Meet Our People: Sue Freeman
Sue Freeman
Tour Guide, Memphis Road Tours
Sue Freeman first started doing tours with her husband in May of 2010. Her work has expanded beyond Memphis to include Nashville, Tupelo, Clarksdale, and the surrounding area. One of Sue’s nominators for the Pick Awards wrote, “We felt sick on our first day tour with Sue and we experienced first class service. Sue took us to a pharmacy to get medication and took care of us. She guided us on our tours and made sure we got into Graceland with care and patience. We will book again with Sue!”
Sue’s expertise and commitment to exceptional customer service made her a great choice for our Second Quarterly Pick Awards of 2024!
What’s a typical day look like for you?
I usually leave the house by 8:15 a.m. in order to pick up people by 9:00 a.m. Depending on which tour we're doing, I might go to Tupelo, or I might be doing a Memphis tour. The Memphis tour is roughly four hours. But guests can add on. I'm very flexible with my tours. I go to Nashville; I do Civil Rights tours and blues tours in Mississippi. Sometimes I’m not home until 10:00 p.m. And then of course, there's emails and answering customers’ questions. I always tell my customers that when they get home, if they're looking at their pictures and they can't remember the name of a place or something that I said, to message me and I'd be happy to let them know. So I’m very flexible.
What is one of your favorite bits of information to share with your groups?
Oh, I would say the Tupelo tour. Most people don't realize that Gladys and Vernon, Elvis’ parents, were not originally from Tupelo. I love sharing how they both ended up in Tupelo. And then guests begin to imagine: what if one of them hadn't moved here, we wouldn't have Elvis! And then they wonder, what if they hadn't moved to Memphis? That’s one of my favorite things to talk about.
What is one memorable experience that you were able to create for your guests?
Recently, I had this couple and their friend who came here from Ireland. I did several tours with them. We did a Nashville, Tupelo, and a Memphis tour. They wrote me a note saying that I had made their trip the best that it could ever be, and that they're coming back and want to do more tours with me. When I hear people say they had a great time with me, it makes my heart swell.
What are your top three favorite places to recommend a visit in Memphis?
Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, and Beale Street.
For somebody who's new to the industry – especially someone who might be interested in working as a tour guide – what advice would you give to them?
I think you have to have a certain personality – you have to like meeting people and being around people. But if you want to jump in and do it, first take tours with other people and see how they're doing it. That way you can get a feel for it and develop your own style. Another thing: I literally don't advertise. It’s all word of mouth. I'm on Facebook pages, and I ask people to leave me a review. And my business has just blown up from there.
Thank you, Sue, for going the extra mile for your guests and sharing your love for Memphis and the surrounding area!
