Some clips of Flight of the Conchords. "Business Time" and "Jenny" are partcularly great. Two very talented and funny Kiwis!

Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Michel Raux Inlingua Belfort France

Michel Raux has been mentioned on this blog before. He clearly operates some of Inlingua's worst franchises in the East of France. Bargepoles out troops and avoid this guy like the plague. This was originally posted on the Inlingua Paris section.

"I worked for Inlingua MBR in Belfort, for almost 3 years. (It's part of the MBR Services franchise owned by Michel Raux and operating out of Strasbourg.)

Everything that the previous commentors said about MBR is 100% true - and more.

I left, on medical advice, after becoming really ill and severely depressed from the stress of working for them.

Let's see - there were the mad hours I had to work, the long distances I had to drive to see clients, the amount of paperwork that they forced us to do that was unrelated to actual teaching (because they got rid of office staff to save costs and made the trainers pick up the slack), the psychological bullying and threats. Many phonecalls to my home after hours. A total invasion of privacy. Awful, awful company.

They blatantly lied to me about the hours I'd be working when I was offered the job, and then gradually forced me to work more hours than I wanted to, often until 8pm (after starting at 8am - never mind I was a single parent and had children to get to and from school and childminders) threatening to reduce my classes to nothing if I refused, (so that I'd be forced to resign and save them from the hassle of firing me.)

I received only 4 hours of 'training' and was then thrown into the deep end and left to swim. A client then complained that I didn't seem to know what I was doing (well of course I didn't) and I received a written warning from Michel Raux. How crazy is that?

I have since thrown away my Certificate of Training - it is worthless.

Even in treachorous winter weather (and I mean heavily snowed under roads and even in snow storms), I had to drive through dangerous mountainous regions to get to clients - no excuses were tolerated. I cannot tell you how close I came to having horrible crashes - on more than one occasion.

Their attitude to clients was equally as bad - arrogance such as I have never seen in any company before. My clients complained bitterly about being charged for last minute cancellations - which were usually due to factory lines breaking down and needing urgent attention. (Since when is an English class more important than getting a production line up and running again?) Inlingua refused to budge on that.

Having said that, most of my immediate colleagues/trainers were brilliant. It was just management that truly sucked.

My advice? Steer clear of Inlingua MBR."

Monday, June 04, 2007

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Wall Street Institute, Paris

Attention all shipping. This is a gale force warning from the BBC. Well maybe not, but it's the TEFL equivalent nevertheless.

One of The Inspector's all time favourite employers, Wall Street Institute, is out on the prowl tracking down idiots (whoops - teachers) to con (nope - teach), any old sucker (come on Inspector - blue chip corporates) to buy their outdated (correction - cutting edge) system of sticking any old mug in a general free for all conversation class (rap over knuckles - groups of discerning students all of whom are at the same linguistic level) and then sticking them for hours on end in front of a "teach yourself English" course on a PC.

The Inspector is very sorry (eehrm happy) to report that
Wall Street Institute
7 Place de la Defense
PARIS LA DEFENSE, PARIS
92974 - France

has been spotted advertising on TEFL.com

They need four, that's FOUR lucky teachers who will win the TEFL booby prize. Enjoy Paris in the Spring and work for an awful (apologies - wonderful) crap (sorry - caring), smarmy (apologies it should read professional) bunch of shysters, whoops the old keyboard skills are not what they were, (I mean super bunch of great people).

Don't expect an end of contract bonus but just let The Inspector know when you're about to leave and he'll send each of the four losers (phew what rudeness from the Inspector - WINNERS) a gift wrapped Mexican prickly cucumber with which to insert up (sorry yet another typo, I mean bid farewell) the manager of The Back Passage Institute (oops again - Wall Street Institute).

The Inspector is of the opinion that Wall Street Institute is simply a linguistic vending machine.

Anyone for


Click HERE to watch the movie.



Check out The Wall Street Institute entry by clicking HERE.

Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Val Ferret, Switzerland

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Sunday, February 18, 2007

Executive Language Services ELS Paris

The owner of this outfit is a Dorothy Polley, otherwise known in the Trade as "Mad Dorothy". The Inspector rests his case Millud.
Her madhouse can be found at the following address:
Executive Language Services
20, rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie
75004 PARIS

Inspector McHammered of the Lard
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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Inlingua Paris

Very much an organisation to avoid. One little scam they operate is to force you to learn their useless method, which in The Inspector's opinion has less value than parrot droppings.
If you decide you want to leave during your contract they make you pay for your so called training and deduct a hefty sum from your salary.
Sharp practice from a Great White, or rather, Black Shark.

Smooth talking businessmen in flash suits, snotty receptionists and admin staff. All that glitters here is definitely not gold. Don't go near them or you'll lose an arm and a leg!

Want to see Paris? See it on vacation not with this bunch of shysters. They are always advertising. It doesn't take a degree in rocket science to work out why.

The Inspector will return to the theme of franchising often. It's a racket, even operated by the Mother Theresa of language schools, International House. Another rogue outfit, hiding behind slick marketing, is of course Wall Street Institute whose franchisees have gone bankrupt again and again only to reappear like phoenix from the ashes with a new company fronting the name who naturally disown the debt of the previous lame duck. The franchisee pays megabucks for the right to use the name, other than that they pay lip service to the owner of the franchise.

Inlingua Paris can be found at the following addresses:

Inlingua Paris la Défense
CNIT Center
2, Place de la Défense
F-92053 Paris la Défense

Inlingua Paris La Plaine Saint Denis
ZAC des Cornillons
11, rue des Gazométres
F-93210 Saint Denis La Plaine

Inlingua Paris Levallois Perret
22-24, rue du Président Wilson
F-92300 Levallois Perret

Inlingua Paris Rive Gauche
109, rue de l'Université
F-75007 Paris

Inlingua Paris Roissy
Batiment Le Gaugin - Paris Nord 2
47 Allée des Impressionnistes, BP 50408 Villepinte
F-95944 Roissy Charles de Gaulle cedex

Inlingua Paris Versailles
3, rue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny
F-78150 Le Chesnay


Here's a list of all the other Inlinguas in France. Remember they are all owned by different people but are all probably tarred with the same brush. Ask questions before signing anything. If you don't get clear unambiguous answers get that barge pole out.

Here are the other Inlingua centres in France. Message to all Inlingua owners - I personally think that your organisation sucks. If any of you charming bunch of businessmen, who pretend that you are experts in language teaching, think that you have been unfairly tarred and targeted, The Inspector would like to hear from you. However please don't bother sending me the usual threats to break my legs or sue me. How sad that The Inspector sees through your slick marketing and thinks that your organisation is rotten to the core, but life's a bitch.

Inlingua Aix-en-Provence
Hemiris Bât A
115, rue Claude Nicolas Ledoux
F-13854 Aix-en-Provence/CX03

Inlingua Amiens
Rue des Jacobins
F-80000 Amiens

Inlingua Arcachon
Villa Tosca
11 boulevard du Général Leclerc
F-33120 Arcachon

Inlingua Belfort
ZAC de la Justice
rue Gustave Lang
F-90000 Belfort

Inlingua Besançon
MBR Services, Le Master's 21
Espace Valentin
F-25048 Besançon Cédex

Inlingua Bordeaux-Mérignac
Parc d'activité Kennedy
5 rue Henri Becquerel, Batiment F RC
F-33700 Bordeaux-Mérignac

Inlingua Boulogne sur Mer
1, blvd. de la Liane
F-62200 Boulogne sur Mer

Inlingua Caen
Parc d'Activités de la
10, rue Colonel Rémy, Bt.M18
F-14000 Caen

Inlingua Chalon Sur Saône
75 Grande Rue St Côme
F-71100 Chalon Sur Saône

Inlingua Clermont Ferrand
18, allée Evariste Galois
F-63170 Aubière

Inlingua Colmar
MBR Services Colmar
4, rue de la Houblonnière
F-68000 Colmar

Inlingua Compiègne
Les Tertiales Bât. A
ZAC de Mercières 1
F-60200 Compiègne
Tel: +33 3 44 97 05 05
Fax: +33 3 44 97 05 06

Inlingua Dijon
8, allée A. Bourland / BP 176
F-21005 Dijon Cedex

Inlingua Dunkerque
16, rue Georges Clémenceau
F-59760 Grande Synthe

Inlingua Epinal
7 bis, avenue de la Loge Blanche
F-88000 Epinal

Inlingua Evreux
13, rue de la Mairie
F-27000 Evreux

Inlingua Inlingua Haguenau
44, blvd. de Lattre de Tassigny
F-67500 Haguenau

Inlingua Hazebrouck
41, avenue du Maréchal Delattre de Tassigny
F-59190 Hazebrouck

Inlingua La Rochelle
Z.A les Minimes
6 Rue d'Artimon
F-17000 La Rochelle


Inlingua Le Havre
16, rue Pierre Brossolette
F-76600 Le Havre

Inlingua Lens
Ecoparc du Bord des Eaux
Boulevard F. de Magellan
F-62100 Hénin-Beaumont

Inlingua Lille
12 rue de Cannes, 3e étage
F-59000 Lille

Inlingua Lyon
74, rue de Bonnel
F-69003 Lyon

Inlingua Lyon Chassieu
20, avenue des Frères Montgolfier
F-69680 Chassieu

Inlingua Marcq-En-Baroeul
Château Rouge, BP 5051
278, Avenue de la Marne
F-59705 Marcq-En-Baroeul

Inlingua Marseille
33 Boulevard de la Liberté
F-13001 Marseille

Inlingua Metz
Espace Serpenoise
19, en Nouvellerue
F-57000 Metz

Inlingua Mulhouse
MBR Services Mulhouse
65, rue Jean Monnet
F-68200 Mulhouse

Inlingua Nancy
10, rue Mazagran
F-54000 Nancy

Inlingua Nantes
CAP OUEST Sat du Perray
2 bis rue Robert Le Ricolais
F-44300 Nantes cedex 04

Inlingua Orléans
2, rue de Patay
F-45000 Orléans

Inlingua Pau
86 Boulevard de la Paix
F-64000 Pau

Inlingua Rouen
8, rue Jean Rostand, BP 156
F-76144 Le Petit Quevilly CX

Inlingua Saint Jean-de-Luz
Espace Olano P.A. Jalday
F-64500 Saint Jean-de-Luz

Inlingua Saverne
Parc d'Activité La Licorne
10 rue d'Otterswiller
F-67700 Saverne

Inlingua Strasbourg
8, rue Hannong
F-67380 Lingolsheim

Inlingua Toulouse
Technoparc Basso Cambo
13, rue Paulin Talabot
F-31100 Toulouse

Inlingua Tours
Centre d'Affaires Axe
8, rue Honoré de Balzac
F-37000 Tours

Inlingua Valenciennes
Parc d'Activités de l'Aérodrome Ouest
rue Louis Duvant
F-59328 Valenciennes cedex

Click here for the soundtrack (the theme tune to the movie Jaws!)

Inspector McHammered of the Lard
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Saturday, February 10, 2007

Wall Street Institute, France


A few comments from happy employees of Wall Street, safely archived from the web for openers:

“You should clear about 11 euros an hour. That might hold you over till you find a real teaching job.”

“So they only pay 11 euros an hour, but you get to have "encounters" with the students? Shocked on company time or your own? Wink”

”Wall Street in my experience are just slick businessmen in suits and beneath all the clever marketing are basically cowboys. They regularly go bust around Europe (many recently in Spain and a few in France - Lyon, Paris, Rouen). Avoid them like the plague. ”

”Although I've never worked in one myself, I've yet to meet a former WS employee with a good word to say about them. I love their marketing on the metro: "98% pass rate" i.e. our own internal test. ”

”Calling Wall Street an 'Institute' is like calling McDonalds a 'RESTAURANT.'

”I see from their ads on the metro that you can take their diagnostic test absolutely FREE and without committing to a course. Now that's what I call a special offer!!! ”

”Does this mean WSI are now borrowing marketing techniques from the Scientologists and the Hare Krishnas? ”

”No, they are way better then Scientologists or 'would you like a free book' Krishnas. They don't call student's limited time with a teacher a lesson - it's an 'encounter.' Really. ”

Inspector McHammered of the Lard
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