Fluent City

The customer is fully-justified in his frustration regarding the lack of notification of his class cancellation and the delay in processing his refund With regard to his class cancellation notification, this is a highly unusual situation for usI (the CEO) have worked with our Class Coordinator to determine what happened (answer: human error), and we are now revising our processes in order to increase our automation and ensure the incident does not happen again With regard to the refund, this fall we have been conducting a major transition to a new accounting system and partner, which will significantly streamline our processes (including refunds) once up and runningThe customer's refund process occurred right as we began the transition - which is a multi-week raprocess - and got held up along with several other invoices pending the completion of the transitionI am personally in dialogue with our accounting partners to ensure that our students experience no additional delays while we complete this transition However, all that behind-the-scenes information is no excuseThis is not the quality of customer experience that I find acceptable (much less hold as our organizational standard)I am grateful to the student for his patience, and I agree with his desired settlementMy understanding is that he he received his full refund, and we have also offered him 100% off a future class with us

The customer is fully-justified in his frustration regarding the delay in processing his refundThis fall we have been conducting a major transition to a new accounting system and partner, which will significantly streamline our processes (including refunds) once up and runningThe customer's refund process occurred right as we began the transition - which is a multi-week raprocess - and got held up along with several other invoices pending the completion of the transition All that behind-the-scenes information is no excuseI [redacted] *** am personally in dialogue with our accounting partners to ensure that our students experience no additional delays while we complete this transition This is not the quality of customer experience that I find acceptable (much less hold as our organizational standard)I am grateful to the student for his patienceI agree with his desired settlement and he should be receiving his full refund this week

The customer is fully-justified in his frustration regarding the lack of notification of his class cancellation and the delay in processing his refund.
With regard to his class cancellation...

notification, this is a highly unusual situation for us. I (the CEO) have worked with our Class Coordinator to determine what happened (answer: human error), and we are now revising our processes in order to increase our automation and ensure the incident does not happen again.
With regard to the refund, this fall we have been conducting a major transition to a new accounting system and partner, which will significantly streamline our processes (including refunds) once up and running. The customer's refund process occurred right as we began the transition - which is a multi-week ramp-up process - and got held up along with several other invoices pending the completion of the transition. I am personally in dialogue with our accounting partners to ensure that our students experience no additional delays while we complete this transition.
However, all that behind-the-scenes information is no excuse. This is not the quality of customer experience that I find acceptable (much less hold as our organizational standard). I am grateful to the student for his patience, and I agree with his desired settlement. My understanding is that he he received his full refund, and we have also offered him 100% off a future class with us.

The customer is fully-justified in his frustration regarding the delay in processing his refund. This fall we have been conducting a major transition to a new accounting system and partner, which will...

significantly streamline our processes (including refunds) once up and running. The customer's refund process occurred right as we began the transition - which is a multi-week ramp-up process - and got held up along with several other invoices pending the completion of the transition.
All that behind-the-scenes information is no excuse. I [redacted] am personally in dialogue with our accounting partners to ensure that our students experience no additional delays while we complete this transition.
This is not the quality of customer experience that I find acceptable (much less hold as our organizational standard). I am grateful to the student for his patience. I agree with his desired settlement and he should be receiving his full refund this week.

Review: Fluent City offered a program for which I adjusted my work schedule in order to be able to participate. Without notifying me the program was cancelled and I was only alerted after arriving for the classes commencement and waiting in the facility until we could track down an off-site staff member to confirm that there would be no class. At this point I was told I would receive a refund via check because they had no way of reimbursing the credit card which they had charged over a month prior. I was told this reimbursement would arrive within 7-10 days and and after 15 days have only received assurances that "the check is in the mail."Desired Settlement: At this point, I am unable to readjust my schedule in order to accommodate a class through an alternative organization and am still in waiting for reimbursement of the fees charged for services not rendered. I believe the most optimal settlement would be a refund of my original fees and a fee waiver for admission to a equivalent course at some point in the future when my schedule can again allow.

Business

Response:

The customer is fully-justified in his frustration regarding the lack of notification of his class cancellation and the delay in processing his refund.

With regard to his class cancellation notification, this is a highly unusual situation for us. I (the CEO) have worked with our Class Coordinator to determine what happened (answer: human error), and we are now revising our processes in order to increase our automation and ensure the incident does not happen again.

With regard to the refund, this fall we have been conducting a major transition to a new accounting system and partner, which will significantly streamline our processes (including refunds) once up and running. The customer's refund process occurred right as we began the transition - which is a multi-week ramp-up process - and got held up along with several other invoices pending the completion of the transition. I am personally in dialogue with our accounting partners to ensure that our students experience no additional delays while we complete this transition.

However, all that behind-the-scenes information is no excuse. This is not the quality of customer experience that I find acceptable (much less hold as our organizational standard). I am grateful to the student for his patience, and I agree with his desired settlement. My understanding is that he he received his full refund, and we have also offered him 100% off a future class with us.

Review: Over one month ago, I received an email confirmation from Fluent City for a refund totaling $325. One week later, I called and was assured by a staff member that a check for the refund amount would be mailed to me. One week later, I called again and was assured that the check would be mailed. One week later, I had not received the refund, called again, and was told that a credit card refund would be processed. To date, no such refund has been processed. A delay of over one month for a simple credit card refund is absolutely unacceptable, as is assuring the customer multiple times that the refund had been processed when it had not.Desired Settlement: Process the refund in the full amount of $325. Process future refunds for customers in a timely manner (i.e., maximum 3-5 business days).

Business

Response:

The customer is fully-justified in his frustration regarding the delay in processing his refund. This fall we have been conducting a major transition to a new accounting system and partner, which will significantly streamline our processes (including refunds) once up and running. The customer's refund process occurred right as we began the transition - which is a multi-week ramp-up process - and got held up along with several other invoices pending the completion of the transition.

All that behind-the-scenes information is no excuse. I [redacted] am personally in dialogue with our accounting partners to ensure that our students experience no additional delays while we complete this transition.

This is not the quality of customer experience that I find acceptable (much less hold as our organizational standard). I am grateful to the student for his patience. I agree with his desired settlement and he should be receiving his full refund this week.