Posted on 03/11/2016 9:08:08 AM PST by Citizen Zed
Robert Guillo gave a glowing evaluation to his instructor at Trump University because, he said, the teacher pleaded for the best possible score, warning that without it, “Mr. Trump might not invite me back to teach again.”
Jeffrey Tufenkian offered excellent ratings because his Trump University-assigned mentor refused to leave the room until he did so, standing “right in front of me” as he filled out the evaluation form, he said.
John Brown tried to give his Trump University teacher a poor review — but said he was talked out of it by employees of the program, who called him three times, hounding him to raise his original scores.
“Tired of the continuing phone calls,” he later testified, “I finally gave in.” His dismal marks changed to top scores, Mr. Brown said.
In the sprawling business empire of Donald J. Trump, the real estate classes that bore his name seem to occupy a tiny, insignificant corner. But the controversy and litigation now enveloping them have taken on surprising potency in the Republican presidential campaign that he is dominating.
Now, as Mr. Trump tries to fend off claims of misleading and fraudulent practices from scores of former students, claims his opponents have brought up in debates and in ads, his biggest weapon is what appears to be the overwhelmingly positive reviews from past participants — a 98 percent level of satisfaction, in his telling. “Beautiful statements,” is how he describes the evaluations.
But hundreds of pages of legal documents, as well as interviews with former students and instructors, suggest the surveys themselves were a central component of a business model that, according to lawsuits and investigators, deceived consumers into handing over thousands of dollars with tantalizing promises of riches.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Hillary Express®, now departing from New York Times Station.
All aboard!
Now, because they couldn’t be bothered to be honest in their evaluations (including telling the callers that further contact will be reported to the police as harassment), Trump U, and Trump in particular, is responsible?
Obviously, bad reviews had consequences for instructors. That says management was paying attention. Therefore, pressure applied lower in the organization was originating lower in the organization, IMO.
It is not easy to stay true to one’s conscience. This story says that the disgruntled students were unwilling to be dedicated to their conscience.
This subject is dead....just like the NYT.
I’m trying to figure out who these articles are aimed at. Liberals hate Trump, moderates couldn’t care less about people pouring money down some real estate symposium program, conservatives who dislike Trump will continue to, those who like Trump probably couldn’t see any connection from an incident like this to Trump himself...
What’s next? An interview with a caddy stiffed a tip from golfers at a Trump golf course?
Need a tape of yapping chi hua huas in the background for special effect.
Scandalous! Much worse than deliberately subverting US espionage laws!
OHMYGOSH, they were chained in the basement until they had the cuffs taken off and the blind fold around their eyes and the ear plugs taken out, and only then could they be released..../s
Anti-Trumpsters are going to work this like an Egyptian donkey...how long will it take before the “students” surface that claim “micro-aggression”, lack of “safe spaces”, “racism”....any tired cliche they can throw in an obvious attempt to do everything they can to throw the Trump Train off track.........
Interesting.
Trump one asked Johnny Carson what he would do if he ever lost all his money and Carson told him that he would get into a legitimate multi-level business.
This Trump University may have been his way of attempt to do just that.
He did make 4 or 5 million on the deal.
Apparently these fools haven’t taken many courses in their lifetime. There is always a push for positive reviews at the end.
Trump probably should have been more selective about who he let take the course.
There are probably a lot of college graduates who would like to sue their alma mater right now too. 4 year degree to work as an unpaid intern. Ha.
I don’t believe it....I’ve been going to seminars for 30 years and have NEVER been contacted further. And not everyone got a great review.
You do know these were seminars right?
Very common back in the day, held in hotels...
Get over it.
“At Trump University, Students Recall Pressure to Give Positive Reviews”
At the NYT, reporters recall pressure to give positive coverage to Hillary Clinton.
While the OP indicates problems with Trump U, I don’t see where Trump was directly involved in the problem. Did any of the students at least try to send a written complaint to Trump?
Reminds me of the last car I bought (Monday, 425 miles away) the salesman spent no time with us except to explain that Honda NA will send us a survey via email — then he showed us how to score him all 10’s. “Have any questions, call me - don’t give me a low rating.”
I called him later that day asking where the valet key was...still no answer (found my answer online - the valet key is located in a hidden compartment inside the keyless fob).
He’s gonna get it but good on that survey!
The initial seminars were “free”. Here is one of the promo ads that ran on TV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSpStU1paAI
Except that the “free” seminar (The Trump University Introductory Class) did not teach much of anything and was actually nothing but a hard sell sales pitch to sign up participants for the paid seminars, which according to the lawsuits, also did not deliver the promises of instructors “handpicked” by Trump or any of Trumps “secrets” and the supposed apprenticeships and mentors and access to financers that people had paid for, never materialized.
There was no screening or any admission requirements other than having the money to pay and FWIW at the “free seminars” many reported that the “instructors” told them to max out their credit cards, fraudulently get their credit card companies to increase their credit limits and in some cases told the “students” to take a loan against or cash out their 401K to pay for more Trump U seminars.
Over the last 30 years or so I’ve been working in the business world, in accounting and PR and HR, I’ve gone to a lot of business seminars and or training classes (Fred Pryor, SkillPath, ADP, Oracle and seminars through the local Chambers of Commerce to name just a few examples), often paid for by my employer, but never, ever have I been ever asked to complete or turn in an evaluation non-anonymously or before the class was even complete nor in anyway was I ever pressured to turn in a positive evaluation as a condition for getting my CME credit or a certificate of completion, or as a condition for signing up for further seminars or classes.
Did the “instructors” ask for a positive evaluation? Sure they did. But allowing me to complete the evaluation anonymously, often on-line after I returned to my office, allowed me to submit a subjective review of the instructor and of the course materials. I was sometimes told that the overall ratings and scores and some comments may be shared with the instructor, but that it would be done so anonymously. But I never had to sign my name to any evaluation in writing or in front of the instructor or turn in an evaluation in writing to the instructor with my name on it, and if I had been asked to, I would have refused.
Any company providing seminars and or training classes who is truly interested in getting honest feedback in order to improve the course or course materials and to evaluate the instructors would do the same.
Every time I bring my car in for service, the manager asks me if there is ANY reason at all I won’t be giving them perfect markets on the customer satisfactions survey I’ll be receiving. If I say yes, he works with me until I’m willing to give them full marks.
At the end of any job interview, I always as the hiring manager if there is ANY reason why they won’t be offering me the job. If they cite any reasons, I counter appropriately, if possible.
The fact that Trump University is brought up at all, let alone nit-picking the manner in which feedback on the program was solicited, demonstrates the utter desperation of those hoping to stop Trump.
As a Trump supporter, I find it very reassuring that this is the best his enemies can come up with.
Hope you’ll trade up to the winning camp come Wednesday morning.
TRUMP!
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