Disclaimer: I love and respect my clients. Whatever I am today, is because of grace of God and love
of my clients. This article is about a very small minority that I have faced during my career.
HONEST DOESN’T MEAN FOOLISH-PART 1:
FREE CONSULTATIONS
“You said you are honest, how can you charge money?”
Said an email, sent by an entitled person who thought I owed him something. Apparently honest
people don’t eat, or have families that eat
“You are making a lot of money anyway, why can’t you give me a free consultation?” Asked another
one. Apparently, I owe free service to everyone because I make some moderate money in my
humble practice.
Well with all due respect and Ketu humility, what makes these people think that I owe them
something?
I have been through deep depression, personal and financial issues, humiliations and trials. (I am
facing Ketu Dasha remember).
Very few people were with me during those days, and barring them, I don’t owe anyone anything
Still, during initial few months, I used to entertain such requests occasionally, which turned my staff
and friends furious.
I would put it in words of a close friend:
“So you are giving free advice to people who can read English, have smart phones and laptops, but
cannot pay you 500? Why don’t you change your website to “FOOLISH ASTROLOGER”?
I hate to admit but he was right. I learned it the hard way.
I have almost always regretted doing free consultations. Most people asking for them turned out to
be entitled jerks with questions around getting girlfriends and government jobs (Lazy, horny, and
manipulative…I was helping this lot). Some of them even trolled me for not giving their desired
answers or answering their repeat questions around the “beauty of their future girlfriends”
Yes, I was foolish. Honest doesn’t mean foolish. Now I don’t do free consultations any more.
HONEST DOESN’T MEAN FOOLISH — PART 2:
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
I had put in a money back guarantee in place to ensure that I don’t keep unearned money and incur
bad karma. I think I am the only one in business to do that. I have been to several astrologers in life,
some weren’t that great but never once did I get a refund.
I personally don’t know any astrologer who offers a money back, no matter how wrong they are.
However, I decided to put this policy in place to ensure that my clients never regret dealing with me.
At least once a week, I come across a chart where I am not able to predict the nature and past
highlights of a person correctly during the preliminary reading (first 5 to 10 minutes). I apologise
profusely and GIVE A REFUND BEFORE DISCONNECTING THE CALL.
The caller appreciates the honesty even if he/she is disappointed. And so am I. A refund hurts, not
only financially but also hurts my pride as a professional.
However, I am always PROUD after doing this. Someone could question my skill, but nobody could
question my honesty. Or so I thought, before coming across a new kind of gentry.
People who would ask for a refund AFTER the entire consultation.
Thankfully they are a very, very small minority. I come across such people rarely, once in six to nine
months. However, they astonish me the most.
Two people asked for a refund more than a MONTH after the consultation. Now imagine THAT kind
of guts.
The fool that I am, I mulled over refunding them as well, but my business mentor was up in arms
against this, and rightly so.
“NO service provider from a dentist to a shoe shiner would give a refund AFTER the service. Even
the best product companies don’t give a refund after 30 days, that too when you return their
product, without damage.”
Thundered my business mentor
“May be your friend was right, you should get domain FOOLISH ASTROLOGER” He added.
The last I checked, the domain is available, and he has promised to gift it to me the next time I gave
such a refund or offered a free consultation.
Because I won’t be honest, I would be foolish then. They are not the same thing.
“Because you are a devotee of God, does that mean that you should be a fool?”
-Ramakrishna Pramhansa
God Bless,
G. Vijay Kumar