Even though this number is meant for people outside the United States, calling Greyhound is still productive. However, it can be a repetitive experience. When you call, you're first taken to the automated system and asked where you want to travel from on your trip. Once you offer the city and state, the system asks where you want to travel and what date you wish to leave.
With that information, the system provides you with a quoted price for your trip and offers you the chance to reserve a return trip for a future date. Once all that information is in the system, the system transfers you to a Greyhound customer representative, who reviews all of the information you entered about your travel dates.
Oddly, the representative had me repeat every step of the process when I got on the phone with them. I had to go over my destination, origin city, travel date and time of day I wanted to travel with Greyhound. The representative said that I could travel at several different times of the day and went into full details about each of the stops on the routes I had said I wanted to travel.
During our conversation, I said that I was interested in traveling from Dallas to Chicago. The representative said that such a route would take me 24 hours, including two stops and changing buses in Tulsa and Des Moines. If I did that, it would cost me roughly $79, plus a few fees, including a $20 fee for convenience for booking over the phone. The representative didn't push me to make a sale; he simply presented the necessary information and left me to make a decision on my own.
I said I would think about it and appreciated the information he provided. He thanked me for calling Greyhound and wished me a pleasant day, and the call ended there.
Overall, I thought this was unnecessarily repetitive with the automated system. The system could have been used to create a warm handoff for the representative, who could then quickly get assistance without needing to waste time on getting the same information I had already provided. If the automated system is simply going to go over the same exact information I'd already given it, it doesn't seem to have any real point.
Once I got past the automated system, I found a helpful, professional representative who was able to answer all of my questions and didn't push me to make a decision. I was simply given information and told about any possible surprise fees.
Based on this interaction, I would not hesitate to use this number for services. I thought the service I received was helpful and professional, making for a great experience.