| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
|
 Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:14 pm Post subject: Hagwon owners - how important is a good product? |
 |
|
| I've always believed that if you make a good product, in the long run you'll have better business and a good reputation. However, I don't see this kind of mentality from a lot of hagwons. Does anyone out there have experience with quality curriculums being better for business than the manipulation of parents and PR I see go on at a lot of hagwons? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well I can only generalize from my friends' experience. I know three people who run their own hakwons (and yes I know that is a small sample, but you did ask so just saying) and they all believe in delivering a quality product. These are all multi-subject hakwons by the way not just language ones. And each one of them has a waiting list...so I'd say that quality matters.
On the other hand some directors are masters at bamboozling the mothers. If you are a skilled smooth talker you can make most people believe anything...at least for a while. Plus if you are a member of a big chain it lends weight to your words. Which explains why Wonderland and SLP are still around. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Well I can only generalize from my friends' experience. I know three people who run their own hakwons (and yes I know that is a small sample, but you did ask so just saying) and they all believe in delivering a quality product. These are all multi-subject hakwons by the way not just language ones. And each one of them has a waiting list...so I'd say that quality matters.
On the other hand some directors are masters at bamboozling the mothers. If you are a skilled smooth talker you can make most people believe anything...at least for a while. Plus if you are a member of a big chain it lends weight to your words. Which explains why Wonderland and SLP are still around. |
Excellent to hear. One of my friend's hagwon falls into the first category and they have tons of students. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BigBuds
Joined: 15 Sep 2005
Location: Changwon
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
My wife and I have owned a hagwon for around 8 and a half years and quality as well as a more personal touch to running the business makes a big difference.
Over the years, I seen at least 20 hagwons come and go bust. We are the only hagwon still around from when we first opened.
My wife goes to the hagwon association meetings and most, if not all, directors are compalining about lossing students and down sizing their businesses while we are continually gaining students and need to expand and put on more staff pretty soon. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nero
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Well, it's good to hear that at least some hakwons offering a good product are doing well. I hope they continue to be successful. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FMPJ
Joined: 03 Jun 2008
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:13 am Post subject: Re: Hagwon owners - how important is a good product? |
|
|
| akcrono wrote: |
| I've always believed that if you make a good product, in the long run you'll have better business and a good reputation. However, I don't see this kind of mentality from a lot of hagwons. Does anyone out there have experience with quality curriculums being better for business than the manipulation of parents and PR I see go on at a lot of hagwons? |
My place does zero promotion (aside from branded folders), so we rely entirely on the mom/student whisper network. It works amazingly well if your service (teaching's more of a service than a "product," right?) really sets you apart, and growth may be a little slower but it's real and lasting. In the hagwon world, all you have is reputation, after all. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
T-J
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hagwons are a business like any other. Like any other they deal with price, product (quality), and service. The product for a hagwon is the education measured, right or wrong, by the student's test results.
Just like McDonalds can make up for, in culinary terms, an inferior product with a low price point and stream lined efficient service, many franchise hagwons can do the same.
Interestingly this is where the majority of NETs are employed. The premier hogwons, those offering the top line most desired products, don't employ NETs.
NETs are for the most doing the equivilant of flipping burgers, albeit for better pay.
To the OP's point, yes product is important but can be compensated for just as McDonalds does. Those that focus on product for their success don't employ short order cooks.
I do realize that I'm painting with a broad brush and that amongst the 20,000+ E-2 visa holders out there some are highly qualified professional people. However, fair or not, the group is going to be judged as a group in general terms.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| The premier hogwons, those offering the top line most desired products, don't employ NETs. |
I would say many of them (in my experience anyway) DO employ NETs. They just employ the more experienced or better qualified NETs. Hence they can offer that better product you mention TJ.
That has been my experience anyway.
Bascially, an employer can go by the visa standards: heartbeat, native speaker, BA in anything OR have his or her own higher standards....its a choice. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Hagwons are a business like any other. Like any other they deal with price, product (quality), and service. The product for a hagwon is the education measured, right or wrong, by the student's test results.
|
It's going to be interesting to see what happens when the new speaking and writing high school tests are introduced in 2015. Korean teachers might find it's not so easy to teach to the test when the students actually have to produce real language in spoken and written form and be assessed on things like fluency, natural expression and pronunciation. They might find NETS are important after all, to improve those elements. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Quote: |
Hagwons are a business like any other. Like any other they deal with price, product (quality), and service. The product for a hagwon is the education measured, right or wrong, by the student's test results.
|
It's going to be interesting to see what happens when the new speaking and writing high school tests are introduced in 2015. Korean teachers might find it's not so easy to teach to the test when the students actually have to produce real language in spoken and written form and be assessed on things like fluency, natural expression and pronunciation. They might find NETS are important after all, to improve those elements. |
Qualified NETs...sure. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:45 pm Post subject: Re: Hagwon owners - how important is a good product? |
|
|
| akcrono wrote: |
| I've always believed that if you make a good product, in the long run you'll have better business and a good reputation. However, I don't see this kind of mentality from a lot of hagwons. Does anyone out there have experience with quality curriculums being better for business than the manipulation of parents and PR I see go on at a lot of hagwons? |
Because we are rare.
Koreans cannot distinguish between what is good and bad, mostly because they are constantly being obfuscated by the Industry.
It took me three years to prove that my system was cheaper and better in the long run.
Plus, finding decent teachers at an acceptable price makes it difficult to run on profit. No matter most of you think. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:23 am Post subject: Re: Hagwon owners - how important is a good product? |
|
|
| Juregen wrote: |
| akcrono wrote: |
| I've always believed that if you make a good product, in the long run you'll have better business and a good reputation. However, I don't see this kind of mentality from a lot of hagwons. Does anyone out there have experience with quality curriculums being better for business than the manipulation of parents and PR I see go on at a lot of hagwons? |
Because we are rare.
Koreans cannot distinguish between what is good and bad, mostly because they are constantly being obfuscated by the Industry.
It took me three years to prove that my system was cheaper and better in the long run.
Plus, finding decent teachers at an acceptable price makes it difficult to run on profit. No matter most of you think. |
Change that for PEOPLE typically have a hard time distinguishing what is good or bad in such industries as private education until they actually try it in reality by registering their kids or taking classes themselves. In that respect, Koreans are no different than Canadian parents when it comes to private education or say daycare.
WE chose a daycare for our daughter here in Canada, we visited the place and relied on what other parents said as well. We ended up with a decent daycare, others did not.
Same goes for our son's hockey school now. The first one he attended had a good reputation but ended up being an overcharging pile of manure of a place. WE only found this out after the sessions started....
Basically what you described is the normal time it takes to establish and maintain a reputation for a business. This is HARD to do in many fields! It takes time, effort and yes good Public Relation management....
Glad to see you did well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ZIFA
Joined: 23 Feb 2011
Location: Dici che il fiume..Trova la via al mare
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| BigBuds wrote: |
My wife and I have owned a hagwon for around 8 and a half years and quality as well as a more personal touch to running the business makes a big difference.
Over the years, I seen at least 20 hagwons come and go bust. We are the only hagwon still around from when we first opened. |
I assume your secrets remain so, but I wonder what is your approach to discipline?
Do you expel unruly students for example? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| BigBuds wrote: |
| My wife and I have owned a hagwon for around 8 and a half years and quality as well as a more personal touch to running the business makes a big difference. |
I have found all hakwons, good and ordinary, to be big on personal touch.
Sometimes the crappier they were, the bigger the personal touch.
What do you mean by quality? Is there something in particular that sets you apart? Is it location, books, the owner a foreigner?
There must be some pointers you can give us. Right now, I'm taking your meaning as 'sheer hard work' and that alone. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| T-J wrote: |
The product for a hagwon is the education measured, right or wrong, by the student's test results. |
This is what poster Juregen means when he speaks of obfuscation in the industry. The reliance on test results brings forth some real monstrosities.
A grade of D is no ways a D. It's an A+. Always.
Unless you feel like going home unpaid. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
