I have to agree with you. A couple years back I signed up for a 10-week German course with Ecole-Club Migros in Lausanne and I didn't know until the very last minute whether the course would actually get started or not. Beside the administrative glitch, the coursework itself was fine but a wee bit too slow for my liking.

Thanks for sharing, Adrien, and sounds like you had a more positive experience then. Maybe I should try Lausanne next and instead...... :o)

If you want to continue in Geneva Ifage are quite good

https://www.ifage.ch/

Migros is known to offer courses that don’t always actually exist hoping they will attract enough students to make a class and the recruitment of a teacher worthwhile.  So if there isn’t enough interest, the “class” (i.e., offer) is cancelled as is their provisional approach to the teacher.

I’ve known of more than one instance where both would-be pupils and teacher have been left high and dry at the last minute.

Really wish I'd known that earlier. Thanks, Richie. Sounds unbelievably disrespectful, misleading and unprofessional.

Still didnt get refunded by the way and despite numerous reminders to them. Unbelievable........    

Have you thought of going to a “Permanence juridique” for legal advice?

I'm a lawyer myself, so would REALLY and very much like to avoid having to deal with legal matters on my free time also, and truth be told :o) (plus the bakers' kids dont eat bread, and all that suff, you know..... :o). Guess I'll take them to the Office de Poursuite, if I absolutely have to. Have difficulties in understanding what their problem is, though, and what can possibly be taking so unbelievably long. Unless they're on the verge of bankruptcy..........Yikes!!   

This is also pretty much my experience of Ecole Migros. A few years back I was interested in a course, I went to the trial class (free) but then they told me the course was too full and I couldnt join.

A few weeks later I get a mail from the "poursuite", Ecole Migros was billing me for the whole course they wouldnt let me take, and never even bothered to ask me directly, they just launched a procedure with the poursuite!

A Friend of mine here on Glocals is a very good German teacher in case you are intrested I can put you in contact with her..

She was the German teacher of my daughter..

I am so sorry to hear that, François, and well, I guess it may be their turn next, then (what goes around comes around.....:o)

Sari - Sure and sounds great. Could you mail me her contact details or just have her contact me directly on here would be great! Thanks!

Another suggestion for finding a good German teacher could be the Faculty of Interpreting and Translation where a postgrad might be interested in giving an intensive course.

There’s also the German School in Geneva.  They could probably put you in touch with someone providing the kind of tuition you’re looking for.

Best, R.

Hi Eva

As the manager of the language courses at the Ecole-club in Geneva, Balexert and Nyon, I was extremely disappointed to see that you had such a negative experience.

I looked up German intensive classes in our system and it seems that we informed you of the cancellation on the 4th Feb and the class was due to start on the 8th February. The email that we originally sent you did actually stipulate that we would need your bank details in order to reimburse you. Your full refund was transferred on 16th February (let me know if you still haven't received it). I feel that a two week refund process isn't that bad for a school of our size (33,000 signups per year just for languages in Geneva), but that doesn't mean that we can't improve both our clarity and efficiency in this sort of case.

Regarding the actual cancellation, I'm truly sorry that we had to cancel this class.  We never advertise classes that we don't plan on running, but we try to offer classes for everyone. Whenever possible, we avoid cancelling classes and we often run classes that actually cost the company money. We can only do this because we are financially supported by the Migros group (more info here: http://www.migros-culture-percentage.ch/About-us/249/Default.aspx ) - our goal isn't to make money, it's to help people learn.

The fact is though, that sometimes there just aren't enough people interested to justify a lesson, a classroom, a teacher. When this happens, we suggest another class that might suit each student (as we did with you). I know that this isn't a perfect solution, especially in the case of intensive classes where people are taking time off work.  We're constantly working on ways to avoid problems like this - for example you can now look out for lessons that are 'guaranteed'. If you can't take a risk on our class opening then this category is perfect for you. Alternatively, you can join a class that has already started. our teachers are qualified and experienced enough to be able to welcome new students and help them catch up with the rest of the group.

The vast majority of our students are satisfied (they give us a 'grade' of 5.41 out of 6), but if you can suggest ways for us to improve that grade I'd love to hear from you on here or by private message. Or from any other Glocals users for that matter.

Thanks for your time

David Creber

Language Department Manager, ECM Geneva.

(...)

our goal isn't to make money, it's to help people learn.

(...)

Come one. they do take the effort to reply. A story always has two sides... I respect that they actually reply to this social media thing.. Mocking is easy...... (the quote is funny though ;-) ) 

The quote is probably something like this 

"...our goal isn't to make money but to help people learn which obviously get us the money..."

I also had a bad experience of getting reminders for a bill of a class I didnt want to attend and never signed up to.  Probably one of my class mates signed me up for the next level thinking I wanted to attend.   It took months of calls but it was finally sorted out and I have forgiven them.

Migros provide a great social experience for meeting people and mutually going through the discipline o learning a language.

Skype lessons

if you have the discipline and motivation, you can learn at home in virtual classes with fellow students and very professional teachers.  My wife is has been learning French on Skype this way for months.  Twice a week with a very professional teacher in Montpellier (Eur 29 per hour), one-on-one.  Then twice a week practice with another student in Bourgogne at the same level. (free). 

Its more focused, saves time, and more comfortable than a classroom.  It's not cheaper, but at least you get 100% attention from the teacher.

If you don't want to spend money then there are thousands of online Skype lessons which may do the trick.  It's easy if you are disciplined enough to do it, but it's not the same as meeting other students.

I you like to compare among several German lesson offers, have a look to this website :

http://www.trouver-un-cours.ch/cours-de-langue/cours-d-allemand/

You can even find Skype lessons there.

I have to disagree with you, Sorry!

I have been taking german lessons at Migros for the last 2 years and I have never had any problem. I ahve to say that the teachers was really great.

I wanted to continue but there were not enough people so they send an apoletic email saying if I would like to have my money backor wait a litte bit more for them to find more people. I waited for two weeks, they told they couldn't find any more people, 2 days later I had the money in my bank account without even ask for the reimburse :-)

On the other hand, Ifage was a place where I have never learnt anything and I wasted my money so I won't never go back there.

I recommend Ecole Migros to anyone I know :-)

Of course they reply - this review does not make them good look at all. I find the reply could have been more humble though but that probably would not be Swiss Geneva style. Client just does not seem to be the roi in this neck of the woods :D

Hi!

I have taken German classes in Ecole-Club Migros and I think that their main problem is that there is no continuity to their levels/sub-levels.

I mean I managed to finish the A1 level but it took me longer than usual because they didn't open the next sub-levels immediately after one was finished so I had to move from Geneva Balexert to Geneva center school to be able to continue. Also I couldn't continue to the A2 level, as there was no open course at the moment. Then after couple of months they open one then postponed the start date like 3 times.
I haven't had problem with the administrative part, but the most important is that there is no always guarantee of a continuation, which is very frustrating and unfortunate as I would like to advance but it is taking me more time that it should be.

Sometimes we were like 6-7 people that wanted to continue and they didn't want to open the course. I am sure that the profit plays a good part of that decision, it is actually the biggest school in town and I am sure they can afford to open a class of 6-7 people maybe with less profit.

Anyhow, good luck finding a good course, I am looking for that too, I want to take classes and be able to continue without long stops.

By the way, what is your level? If you find a private lesson maybe we could share it if we are at the same level?

Best,

Jenny