Do not work for Richmond International English (瑞奇蒙國際美語)

[tomthorne]

I did a demo at this place, and it was really strange.

The employees posed as students (including Richard), and then proceeded to pretend that they couldn't understand anything I said, and acted like children with shy one word replies to everything (if they even responded to questions), and no matter what I asked they wouldn't really cooperate. Then only maybe a minute in, they told me to move to the next section of the demo, claiming my five minutes for the first section were already up. The next section was ten minutes, and they stopped me after maybe two minutes at the most. Why did you even ask me to do a demo if you just cut me off before I can even really get started?

I'm really not sure what they were looking for, and it was my second demo in Taiwan (and first with adults) so it probably did suck but it was really odd. Real students are shy, but they do actually respond when asked something directly... most of the time. I've demoed at other schools that pull that shit too though (fake students acting overly shy and refusing to cooperate). I don't get it. I guess it's supposed to show how we deal with shy students, but I've never yet met a shy student that behaved that way.

To be fair, in this instance the school was doing the right thing. The teacher is breaking the rules of his/her work visa by doing a demo to a group of students at a school address which isn't the primary employer. In this case Richmond is protecting the teacher.

However, I do agree with your point about whether these demos are of any use. Yeah, you can tell within a minute of watching a teacher in action whether they are experienced or not, but teaching is a long term thing. I used to think demos were good, but really they're the lazy way to select teachers. It's how the individual performs over time that is important, and a well-conducted interview is much more likely to get the right candidate. In my opinion, schools that run demos don't know what they are doing. I've never failed a demo, before anyone suggests sour grapes .

If you go to a demo and the employees are pretending to be adult students the first thing to do is bring all the 'students' towards you. The classic trick moronic buxiban owners who don't know what they are doing is scatter the 'students' around the class. Have realia ready before hand and use it with all vocabulary. Speak very slowly. Repeat student answers. Smile a lot. If the 'students' are still behaving like dicks just walk out of the school. Seriously, nine times out of ten they'll call you back.

Oh, and cutting a demo short is like cutting an observation short. Shows they don't have a clue what they are doing.

[Chavvinawa]

Everything is a lie in Richmond. They lie to their teachers, to their staffs. They lie to their students too!
The lie can be from the payment to the class size... ... they even have to lie about where they live and they are not married and their ages! They say because it sound more professional! Give me a break!

They have a camera set up in their inside office filming the office area where the staffs work. They have hidden microphones everywhere too! In the staff room behind the bar, in those two consulting rooms and in the area with coffee tables too!

Anyway, I really think they have mental problems!
Yes, please tell people you know. Do not have anything to do with Richmond!
Do not work for them! Don not enroll with them! Leave immediately if you already did!
請勿上當! 不要到瑞奇蒙教書! 不要到瑞奇蒙上班! 不要到瑞奇蒙補習! 這是一個騙人的補習班!

Sounds like they're having a mini cultural revolution of their own, which I find really frightening. I just emailed my CV to a certain Manager Wxng, who I suspect to be this Richxxd guy and thought I'd better do some research and BANG! I'll know to steer clear now.

[Arteta]

To whom who has concerned about working for Richmond, please read the following article and hope you will have another thought about working with us.

With a hold the principle of upright and honest, we honestly notify teachers the real situation after they start to teach for Richmond at the moment they join the company. Although Aidoue received many complaints from students, we still told our students to give Aidoue another chance. At the meanwhile, we helped Aidoue to improve her teaching performance and trained her even more. At the last, we actively returned her the deposit and paid her the hours without second thought. In training, Aidoue agreed with our policy but were dishonest and refused to corporate in fact. In my opinion, an employee like her will not be accepted by any company. Many of the matters she mentioned previously make me fell that she has some mental problems such as the company has set up a recorder that hides in the flowers. Just to think about it, doesn’t it cost too high? Even it doesn’t, what for? Suppose she’s been watching too many movies.

Richmond has been existing for 7.5 years. There are above 40 foreign teachers who have worked for Richmond, and many teachers who worked for more than three years. Why these things only happened to her not others? We hope to have more foreign teachers who are honest, straight forward, and devoted themselves into their job to work with Richmond. Without doubt, we will assure them solid salary and hours, a good working environment as well as the respect from our students.

Regarding to the off-job teacher - Aidoue, it in deep is a special nightmare to Richmond. I believe most of foreign teachers are enthusiastic and professional; moreover, they want to teach students to be able to speak good English. I hope to wish each foreign teacher the best in Taiwan. Please believe in yourself and ignore the negative comments. Don’t let these messages misleading you and losing a good chance to have a good job offer. Richmond is definitely an honest company who keeps his promises 100%.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call at 03-3460055
Or email: richard-wang@umail.hinet.net

Richard

Note: The teacher Aidoue has four to five family members in Taiwan, and they are from South Africa. Please don’t pretend that you were a senior teacher of Richmond anymore. Only kids will believe that. I will take a legal action when you keep on spreading the rumor.

Although this post is two years old, I have just read it and found it hilarious.

What sort of employer wishes to project an image of professionalism by accusing a member of staff of having mental problems? It wouldn't matter even if she did; there'd be no need to raise it on a public forum. Most companies in this situation would concentrate on defending themselves and not on deflecting blame onto others in a malicious manner. Also admitting to spying on a teacher isn't going to do you any favours, legal or otherwise.

I hope this is not the typical sort of shit I'm going to have to deal with if I ever make it to Taiwan. Also I loved the bit where he said "Richmond is definitely an honest company who keeps his promises 100%." as though a review of his own company is going to change our minds, not to mention the terrible English of the entire thing.

[dan2006]

The English itself would be enough to keep my kid out of that school. And usually when someone is in the wrong, they attack the messenger personally.

[ehophi]

Poor English, while baffling to us, is the norm among self-proclaimed "expert instructors" and buxiban owners.

[bigduke6]

Sounds like the run of the mill buxiban. And yes, it would not surprise me if they recorded their staff.

[billoncho]

Richmond will lie about both hours and pay. You may get scheduled for 20 hours, but an hour and a half of those are doing group conversations for $200 NT per hour. Several will be one-on-ones called ESP or English for special purposes. Those classes will constantly cancel, even at the very last minute when you’ve driven all the way to school for that one class. No pay for cancelled classes. You may end up with 16.5 hours or less at hourly pay and 1.5 for $200.

100-150 hours per month is advertised. I guess there’s a sucker born every minute. Plenty of hours available? You’ll be told it’s the slow season and there will be lots more hours in the next couple of months. Those hours won’t appear.

Their ad says $600 to $1,500 per hour based on experience. When you get through the interview, you’ll be told everyone starts at $600. It’s policy and you have to stay there and get a $25 an hour yearly pay raise to reach the higher hourly pay.

Syllabus is a joke, it only gives you a couple of page numbers. Don’t forget the deposit, you’ll be told it’s not a deposit. It’s your bonus. Then they’ll take $15,000 NT from your first paycheck.

About 95% of all books, students and teachers are photocopies and you’ll teach 2 or 3 of the pages that are in English for an hour and a half to two hours. Your job will be to stretch the material to fill up the time.

How about teaching children for two hours with a no games allowed policy and no additional material. You’ll have a class of bored kids who don’t want to be there.

Look elsewhere. The school is run by people with no idea about teaching. The most unprofessional school I’ve ever been to.

On the bright side, there are some great teachers there and most of the office staff are very friendly. Prepare for extreme micro-management!

[Aidoue]

Hi Billoncho,

You hit it right on the head! I agree with everything you said.

[tomthorne]

On the bright side, there are some great teachers there and most of the office staff are very friendly. Prepare for extreme micro-management!

Come on. Great teachers working in a school as bad as you suggest?

While I have heard a lot of bad stuff about Richmond, not just on here, I find it hard to accept that there are some fantastic teachers struggling against such an ogre of a manager. Surely they'd move somewhere better? Obviously nobody believes the 600-1500NTD an hour nonsense they advertise. The rate will clearly be around 600.

My take on Richmond is that it's a standard buxiban ran by a slightly weirder than usual owner. Other than that it's a par for the course buxiban.

[tomthorne]

To whom who has concerned about working for Richmond, please read the following article and hope you will have another thought about working with us.

With a hold the principle of upright and honest, we honestly notify teachers the real situation after they start to teach for Richmond at the moment they join the company. Although Aidoue received many complaints from students, we still told our students to give Aidoue another chance. At the meanwhile, we helped Aidoue to improve her teaching performance and trained her even more. At the last, we actively returned her the deposit and paid her the hours without second thought. In training, Aidoue agreed with our policy but were dishonest and refused to corporate in fact. In my opinion, an employee like her will not be accepted by any company. Many of the matters she mentioned previously make me fell that she has some mental problems such as the company has set up a recorder that hides in the flowers. Just to think about it, doesn’t it cost too high? Even it doesn’t, what for? Suppose she’s been watching too many movies.

Richmond has been existing for 7.5 years. There are above 40 foreign teachers who have worked for Richmond, and many teachers who worked for more than three years. Why these things only happened to her not others? We hope to have more foreign teachers who are honest, straight forward, and devoted themselves into their job to work with Richmond. Without doubt, we will assure them solid salary and hours, a good working environment as well as the respect from our students.

Regarding to the off-job teacher - Aidoue, it in deep is a special nightmare to Richmond. I believe most of foreign teachers are enthusiastic and professional; moreover, they want to teach students to be able to speak good English. I hope to wish each foreign teacher the best in Taiwan. Please believe in yourself and ignore the negative comments. Don’t let these messages misleading you and losing a good chance to have a good job offer. Richmond is definitely an honest company who keeps his promises 100%.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call at 03-3460055
Or email: richard-wang@umail.hinet.net

Richard

Note: The teacher Aidoue has four to five family members in Taiwan, and they are from South Africa. Please don’t pretend that you were a senior teacher of Richmond anymore. Only kids will believe that. I will take a legal action when you keep on spreading the rumor.

Having read back on the thread please ignore my last post. I'd forgotten about this classic. The owner is short on the sandwiches.