Dear M,
I'm writing evaluations for the program, and I have some feedback for you.
When (x-program) did not grant me a scholarship this Spring, I had to juggle my finances to make the program fee come in on time. I had grants coming in that would not be paid to me until after the deadline, I had bills to pay, I had all kinds of expenses to get ready for the trip.
Sent an email to you, asking if I could set up a payment plan, paying a chunk of money before the deadline, and then a chunk of money a few days after the deadline, when my paycheck came in. When I did not get a response from you within a week I sent another email, asking for a yes or no answer. When I didn't get a response to that, I sent an email to A. When I didn't hear from either of you, I sent a message to both of you, asking for a simple yes or no.
I got no response to my question after a month of emails, and I because I wanted to attend this program, I was forced to assume that the answer was "no." So I made the full payment by the deadline; I had to scramble to take out a loan and make arrangements for other bills to be paid later.
Here's my feedback: When somebody asks you "can I make payment arrangements, yes or no" it is a professional courtesy to answer. If the answer is "no," you answer "no, we cannot make payment arrangements, it is against our policy." I thought it was very rude that I did not get an answer. Had I gotten an answer sooner, I would not have had to scramble to make the payment. If you had just answered "no, that's not our policy" in a timely manner, my life would have been a little easier; I could have taken a credit union loan instead of a payday loan, I could have arranged to have other bills delayed, etc.
I cannot imagine why anyone would decide to ignore such a simple question when dealing with other people's money; but here's a hint: Don't do that to people. Don't treat people like that. I worked hard to save money to afford this expensive program, and I did not deserve to be ignored. 万吉平
_________
the response:
Mr.万吉平，
This is actually my last day working at (x-program) and A finished last week. As she, my superior, is unable to respond your concern, I shall do so.
I agree that the way in which communication with you was handled was disgraceful, and I offer my personal apologies; email from all applicants/accepted students should be a high priority for any study abroad organization and it is unprofessional when things start to slip. Although it is true that (x-program) was understaffed at the time your emails were received, this is no excuse, particularly concerning their content.
Your candid criticism is appreciated and I will make a point of sharing it with the other Asia Programs Coordinators. There is little that can be done for your particular case now, I fear, but at the least we can strive to keep such incidents from recurring.
Again, I am sorry for the way in which your case was handled. I am ccing B, the man who will replace me starting tomorrow, on my response. He has worked for (x-program) in China for two years and is very familiar with our policies. If you have any further concerns that need to be addressed, please contact him at b@x-program.com
In all sincerity, M
my reply:
M,
I'm happy to accept your apology. Good luck in the future --万吉平
No comments:
Post a Comment