Complaint Review: International Profit Associates - Buffalo Grove Illinois

I received a cold call sales visit from a senior area manager from IPA. The normal price of a comprehensive analysis was $950.00 but he said he'd give me a deal since I live in Illinois (also the home of IPA headquarters). My charge would be $300.00 because "the travel expenses would be minimal." I told him I'd think about it and asked him to get back to me the following week.

Four days later an IPA telemarketer called and said she saw that I was a million dollar company and that if I agreed to an IPA analysis, she'd send me a three million dollar company analyst who was available now. I told her I was not willing to make the commitment. She became so pushy, I hung up on her.

The IPA rep returned to my office two days later. When I told him about the rude telemarketer, he called his supervisor, who then apologized to me for the telemarketer's behavior. I accepted the apology and then accepted Paul's proposal of $300.00.

The next day and IPA Survey Analyst came to my office. That same afternoon, another IPA telemarketer called and wanted to set up a survey analysis. The call greatly upset me and the analyst. He asked for the phone and then spoke with the telemarketers supervisor. He said he didn't like being embarrassed by IPA representatives. Although I was beginning to doubt the wisdom in contracting services with IPA, I chalked it up to poor sales tactics and continued the analysis.

I was very surprised to learn the analyst was from New York. I asked him why I was sent someone so far from Buffalo Grove especially since I had been given a discounted fee because I live in Illinois. He told me he didn't know why I was told I would be sent a survey analyst from Illinois because there aren't any who live there. He said he'd grant me the $300.00 survey fee anyway. (I later learned everyone is charged $300).

Even though he told me there aren't any survey analysts who live in Illinois, he didn't say my business consultant wouldn't be from Illinois either so I was still left with the impression my travel expenses would be minimal in comparison to those who lived out of state.

My wife and I were stunned the following Monday morning when we learned our Senior Project Manager and Senior Business Consultant were from the east coast. Although angry and feeling betrayed for being mislead again about the travel expenses, we felt IPA had our best interest in mind and had a good reason for sending these men. For this reason, we decided against telling them to leave.

After two days, we were told our project would take two weeks and would cost around 28,000. My wife and I felt this was a huge expense but our business was growing faster than we knew what to do, especially since neither of us have business degrees. We looked at it as a year of college in two weeks. Not only that but I'd been told by the first IPA rep that IPA would send me a consultant who had industry specific knowledge. We agreed to the price and shortly thereafter, the project manager left.

We were very upset to learn that our consultant had never consulted a commercial cleaning company. We asked him why he was sent to us. He said he and his wife had owned a company together for many years. He then said what really mattered was that he was an experienced financial advisor who had many other financial advisors he could call if an industry specific question arose. We AGAIN gave IPA the benefit of doubt and trusted these mystery advisors could help him if an industry specific question arose. Even so, we were very angry with IPA for sending us an inexperience commercial cleaning consultant; especially one who lived over a 1000 miles from us.

At the end of two weeks, and after paying $33,000, we received the following:

1. A handbook that was not ours. Additions were supposed to be made to ours yet instead we received one that had obviously been written for a lawn care company in Canada.

2. A blue binder with printed information that had my company name inserted in places where a company name would go. The names of approx 7 other companies were mistakenly left in places where my company name should have been placed.

3. An 8 week cash flow report for a company in Virginia that included that company name and a number of its vendors.

4. My receptionist job description was that of an admisitrative assistant for another company in Canada.

5. Incomplete and/or unuseable financial reports.

6. Any and all documents personally created for me were incorrect because the consultant forgot to interview key employees.

7. An inventory control system and employee incentive plan were not developed, administrative and personnel files were not reviewed to insure all were in compliance with federal, state and local laws. All were supposed to be completed.

8. We were advised to continue using the software we'd been using since it was industry specific. This was a poor reason since there are many programs like ours to choose from so we wanted the experience of one who had seen other successful programs as ours was not. Our consultant finally admitted, toward the end of our project, that none of his advisors had ever consulted a commercial cleaning company. (My industry is not rare)

9. None of the disks left with us were password protected nor did the consultant know how to password protect them. We had made it very clear that we wanted all information confidential from our employees.

10. The consultant took a copy of my company keys and 10 of my 2002 financial records.

Thirteen days after IPA left, an IPA telemarketer called to see if we wanted a survey analyst to come to our company. The man obviously wasn't aware that IPA had come and gone. He continued his "speech" by telling me a consultant who had experience with commercial cleaning companies would be sent.

Last week, and 4 months after IPA left, another IPA telemarketer called to see if I wanted a survey analyst to come to my company. This call came despite a complaint letter with all documented information I am telling you about today.

Ken Sweet, Director of Consultants, has been sent a letter of complaint along with all the documentation to prove my case. I've heard nothing from him. The only thing I've received was a Fed Ex envelope; in it were my keys.

Stay away from IPA.

Tom

Princeton, Illinois
U.S.A.