Last Sunday, I was invited for a free trial class at Pure Yoga Singapore (Takashimaya).
Over the phone, the sales representative assured me that all I had to do was to rock up for the 10:45am class, and experience Yin Yoga in all its glory. I thought that it was a brilliant idea, since I was interested in learning more about Yin Yoga, and also because I was on the lookout for a new Yoga place to go to – now that my previous teacher, Stanley Lim, from Ashtanga Yoga Singapore has moved to Shanghai.
I accepted the invitation excitedly, arranged to meet some other friends in the same class, and happily trooped off to Pure Yoga. Unfortunately for me, I was trapped in Takashimaya’s complicated car park system which didn’t offer direct access from its car parks to the 18th floor, where Pure Yoga was located. So after playing snakes & ladders with the lifts for awhile, I finally managed to arrive at Pure Yoga at exactly 10:45am. Phew! I thought… Just in time!
Unexpectedly, the sales representative whom I had spoken to over the phone, calmly came forward and firmly refused to let me in for class, telling me that I had to be at least 15minutes early for the class. I explained to him the I had faced some confusion with the car park lifts and still, he refused to let me in. I explained to him that I had friends also in the class waiting for me, and he still refused to let me in. I explained to him that I had arrived exactly in time for the class, and still he refused to let me in.
Instead, he smoothly offered to show me around Pure Yoga’s premises, offered me a seat in the lounge where I could sit down and find out more about the different price plans offered at Pure Yoga, and he assured me that I could go for another free yoga class… later.
At this point… I was very irritated and couldn’t stop feeling that I was being taken for a ride here… I mean what kind of Yoga Nazi establishment doesn’t allow students to come to class on time? Puts a sales representative in your way to refuse your entry? Wastes your time and energy to come down to class only to subject yourself to sales dribble?
Needless to say, I left Pure Yoga with a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn’t go for a free class, I didn’t want to listen to the sales pitch, and most of all, I didn’t want to learn Yoga from a place that doesn’t teach from the heart. A place that resorts to bad business practices just to get more students to sign up. 😦
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