From: Ed Hain

Kate,

Now you know why the fee was non-refundable.

I maintain that if one read's the right stuff, think about how you can be better, and practice one doesn't need a coach -- A psychologist, maybe, but not a coach.

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From: "Mary Cunningham"

Did someone say Coaching Institute??????????????? Don't get me going on them. {:O I'm sorry you went to them. If I get going on my feelings on them and their threat to sue me for telling the RealTalk gang, I will start foaming at the mouth again.

I think someone suggested we should find a lawyer and start a class action suit against them. You would probably get lots of takers.

snip: My combined knowledge in Marketing and Technology to my surprise was by far greater then theirs, and it turned out that instead of them coaching me, their coaches had a lot of catching up to do. Not only that they were not up to par, but they were rude and manner less. I have written certified letters to the top "honchos" who did not even have the courtesy to reply. Do you have any suggestions?

Don't worry Kate after they read threat paragraph they should send you a letter threatening to sue you if you don't take it bake. Give it about 72 hours and you should hear from them. That I say from personal experience from them.

Edited by CoachingCorner on June 2, 2006 at 3:18 pm

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From: "Craig Hendricks of the Coaching Institute"

I have recently had the opportunity to review some of your comments on RealTalk.

This is the only communication I will post, but would be happy to discuss the content of this post with any of you individually, as time allows. I would like to provide you with accurate information, and then you can make your own decisions as to whether Coaching Institute, or any other coaching company is worthy of the discussions here.

Coaching is a very challenging business. Although Coaching Institute has a very high success rate - the industry itself has a high dissatisfaction rate. Why is that? I believe it is because we are asking people to change.
Change is not easy for most people to accept, and even more difficult to actually implement. We all have these tendencies, but the difference between a successful agent and one less successful is the ability to adapt with an ever-changing market.

If a coaching program is going to be successful, it requires that the client be motivated and disciplined enough to put in some serious work ~ much of which will be outside their comfort zone. That is when real progress is made. It also means that those who are not willing to step outside their comfort zones will not experience the success Coaching Institute can help them achieve.

Based on my personal knowledge of dozens of coaching companies, Coaching Institute has the highest customer satisfaction level of any coaching company in the country. Do we have dissatisfied clients? Of course ~ just as any company does. However, dissatisfied customers have some very common elements. They exhibit, yet will not acknowledge, many barriers that prevent progress in their business and in their personal life. Without exception, when we talk to a formerly dissatisfied client months or years later who decided not to complete our program, we find that nothing has changed. They are still demonstrating the same patterns of self-sabotaging behavior that limits their income and prohibits growth in their business.

I applaud Dirk Zeller (who I know personally) and Brian Buffini. Both seem to be on the verge of understanding the impact personal development issues have on a business. At Coaching Institute, we know that without overcoming personally destructive habits such as fear, procrastination, cynicism, etc true progress cannot be made. However, once these issues are addressed, we then help our clients with the critical element of leveraging their business with technology. Very few coaching companies understand technology. I once traveled with Roger Butcher (Speaker and Coach) for a week where he actually instructed his clients to create a personal brochure with paper, scissors, and glue.

Again, not all of our clients will be 100% receptive to the changes we encourage them to make. When a client lashes out for whatever reason, we certainly take it seriously, review the course of events, and do all we can to rectify the problem. Is it unreasonable to expect the same from our clients?

Today's society teaches us that we do not have to be accountable for our actions and we do not have to accept that we are at fault for anything. I simply do not believe this is true. If people are willing to change their mindset, our program and the results are invaluable.

Recently, one customer called and emailed with multiple threats against our company (of course she had not even begun her program). Once she allowed us to actually communicate with her, she calmed down, apologized multiple times, and explained that she is paralyzed with fear in many aspects of her life. Now, she has allowed us the opportunity to be a catalyst for change in her career. This is what we do. Unfortunately, not everyone who purchases our service is willing to allow us this same opportunity. Some people put up barriers, and will never be ~coachable~. You probably know people like that yourselves.

At any given time, Coaching Institute has thousands of students enrolled in its coaching program. We conduct regular satisfaction surveys with each student, and 96% of those in the coaching program are satisfied. (By the way, this is unheard of in the industry.) We are very good at what we do and we offer the same opportunity for success to each of our clients. Our guarantee states that if the client fulfills their agreed responsibilities and is not satisfied, we will continue to coach them until they are satisfied! I guarantee your satisfaction. The only way a client will not be satisfied is if they fail to make the changes required.

One client has posted several negative comments about Coaching Institute on RealTalk. As I said before, her file was reviewed for any indication that we had not fulfilled our obligations. In her case, she missed several coaching sessions, failed to complete assignments in a timely manner, and did not complete her entire program. Despite our requests to discuss her concerns and provide her with additional coaching, she has refused.

Instead, she has chosen to post our responses out of context. It is unfortunate that she has chosen a path that will not lead her to greater success; however, we cannot force her.

Many clients write to us about the changes they are making and the success accompanied with that change. It is unfortunate that they have not posted their experience here as well.

I can promise any of you; if you will let go of your fears and allow yourself to be coachable, a good coach can help you reach your personal and professional goals, allowing you to be more successful in business and life.
I hope that Coaching Institute can be part of that success.

Edited by CoachingCorner on June 2, 2006 at 3:20 pm

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Ditto to both your experiences and results. It would be interesting to see if anyone really had a "good" experience with them. I am going to remain anonymous for now. Thank you gratefully for sharing your experience.

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I am an e-Pro graduated, CRS designation. So far, it has been the only bad experience and refusal of assistence from the Coaching Institute. I was very excited on the Seminar and with the insistence of one fo the coaches, very persuasive, I was resitant to signed it, but he insisted.  Naive was I not to read the final printing from the contract, which they do not show it to you, nor made it knowledgeble to that once it signed is no cancelation.  I have not send the application to them, the only thing was a conversation that someone answered my phone call and never got back to me. I talked with my credit card and tehy can'not do a thing because the clause on the contract, once you signed it is no cancelation.  However, I just gave it to my Lawyer and he is taking the acction necessary to get my money back or at least part of it.

I decided to cancel because I did not like how I signed the contract with them, tehy did not give me the chance to read what I was about to sign, and never come to me to assist me. I sent a few e-mail and so far I got no help. I have to got at least part of my payment.

Anamaria

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to: "Mary Cunningham"

"I'm sorry you went to them. If I get going on my feelings on them and their threat to sue me for telling the RealTalk gang, I will start foaming at the mouth again."

That is exacly how I feel. What they are is a scam bags. We should get an acction all of us agaist them. Count me in. Acctially I aready spocke with my Lawyer and we are about to take an action. Maybe we should do it together.

Call me.

Anamaria

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OMG - Shessocool is probably form the Coaching Institute.  The practice and method of business utilized by the CI is WRONG.  I am a very open person and know when to accept responsibility for my actions.  The simple fact that you are alluding to the "stupidity and greed" of a realtor makes me wonder that simply finding the "legal loopholes" to take advantage of that was the whole formulation of the Coaching Institute and the continuation of its existence.   I am sorry that I believed in CI's very "SEEMINGLY" sincere sales staff and continue to caution anyone who is even drawn to the idea of thinking that they will learn anything from their system.  I would advise anyone entertaining bettering their practice through through the use of other parties to investigate and check out the bbb.org website regarding. 

Shessocool - if you are no from the Coaching Institute, I am sorry to even associate you with them, but not everyone was given the same script you were given, and there are actually some of us who do not come from the "greed' and "opportunistic" stance you assume that to even invite and associate your opinion into our industry like it is a natural occurance is very insulting and diminishing to our  self-respect.  I am sorry I do not agree with your opinion of a professional's motivation, but I do agree to utilize more resources to investigate more of these companies that claim to help our industry and professionalism.  (I think some companies have really studies our professionalism to best understand how to take advantage of it for their own benefit.) 

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My mother fell into the same trap.  $6,000 is a quite a loss out of my mother's non-existent savings.  She thought she would receive 6 months of coaching by "expert" coaches.  It turns out that it's 12 weeks, from a person that my mother could coach.

I don't know how these people sleep at night.

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Hi everyone,

I'm new to this and this is me first time on this site. I recently went to one of coaching institute seminars and founded it very useful. I like the idea of combining all of the technology I use together to rum smoothly and make me more efficient and organize as a Realtor.I have not signed up because I wanted to do more research on them. It seems that this is a scam.Is there anything someone can recommend?

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Coaching can be very helpful but it all depends on whom you hire. As for the Coaching Institute, they are THE WORST. Run, don't walk.

Want a good coach? I hired Joeann Fossland (www.Joeann.com) to help me and she is awesome. Have had good experiences with Real Estate Champions too. Heard good things about Buffini, Howard Brinton's Star Power and other groups.

But do NOT ever sign on to work with the Coaching Institute. They just sell you software and then train you how to use it. It was the worst expenditure of money I've ever made in my 15 year career. Don't do it.

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I want to thank everyone who reply

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I attended CI at a holiday Inn in Fort Lauderdale on 10/17/2007 I paid in full for this course a week later I was diagnosed with a fatal /disease my first concern was my health , my daughter try to get full refund as i could not longer ever use this program , I sent un open materialsalong with my doctor"s letters  but they do not care in fact they want for me to buy " for the future " Life Coaching ?? for ann additional 1,000 these people are not human how they are still in bussiness I do not know I will contact my lawyer for legal advice , do you suggesst any thing else?

Mirtha Camacho

954 529 1075

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This is a response to all of you who are upset with the Coaching Institute.  I used to work there.  I find it very interesting to read most of the comments posted here.  I'm sure most of you read the comment from Craig Hendricks of coaching institute.  He's not just an employee.  He owns the company.  Well, sort of.  He sold most of it to investors to save it.  He has ownership in the company and is CEO.  I'll address some of his comments. 

1.  we then help our clients with the critical element of leveraging their business with technology.

Response - I have to take a pot shot on this one.  The company has the worst technology equipment out there.  They force their coaches as well as other employees to use the most outdated computer equipment ever.  But I will argue one point for them.  Have you ever noticed at worstbuy, circuitcity, or at most retail counters that their computers used for the transaction are crap.  You go buy this $2,000 machine and they ring it up on a $200 machine.  You've got to think to yourself for a minute.  The fact is that technology works.  Even if it’s outdated it works.  Think of the computers that got us to the moon.  Hey, it did the job.

 

2.  Recently, one customer called and emailed with multiple threats against our company (of course she had not even begun her program).

 

Response – “Of course she had not even begun her program”.  Well of course, because people are crazy and get all pissed off for no reason.  I know I got all pissed off after I bought my Xbox and played it, and loved how great a product it was.  Yeah, you don’t get pissed when you feel you get what you paid for.  More likely it was the contract you didn’t read.  Or the real reason behind that statement.  Because she probably waited forever to even be coached.  That leads me to this comment. 

 

 

3. “At any given time, Coaching Institute has thousands of students enrolled in its coaching program. We conduct regular satisfaction surveys with each student, and 96% of those in the coaching program are satisfied

”. 

Response - There are only around twenty coaches.  Can you imagine how well a school would be run if it only had 20 teachers to that same number of students?  Not to mention personalized mentoring.  And as usual, statistics can always display what you want.  See he’s not lying.  They do give regular surveys.  Of course they are all at different stages of coaching.  I’m almost positive that survey is based off of the first session.  Ask for the statistics of the last session.

 

 

I think someone talked about the skillfully created contract.  Like how dare they! Come on people.  Of course they did.  Who wouldn’t?  I was taught by my realtor that every document is there because of something that happened at one time or another.  I laughed at the silliness of some of those documents.  But really, it’s because someone exposed a hole and a deal fell through or someone was sued horribly.  You know, like McDonalds.

 

To the person that sent letters to the top honchos.  Well, you just read the post of the top honcho.  This might be the best you get.  I do know that he does spend a lot of time talking to angry people.  Very, Very. Very angry people.  If you’re not Very, Very, Very angry then you will get stuck at the first line of defense; customer service.  These poor people.  They defend that contract to the bitter end.  They are good people.  Good middle class trying to survive people.  I saw them from that view point.  But they hear it so much that they have a response for anything you have to say.  They come off like assholes because they’re keeping your money.  Soon as they’re done with you they’re on to the next person.  It goes on like that 24/7.  And trust me; these people are looking for something better. 

 

For those who want to sue.  I will give you information that’s never been spread.  The computer equipment that I told you about is not only crap, its illegal.  As in not licensed properly through Microsoft.  Look into Craig Hendricks history and you will notice a company called wearever .  They made software.  They still use the same licensing to use their computers.  Their license doesn’t cover business use.  It covers development use.  They don’t develop anymore.  And for the really really big one.  They somehow acquired the NAR list.  If you’re part of the National Association of Realtors they have your email.  Hell, their email is probably why you went to the seminar.  Well odds are that you didn’t sign up for their list and you didn’t authorize NAR to sell it.  If you read the Can-Spam act you would notice they are not following it.  Not one of their emails is acquired in ways that are allowed by law.  The other half of their list is acquired through the harvesting department.  They search sites and harvest emails.  This is not legal for businesses to do.  Another one.  Try and have them remove your phone number from their system.  They can’t.  It’s all about technology.  They have enough to get your money but haven’t spent enough in doing things right.  They don’t comply with the national do not call registry.  Almost all of their phone numbers are in text files.  That’s another shitty thing they do.  Because it’s not in a database, it ends up on paper.  Lots and lots of paper.  They use tons of it.  It’s only when you become a client that they put your number into a database.  That leads to one problem that you may have experienced.  That is when they call you and invite you to a seminar when you’re already a client.  See, no control.

 

And if you’ve read all of this.  I vaguely remember someone beating the contract by having extremely small payments.  It was a loophole then.  Not sure about it now. 

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     I signed up for education on investing strategies.  I really didn't want 'coaching' I wanted education.  I've used Bufini's coaching before (excellent program by the way) and wasn't really needing or wanting a baby sitter, but I did want what they claimed they had -- expertise in real estate investments.  They sold me a Power Team of experts (lawyers, CPAs, handymen, appraisers, inspectors, Realtors, etc.) as LOCAL experts all over the country.  These Power Teams were supposed to be endorsed and used previously by the CI members.  This was really appealling because I am interested in investing in other localities.  The three day seminar on investing was also very exciting to me because I want to know all there is to know about the subject.

Ends up that the guy giving the seminar never heard of the Power Teams and didn't have a clue about what I was looking forward to.  The three day seminar on investing was how to use your daytimer.  When I told the speaker that this is not what I signed up for, he said he had to teach to the lowest common denominator.  What a waste of time (wasting my time wasn't in my daytimer)!  He finally talked a little about wrap around mortgages, but failed to tell us about the many legal pitfalls and how to protect myself (something I learned in CRS and when I got my license).  They also told us to use FHA limits to determine the price range for a first time home buyer home.  News Flash -- FHA limits in the $400's along the front range in Colorado is about two times the first time home buyer price.  OUTDATED bad advice!  When questioned on the topic he said 'Oh yeah that's a little high.'  Wouldn't you update your presentation before you give it?

I got trapped into thinking that these guys know something because of my wonderful experinece with NAR classes like CRS, CIPS, etc. and Bufini Coaching.  My guard was down and when they were giving CE credit and claiming to be endorsed by the Real Estate Commission 'therefore we can trust that they are creditworthy.'  Shame on me for not watching out for myself! 

I never had one day of coaching because I called after the first day of the seminar and asked to cancel my membership because it was not what I was sold.  The customer service gave me the 'canned answer' did you read your contract?  I told her, aren't you concerned that I'm not a happy customer?  She said did you read your contract?  I told her that if the company was legitimate, they would cancel my membership because I had received nothing from them and was sold something totally different that what they have.  They hadn't spent one dime on me other than the one day seminar which I would be happy to pay for to be rid of these losers! 

So now I guess it's small claims court to get my $3,500 back and to file a complaint with the Real Estate Commission for letting these people run around and say they are endorsed by the Commission when they are NOT.  I don't even know if I'll get CE credit.

Beware of this company -- they won't be held accountable for anything that comes out of their mouths.  I suppose some people who can't get themselves out of bed in the mornings might be helped by this company -- but if you are already a higher level producing person, this company can't do anything for you but  RIP you OFF!

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I was suckered into signing a contract after being assured by the seminar presenter that in the next few weeks I would more than double my $6K investment.  I let CI customer service the next day that I wanted to cancel, I told them, I have returned your tote bag and its contents via postal service. I have recieved no services, coaching or anything else from you. It has been six months, they still refuse to cancel this stupid so called business to business contract.  It only goes to show that they have had many people who tried to cancel, it shows how they have covered all their bases and have an answer for any attempt to cancel. They are the only company I have ever dealt with that hides behind this business to business contract!  How many of you agents even knew there was such a contract?  We all need to get togeher and have something done about these people's business practices. We need to write the head honcho at DAR and express our concerns, I believe someone is going to listen if enough of us write in!  As in anything else, we should be able to change our mind (recission period!) if you feel dissatisfied you are not recieving what was promised.

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http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/295/RipOff0295968.htm#310003
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/320/RipOff0320043.htm#308722

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/280/RipOff0280848.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/345/RipOff0345084.htm

I am not a happy customer. I want a refund. Has anyone ever received their money back?

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Hi colleague realtors, as all of you I have been victimized by this company too. There are plenty of complaints troughout  the internet. I suggest we must join forces and sue them in small claim courts or whatever, individually we do not have a good chance but in a group we stand a better chance to stop them cold and get our money back.

I know they are lying because they lied to me at the free seminar as well.

So please sen dme your number and email to halopez1@bellsouth.net and I will contact each of you.

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