Florian, where does your certainty about EF Xi'an come from? If that's beyond any reasonable doubt, you'll prove it in your next post, won't you? Facts supported by your own experiences would be appreciated. I know it's difficult to say where you are working or have worked before due to these jungle boys on forums, but if you don't, your certainty is to be doubtful.

The fact is that the EF English First franchisors have before attempted the idea of the Macdonalds international chain or, as you say, the reputable international ..blah blah blah thing, however, they have shamefully failed. What's true is that the EF centers' layout, course books, and as I have previously mentioned EF contractual agreements have been uniformly carried out/adhered to in many local centers. What I have also seen is that the local EF centers' ambitious staff memebers that have shown loyalty to local employers/management have gotten their wishes (up the ladder) come true. I'd agree with you on all that.

However, the fact also is that the EF franchisors failed greatly to carry out their products in a uniformed manner overall and to protect their franchisees' employees. The methods their local centers have been using are CERTAINLY not western, and then their wishful hamburgers and potato chips are not coming out as uniformly as the franchisors have dreamed. Most importantly, the franchisees have not come out as the greatly successful EF franchisors' marketers have hoped for, and so they've bent over to the local sharks with filthy money. Some of these corrupt farts have even joined local mamagement courses after they became EF owners and that to show they are educated. :)

So, it's not that this is an international operation with such a great structure and integrity and with fine deep friers that provide the same product everywhere, but this is an international operation with the ones that have deep pockets and for the ones that have deep pockets as well. Remember that dirty money has to be washed somewhere. What a way to do it in an international educational operation. :LOL

As for EF Xi'an, one center there had a disturbing trend, when I worked for EF. The alarming high turnover was one thing, and then the center's DoS's attitude was another.

Cheers and beers