Alpaca yoga at 10AM today was nothing short of a DEBACLE. The events that happened were potentially out of the control of the owners, but they way they handled it was even more terrible. Clearly they are in dire need of customer service training. The way they responded to the issue was pathetic. :( I arrived 5 minutes early for my 10AM, 30 minute long, $50 alpaca yoga class. This was originally advertised as "baby" alpaca yoga. I think the name was later changed to just alpaca yoga, but they forgot to change the description in the text of the FB event. No offense to the full grown animals who eventually arrived, but the description should be accurate.
Our class started at 10:12AM, with the disclaimer that the alpacas were running late and were on their way. We begin class. At 10:26AM the alpacas were still not there so I ask if there will be a refund, because I did not pay $50 for a regular yoga class. I pay a monthly unlimited fee at a studio near my house, so why would I come to this one if no alpacas are there? Finally the alpacas arrive - 1 full grown and 1 adolescent. The handler tries to get the first one inside, and basically drags it in the door and across the floor. It looks like it's legs were going to break. Everyone was watching with their jaws hanging open, in horror. I think it was ok, it was just so terrified, that it was frozen. That one then just lies in the corner, huddled on the ground, clearly distressed. Then the handler tries to get the big one, who is 4 years old: Shane, in the door. He won't come in. Clearly he is scared. The woman tries to wrestle him in the door about 3 times, but he is too big for her to lift, so eventually he just stays outside. They try to appease us with baby bunnies, who were cute, but also scared, and that's not what I paid for. The class ends, one scared alpaca is inside for a few minutes, I go outside to pet the scared alpaca outside. Meanwhile, people from the 11AM class keep trying to come inside, looking confused.
1. The owners should have advertised that these were not babies. 2. The owners should have contracted with a reliable alpaca handler who would be on time, or even better, early. 3. They should also contract with a handler who has socialized animals who won't be terrified in yoga situations. Shane clearly wasn't prepared to go into a studio with 12-15 women in there, in the city. 4. The owners never ONCE said anything to the effect of "I'm sorry" or "my apologies" 5. They just sat in the back the whole time, not speaking, and left their poor yoga teacher to field everyone's complaints. 6. They never once got up in the front, unsolicited, to explain the situation or field anyone's complaints, not until confronted by class members. 7. When confronted, the owner with the black hair, was very hostile to the class members and in a mean voice reprimanded us that we should be fine because we were all "invited" to the 1PM alpaca yoga class in the park on June 1st. When asked by a class member what she should do, because she was not available on June 1st, the owner just gave her a dirty look and didn't answer. 8. Later on, the owner said (in a mean voice) that we'd be receiving an email with our "options" for today's class not going the way as planned, but didn't clearly explain any of them, other than the June 1st option. Bottom line: we should have been offered an explanation about what was going on in real time, should have been offered an apology, and a refund. None of us paid $50 for a regular stressful yoga class, rude vibes from the owner, and to watch horrified as alpacas were made to do things against their will. I will go to my "free" class on June 1st, but after that, will never patronize this place again. read more
