TalentSmart Inc

sans-serif;">                                ...⇄ Tuesday, October 14, 2014
 
Dear [redacted],
 
This letter is in response to the consumer who expressed concern over a transaction with our business (ID [redacted]). This consumer was not issued a refund because the program in question is a service for which there is a clearly stated no-refund policy.
 
This program is non-refundable because attendees learn how to deliver our proprietary training program, and this knowledge is not something that can be returned once it is acquired. We go to great lengths to make certain that this fact is understood by all potential attendees prior to their signing up. Our policy is communicated verbally to each potential attendee and it is clearly stated on our website.
 
She was afforded the same careful consideration we give to all potential attendees. This included meetings with our Director of Client Solutions to discuss the program and she reviewed all program materials carefully prior to signing up. These materials show exactly what the program is like, and reviewing them should have eliminated any incongruence between her expectations and the program she ultimately attended. In addition, our no-refund policy was explained to her during these meetings.
 
We have certified nearly a thousand individuals in this program over the last eleven years, and she is the first to request a refund. I’d also like to share a few additional circumstances surrounding her attendance that made her refund request surprising:
During the four-day program, she never expressed any dissatisfaction with it to our employees. Our Director of Client Solutions visited the event to check in on her and she didn’t have anything negative to say about it.
At the end of the program she signed her certified trainer agreement, indicating her acceptance of the program, and she took the course materials with her.
Weeks passed after the program before she shared any dissatisfaction with it. Her main concern was that she felt the program wasn’t suitable for senior executives. Our Director of Client Solutions explained that the program is used successfully with senior executives at a great number of Fortune 500 companies, and gave her the contact information of a client who was happy to discuss how they use the program with senior executives. She never contacted this individual.
Additional training was offered at no charge, including personal assistance with her first session to ensure that things went smoothly. She declined.
As you can see, our policies were clearly communicated to this customer, and we did everything in our power to take excellent care of her in light of these necessary policies.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
 
[redacted], Ph.D.
President, TalentSmartÒ

Review: TalentSmarts training is weak and they treat their customers as criminals.Heres the story.After being introduced to their Emotional Intelligence 2.0 book and meeting with their rep, I decided to take both level 1 and 2 for the Emotional Intelligence Certification, on a 4-day training.The training was so dull and at such a basic level, that:1.It completely failed to ignite any deep connection to the material for me. 2.I could not see it applied in the work space amongst very high level individuals. I left their training with the sense that I had just wasted 4 days of my life. It was such a disappointment.After some back-and-forth with TalentSmarts rep, I decided that I did not want to continue with their program (which also includes a roll-out plan) and requested a refund.This is when I got a voicemail from the rep saying that they would not honor a refund AND, that one of their concerns was that I would still have the ability to leverage their materials in a non-authorized way if I choose to do so.WOW was my reaction. Not only is their training sub-par to say the least (at a 7k price tag!), but they also choose to treat their customers as dishonest criminals. I want nothing to do with their program and company. TalentSmart does not operate from a space of Integrity.Desired Settlement: Originally I was seeking a partial refund, to be fair as I attended the live training.However, I'm quite upset and offended by their approach that I want a full refund for the $6,995 fee.

Business

Response:

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Dear [redacted],

This letter is in response to the consumer who expressed concern over a transaction with our business (ID [redacted]). This consumer was not issued a refund because the program in question is a service for which there is a clearly stated no-refund policy.

This program is non-refundable because attendees learn how to deliver our proprietary training program, and this knowledge is not something that can be returned once it is acquired. We go to great lengths to make certain that this fact is understood by all potential attendees prior to their signing up. Our policy is communicated verbally to each potential attendee and it is clearly stated on our website.

She was afforded the same careful consideration we give to all potential attendees. This included meetings with our Director of Client Solutions to discuss the program and she reviewed all program materials carefully prior to signing up. These materials show exactly what the program is like, and reviewing them should have eliminated any incongruence between her expectations and the program she ultimately attended. In addition, our no-refund policy was explained to her during these meetings.

We have certified nearly a thousand individuals in this program over the last eleven years, and she is the first to request a refund. I’d also like to share a few additional circumstances surrounding her attendance that made her refund request surprising:

During the four-day program, she never expressed any dissatisfaction with it to our employees. Our Director of Client Solutions visited the event to check in on her and she didn’t have anything negative to say about it.

At the end of the program she signed her certified trainer agreement, indicating her acceptance of the program, and she took the course materials with her.

Weeks passed after the program before she shared any dissatisfaction with it. Her main concern was that she felt the program wasn’t suitable for senior executives. Our Director of Client Solutions explained that the program is used successfully with senior executives at a great number of Fortune 500 companies, and gave her the contact information of a client who was happy to discuss how they use the program with senior executives. She never contacted this individual.

Additional training was offered at no charge, including personal assistance with her first session to ensure that things went smoothly. She declined.

As you can see, our policies were clearly communicated to this customer, and we did everything in our power to take excellent care of her in light of these necessary policies.

Sincerely,

[redacted], Ph.D.

President, TalentSmartÒ