I have experience dealing with the first centre - DH Korean Language centre and I would like to share my experiences so that the fellow forum-ers can make informed choices when choosing a suitable Korean school. I am an undergraduate and I've been supporting myself through university. However, I signed up for Korean classes with this language centre, parting with my hard earned money because I believed that they were of high standards.
I couldn't be more wrong.
Firstly, 3 working days before classes were due to commence, I received an irresponsible SMS telling me that classes were unconditionally postponed to a month later due to insufficient enrollment. But they initially told me that classes were filling up quickly and advised me to register asap. To show my sincerity, I even paid upfront in cash in full. How could this centre so frivolously postpone classes with SO LITTLE notice? When I informed the representative who had SMS-ed me that I would not be able to accept any postponement arrangements and requested for a refund, she haughtily referred me to a clause in tje contract - The centre reserves the right to postpone classes WITH prior notice, if there are not enough students. How is 3 days prior notice? It's plain ridiculous.
Lesson One: This centre takes their students for granted and may SUKA SUKA postpone your lesson. They don't give two hoots about whether you can accommodate their postponement.
Secondly, the lady I spoke to on the phone did not once offer a genuine apology for the inconvenience caused to me from the postponement. (I had shifted all my driving lessons and tests and trainings etc to meet the class arrangements, which I mentioned to her) and the highlight was when she didn't hang up the phone and I overhead her conversation with her superior. She said that she feared that I was going to beat her up cause I was a gangster and I didn't understand what 'prior notice' means. Let me clarify that not once did I raise my voice nor used any demeaning words. I know what its like to be in the service line, I've worked in sales and telemarketing before and I don't believe that the customer is unconditionally right all the time. Customers who demand for special concessions or over the top demands deserve to be condemned. However, in this case I was just asking for what was due to me, a refund for a service not rendered. The principal whom I spoke to eventually even hung up on me halfway through the conversation when he did not have a reply to my question. Such service standards are completely unprofessional and unacceptable.
Lesson Two: The people who run the centre thinks that they are the ones ruling the world. They have absolutely no respect for the customers who are paying them.
Thirdly, when they finally agreed to refund me, they made it clear that they were only going to pay $350.74, deducting a $10 registration fee, $29.50 textbook and postage charges for the cheque. What registration fee? I did not even attend a single lesson, and I made registration PERSONALLY at their centre. I even offered to send the mint textbook back to them and they didn't even thank me for doing so and wanted to charge me for postage.
Lesson Three: Every penny counts to them. They will squeeze you dry so that they can make that extra cent off you. Penny snatchers or what, I leave that to you.
Lastly, when I finally got to speak to the boss, (They already ruined my evening which was supposed to be a happy birthday celebration for my 7 year old nephew), he started beating around the bush when I asked him point blank if he was willing to give me a full refund. He even ridiculously claimed that he opened this class specially for ME. That was the end of the straw for me. It was downright ridiculous. HELLLO? you are a profit-making business, why would you open classes for just one student? It was crazy that he even mentioned this. And he feigned concern for my korean language development, saying he would like me to continue 'developing' at his centre. I politely told him that I would continue to pursue Korean because it was something I really wanted to do, just not at his centre anymore. I then said that if he refused to refund me the full amount, I would have no choice but to go to CASE. He then turned defensive and started shouting over the phone at how his reputation would not suffer and challenged me to bring the issue to CASE. Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, I ended the call.
Lesson Four, words can be twisted to spin incredible stories. Some castles can be built in air. This principal tries to use emotions to get you to part with your hard earned money.
I am sharing my experiences not to condemn this learning centre, nor pass any judgements on their teaching standards as I didn't even attend a single lesson. What I want to do is to provide an experience of mine and share it with other likeminded customers like me who are being abused by unreasonable policies. I hope that after hearing my story, my fellow forum-ers will make a more informed choice, and think through wisely whether you are prepared to accept it if the same thing happens to you.