way, then a promise to arrive and leave by 9:30, and then finally the shuttle at 9:40 pulled up for an original 8:55 pm confirmed pickup time. The other passengers waiting also were frustrated after not being informed of a shuttle breakdown and further delay. The driver Sheldon arrives and is asked by me to try to get us to the airport as quickly and safely as possible with infant on board so as to not miss our flight. All the other passengers empathetically ask Sheldon to drop off my family first given our flight being on more of a time crunch than they had. No explanation or apology from Sheldon, but we were finally off. Sheldon drops the other passengers off first and us last, and the other passengers are surprised and apologetic to us. I ask Sheldon "what was so difficult to understand about the plan of us being dropped off first?". Sheldon replies "stop cussing at me and go back to where you came from". I ask Sheldon "is there anything else you care to share?" Sheldon says " you are not welcome on this island." Oh my, we were taken by the words directly from SpeediShuttle's staff, not expecting that in the service industry. It seemed as far as one could possibly get from the aloha spirit. We had attended a weeklong optometry conference called "Island Eyes" organized by Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, where I had the opportunity to lecture to 300+ eye doctors. The following week I waited to hear back from SpeediShuttle's supervisor Cory (? spelling). Nothing to date, hence my report. Suggestions: SpeediShuttle seriously should consider Sheldon's dismissal. Travelers to Hawaii should think twice before using SpeediShuttle.