Robbins Research International review: Dodging, downsplaining and lack of cultural competency

I guess this is the place to write a review, I couldn't find anywhere else. Writing this June 2024.

I love Tony products and events. They always over deliver and despite the price tag, I always feel they are worthwhile!

However, I've had really poor customer service with a rep and it seems like this is not taken seriously.

A) First, he was uninformed about a package that I wanted to purchase in instalments. (Jan 2023) I had to explain to him what it was. UHPW, not UPW. Due to time zones and work schedules, I had limited options of when I could speak with him. He would call me anyway, multiple times.

Then, over the phone, he misinformed me of how timing and payments would work, which caused me to *miss two live sessions*.

When I tried to express this to him, there was no acknowledgement of this mistake which was disappointing. I also had no recourse about him telling me information incorrectly, because it was on the phone.

I know I sound like a "Karen" coming here, but this is not my usual framing and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't multiple back and forth missteps. I asked to switch reps. He rapidly backpedalled... so I left it alone. I told myself, maybe he's new.

B) Now, I attended Mastery University (full 3 courses) with someone else. Finished Wealth Mastery in June 2024 just before writing this. I was interested in upgrading now for myself and wanted to ask some questions. I outlined my questions very clearly, noting them as A, B, C. I wrote to him as my account rep, now assuming if he was new last time, he'd be clear on things 18 months later...

He only replied to some, partially and "downsplained" me, I would honestly call it "mansplaining" for the tone BUT I don't think it was a gender thing, rather a lack of *reading* my request well thing.

He insisted on getting on the phone. I know there's a route to things, BUT I expressed that I wanted numbers in writing due to the previous misunderstanding AND that no matter how many times he kept blasting me the same calendar, or calling me at work, our time zones did not align. I reiterated in several back and forths. Still, I would get 1/3 answers or a non-answer.

Examples:

I noted more than once I was in Canada. > He sent me BNPL options that were only US applicable.

I noted I had just completed Mastery University with someone else and was asking about Leadership. > He explained WHAT Mastery University was.

I asked that if I had to repeat MU on my account, but did Leadership Academy now.. and then added the mastery later, how that could work? > No answer to this. Quoted me the MU price instead.

I expressed that if I couldn't get a direct answer (aside from time zones) I didn't want the phone to be the conversation because I would have no record if he again told me something incorrectly. > It felt like he talked to me like a little kid. "Just because it happened once, doesn't mean it will always be like that."

JUST LET ME HAVE A RECORD. Yeesh. Not putting something into writing is fishy. Fishy, fishy.

Finally, I reached out to chat.. got help right away. Got on the phone with someone else (after the other rep's hours).. that seemed like a fine conversation. He promised to get right back to me. Two days later > Nothing.

I asked the original rep if the reason I hadn't heard back was because it had to go through him. I got a spiel about process. I got a spiel about.. well our time zones are only this different.

I can't talk AT WORK. Why is that impossible to understand? And I wanted a *record* of what they said, to cover myself after the last mix up.

So I politely (again) asked for another rep. Finally going to change me over.

I gave polite.. politer than this message.. feedback/coaching about my experience to him, hoping that maybe next time if someone says Canada or their work hours/time zones, he'll extend thoughtfulness and courtesy to that. No acknowledgement, just redirection.

Personal results specialist? Are they accountable to anyone? The way this guy answers questions, I would never trust him as a coach or supporter. The result was I started out by wanting to invest significant money. I actually invested ~6 hours of wasted time to STILL not have answers. And to have no acknowledgement of that either. Now I don't want to spend money.. when I was super excited about the programs.

These price tags are thousands of dollars. Your sales reps should be cheering prospective clients on, not roadblocking them with unclear responses and phoning me at hours I request not to be contacted. Twice, 18 months apart, I had a terrible experience. If your products are thousands of dollars, you could at least have some basic awareness of cultural competency. I feel culture shocked and downsplained... and Canada is not much different. If you have a worldwide audience, you could at least know about your neighbour. If you feel communication going off the rocks, you may want to coach them on rapport so it doesn't become this sustained frustration.