EF, Explorica, Passports and the Dishonest Teachers

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EF, Explorica, Passports and the Dishonest Teachers

by Lorna Mail

Apr 18, 2010

I've travelled with all of those companies for 20 years. More and more I hear of many colleague teachers who do not tip the Tour Directors for the wonderful job they do! The most terrible cases are those teachers who collect the money from the students and they pocket most of it. This information is going around the world more and more among Tour Directors and Travel Companies with evidences. If some teachers are doing this, we should not be surprised that the reputation of Northamerican teachers is becoming what it is now!! This is mostly embarassing especially considering that we, teachers get so many benefits and stipends and advantages, that I will not mention here! So those teachers are destroying the reputation of many others who do this with passion. They steal the money of their students and the tip of their Tour Director. And this is a crime!! Lorna

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Rhoda Lott My name is Rhoda. As a teacher, back in 1983, I brought my high school students abroad for several years because I believed those educational tours could enrich and change their life and their perspective. They changed mine. A few years later I moved to a big city in Europe and I found a job as a Tour Director. I thought: "I have seen so many tour ...See MoreMy name is Rhoda. As a teacher, back in 1983, I brought my high school students abroad for several years because I believed those educational tours could enrich and change their life and their perspective. They changed mine. A few years later I moved to a big city in Europe and I found a job as a Tour Director. I thought: "I have seen so many tour guides, it does not seem difficult after all, I will travel for free and they even pay me! What a life!" How wrong! I had no idea how my life would change. I loved that job but I lost many of my friends, I was always on the road, I had lousy salaries with the promise of gratuities if I was good, I was constantly with the irrational fear of being evaluated negatively by some spoiled young students or by some unresolved personalities... I worked even for 18 hours a day!

Tips are today very important to me because my salary is basic and I have to rely on gratuities. I don't want them to be included. If my salary is higher, customers have paid for it, somewhat they have pre-paid their tips, either I am good or not. I have my basic salary, I know that I do my best to be an excellent guide and friend and teacher for all my travelers, my passion shows in any little detail I take care for, so I usually get generous tips. Usually. At times there are people that prefer to pocket my tip. Why? :-(

I know that today teachers get many more benefits that once I did not get. When I used to travel as a chaperon I just got my free place, that's all, and I was happy, I felt even privileged. At the end of my tours I felt proud when I could give our gratuities i had nicely collected from students to show our appreciation for our guide and our driver. I even gave my own personal tip! When I see how pampered teachers are today with prizes, free places for their family & friends, and cash, a lot of cash for each student enrolled....well, I say, good for them. They deserve that because preparing the tour (if they do it as I used to) takes a lot of energy. But they cannot become stingy when it comes to tips: if they collect a fixed amount from their students as gratuities, they must use that amount for that purpose they cannot pocket that money!. Were tips not given, they must return any unused amount to their students on completion of the tour. I know for sure they don't, students have told me.

Recently I have also heard from my colleagues horror stories of teachers who found any excuse at the end of a successful tour not to give their TD the right amount of tips collected, teachers pretending they had no money left on the last day, teachers who waited until the last minute to give that envelope in front of their students (but, sealed, it contained had much less than what students had put there. Not always, fortunately, but it happens more and more often. And do you know that even priests do that? Priests, yes :-( Religious tours, they collect per person, put everything in an envelope but they keep the most part. How sad, huh?

What can a TD do? Chaperons know that if they are good customers, no tour company will ever tell them anything. They should be ashamed because they are educators, specialists in the theory and practice of education. And the purpose of education is to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of students. Are those greedy teachers good examples?

Rhoda (never one of those teachers...)

On 4/28/10, Verity wrote:

> companies are not interested in protecting their guides. They > should imagine what it is like to be a professional guide on duty > 24 hours with the responsibility of a group of students and get > paid less than minimum wage. Waiters and waitresses are treated > better.

May 5, 2010

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Debbie Fremming On 4/28/10, Verity wrote: > Adam has made a good point about my ability to pick and choose. I > have been in the business a long time and so I have a lot of repeat > business. The company I started out with did not allow tipping at > all and paid us well, so I was spoiled. I can also negotiate my > contracts with many tour operators,...See MoreOn 4/28/10, Verity wrote: > Adam has made a good point about my ability to pick and choose. I > have been in the business a long time and so I have a lot of repeat > business. The company I started out with did not allow tipping at > all and paid us well, so I was spoiled. I can also negotiate my > contracts with many tour operators, especially if I am requested by > a group. New tour guides are not in the same position and > unfortunately, many good ones leave because they do not make enough > money. The tour companies should have the gratuities automatically > added into the trip and if the guide or bus driver does not do a > good job, they should be let go. One of my companies sends me a > separate check for the gratuity after the trip is completed and > they have received a good report. I've been reading a lot about > teachers complaining about their pay. Most of them are members of > unions which try to negotiate better contracts for them. We're > mostly independent contractors and working seasonally, but are > entirely at the mercy of the companies and the teachers. The > companies are not interested in protecting their guides. They > should imagine what it is like to be a professional guide on duty > 24 hours with the responsibility of a group of students and get > paid less than minimum wage. Waiters and waitresses are treated > better. > > On 4/24/10, Adam wrote: >> Its nice that Verity can pick and choose the tour company he (or >> she) works for, and settles only for those who pay a "decent daily >> fee." Unfortunately, in these troubles times, most of us cannot >> pick and choose companies and we have to go with the work that is >> offered. I agree with what both Verity and Lorna have to say. We >> work long hours, and as with any service industry, are at the >> mercy of the teachers for our tips. I believe that dishonest >> teachers are few and far between, but they are out there. I wish >> there was a way of letting the kids (and their parents) know that >> a tip was not received, especially when one was collected from >> them. I've been lucky to have worked with wonderful teachers who >> have been extremely generous with the tip and hopefully forums >> like this will educate and reinforce the need for gratuities to be >> given to reward hard work. >> >> >> On 4/20/10, Verity wrote: >>> I am a tour guide who has been 'stiffed' by many of my groups >>> and it is not due to the quality of my guiding. The tour >>> companies that tell the teachers to tip are paying us poorly >>> to begin with and our income is really based on the tips and >>> the number of people on the bus. Spending one to two weeks >>> 24/7 with a group, giving them the best service possible, and >>> then not getting anything, is disgusting. And you can't >>> complain to the companies because they don't care. The bus >>> drivers want us to bring groups to more souvenir stops to >>> make up some of the slack with commissions. I take pride in >>> my work so I now only work for companies that pay me a decent >>> daily fee, regardless of the number of people on the bus. But >>> believe me, it is not only with North American teachers >>> because this system was started by European companies for >>> European teachers. I was even fired by an Australian company >>> when I confronted an Aussie teacher, after a three week trip, >>> who gave no tip to either me or my bus driver and the teacher >>> said that she thought the tip was included, when it clearly >>> wasn't. >>> >>> On 4/18/10, Lorna Mail wrote: >>>> I've travelled with all of those companies for 20 years. >>>> More and more I hear of many colleague teachers who do not >>>> tip the Tour Directors for the wonderful job they do! The >>>> most terrible cases are those teachers who collect the >>>> money from the students and they pocket most of it. This >>>> information is going around the world more and more among >>>> Tour Directors and Travel Companies with evidences. If some >>>> teachers are doing this, we should not be surprised that >>>> the reputation of Northamerican teachers is becoming what >>>> it is now!! This is mostly embarassing especially >>>> considering that we, teachers get so many benefits and >>>> stipends and advantages, that I will not mention here! So >>>> those teachers are destroying the reputation of many others >>>> who do this with passion. They steal the money of their >>>> students and the tip of their Tour Director. And this is a >>>> crime!! >>>> Lorna

Oct 6, 2010

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Trish I work for L.E.A.D USA and we are a sponsor of Teachers.net. We understand that a tour director can make or break a trip! Tour director tips are always automatcially included in our trips. We find our teachers do not want to worry about if it is, how much they should tip, trying to collect it, it is done for them. We pay well therefore we have some...See MoreI work for L.E.A.D USA and we are a sponsor of Teachers.net. We understand that a tour director can make or break a trip! Tour director tips are always automatcially included in our trips. We find our teachers do not want to worry about if it is, how much they should tip, trying to collect it, it is done for them. We pay well therefore we have some of the best tour directors in the country!! We are also upfront about it so all of our clients know.

On 10/06/10, Debbie Fremming wrote: > On 4/28/10, Verity wrote: >> Adam has made a good point about my ability to pick and choose. I >> have been in the business a long time and so I have a lot of repeat >> business. The company I started out with did not allow tipping at >> all and paid us well, so I was spoiled. I can also negotiate my >> contracts with many tour operators, especially if I am requested by >> a group. New tour guides are not in the same position and >> unfortunately, many good ones leave because they do not make enough >> money. The tour companies should have the gratuities > automatically >> added into the trip and if the guide or bus driver does not > do a >> good job, they should be let go. One of my companies sends me > a >> separate check for the gratuity after the trip is completed and >> they have received a good report. I've been reading a lot about >> teachers complaining about their pay. Most of them are > members of >> unions which try to negotiate better contracts for them. We're >> mostly independent contractors and working seasonally, but are >> entirely at the mercy of the companies and the teachers. The >> companies are not interested in protecting their guides. They >> should imagine what it is like to be a professional guide on > duty >> 24 hours with the responsibility of a group of students and get >> paid less than minimum wage. Waiters and waitresses are treated >> better. >> >> On 4/24/10, Adam wrote: >>> Its nice that Verity can pick and choose the tour company he (or >>> she) works for, and settles only for those who pay a "decent daily >>> fee." Unfortunately, in these troubles times, most of us cannot >>> pick and choose companies and we have to go with the work that is >>> offered. I agree with what both Verity and Lorna have to say. We >>> work long hours, and as with any service industry, are at the >>> mercy of the teachers for our tips. I believe that dishonest >>> teachers are few and far between, but they are out there. I wish >>> there was a way of letting the kids (and their parents) know that >>> a tip was not received, especially when one was collected from >>> them. I've been lucky to have worked with wonderful teachers who >>> have been extremely generous with the tip and hopefully forums >>> like this will educate and reinforce the need for gratuities to be >>> given to reward hard work. >>> >>> >>> On 4/20/10, Verity wrote: >>>> I am a tour guide who has been 'stiffed' by many of my groups >>>> and it is not due to the quality of my guiding. The tour >>>> companies that tell the teachers to tip are paying us poorly >>>> to begin with and our income is really based on the tips and >>>> the number of people on the bus. Spending one to two weeks >>>> 24/7 with a group, giving them the best service possible, and >>>> then not getting anything, is disgusting. And you can't >>>> complain to the companies because they don't care. The bus >>>> drivers want us to bring groups to more souvenir stops to >>>> make up some of the slack with commissions. I take pride in >>>> my work so I now only work for companies that pay me a decent >>>> daily fee, regardless of the number of people on the bus. But >>>> believe me, it is not only with North American teachers >>>> because this system was started by European companies for >>>> European teachers. I was even fired by an Australian company >>>> when I confronted an Aussie teacher, after a three week trip, >>>> who gave no tip to either me or my bus driver and the teacher >>>> said that she thought the tip was included, when it clearly >>>> wasn't. >>>> >>>> On 4/18/10, Lorna Mail wrote: >>>>> I've travelled with all of those companies for 20 years. >>>>> More and more I hear of many colleague teachers who do not >>>>> tip the Tour Directors for the wonderful job they do! The >>>>> most terrible cases are those teachers who collect the >>>>> money from the students and they pocket most of it. This >>>>> information is going around the world more and more among >>>>> Tour Directors and Travel Companies with evidences. If some >>>>> teachers are doing this, we should not be surprised that >>>>> the reputation of Northamerican teachers is becoming what >>>>> it is now!! This is mostly embarassing especially >>>>> considering that we, teachers get so many benefits and >>>>> stipends and advantages, that I will not mention here! So >>>>> those teachers are destroying the reputation of many others >>>>> who do this with passion. They steal the money of their >>>>> students and the tip of their Tour Director. And this is a >>>>> crime!! >>>>> Lorna

Oct 15, 2010

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gail On 10/06/10, Debbie Fremming wrote: > On 4/28/10, Verity wrote: >> Adam has made a good point about my ability to pick and choose. I >> have been in the business a long time and so I have a lot of repeat >> business. The company I started out with did not allow tipping at >> all and paid us well, so I was spoiled. I can a...See MoreOn 10/06/10, Debbie Fremming wrote: > On 4/28/10, Verity wrote: >> Adam has made a good point about my ability to pick and choose. I >> have been in the business a long time and so I have a lot of repeat >> business. The company I started out with did not allow tipping at >> all and paid us well, so I was spoiled. I can also negotiate my >> contracts with many tour operators, especially if I am requested by >> a group. New tour guides are not in the same position and >> unfortunately, many good ones leave because they do not make enough >> money. The tour companies should have the gratuities > automatically >> added into the trip and if the guide or bus driver does not > do a >> good job, they should be let go. One of my companies sends me > a >> separate check for the gratuity after the trip is completed and >> they have received a good report. I've been reading a lot about >> teachers complaining about their pay. Most of them are > members of >> unions which try to negotiate better contracts for them. We're >> mostly independent contractors and working seasonally, but are >> entirely at the mercy of the companies and the teachers. The >> companies are not interested in protecting their guides. They >> should imagine what it is like to be a professional guide on > duty >> 24 hours with the responsibility of a group of students and get >> paid less than minimum wage. Waiters and waitresses are treated >> better. >> >> On 4/24/10, Adam wrote: >>> Its nice that Verity can pick and choose the tour company he (or >>> she) works for, and settles only for those who pay a "decent daily >>> fee." Unfortunately, in these troubles times, most of us cannot >>> pick and choose companies and we have to go with the work that is >>> offered. I agree with what both Verity and Lorna have to say. We >>> work long hours, and as with any service industry, are at the >>> mercy of the teachers for our tips. I believe that dishonest >>> teachers are few and far between, but they are out there. I wish >>> there was a way of letting the kids (and their parents) know that >>> a tip was not received, especially when one was collected from >>> them. I've been lucky to have worked with wonderful teachers who >>> have been extremely generous with the tip and hopefully forums >>> like this will educate and reinforce the need for gratuities to be >>> given to reward hard work. >>> >>> >>> On 4/20/10, Verity wrote: >>>> I am a tour guide who has been 'stiffed' by many of my groups >>>> and it is not due to the quality of my guiding. The tour >>>> companies that tell the teachers to tip are paying us poorly >>>> to begin with and our income is really based on the tips and >>>> the number of people on the bus. Spending one to two weeks >>>> 24/7 with a group, giving them the best service possible, and >>>> then not getting anything, is disgusting. And you can't >>>> complain to the companies because they don't care. The bus >>>> drivers want us to bring groups to more souvenir stops to >>>> make up some of the slack with commissions. I take pride in >>>> my work so I now only work for companies that pay me a decent >>>> daily fee, regardless of the number of people on the bus. But >>>> believe me, it is not only with North American teachers >>>> because this system was started by European companies for >>>> European teachers. I was even fired by an Australian company >>>> when I confronted an Aussie teacher, after a three week trip, >>>> who gave no tip to either me or my bus driver and the teacher >>>> said that she thought the tip was included, when it clearly >>>> wasn't. >>>> >>>> On 4/18/10, Lorna Mail wrote: >>>>> I've travelled with all of those companies for 20 years. >>>>> More and more I hear of many colleague teachers who do not >>>>> tip the Tour Directors for the wonderful job they do! The >>>>> most terrible cases are those teachers who collect the >>>>> money from the students and they pocket most of it. This >>>>> information is going around the world more and more among >>>>> Tour Directors and Travel Companies with evidences. If some >>>>> teachers are doing this, we should not be surprised that >>>>> the reputation of Northamerican teachers is becoming what >>>>> it is now!! This is mostly embarassing especially >>>>> considering that we, teachers get so many benefits and >>>>> stipends and advantages, that I will not mention here! So >>>>> those teachers are destroying the reputation of many others >>>>> who do this with passion. They steal the money of their >>>>> students and the tip of their Tour Director. And this is a >>>>> crime!! >>>>> Lorna

There is a travel company that will add the school and the teacher to their liability insurance so you are covered and so is the school. The travel programs are really educational. They will also pay the teacher a 500.00 bonus at time of travel for spring deposits and bill the parents individually on payment plan through the summer. If you would like more information please email me. [email removed].

Jan 2, 2011

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alberto casanova On 4/18/10, Lorna Mail wrote: > I've travelled with all of those companies for 20 years. > More and more I hear of many colleague teachers who do not > tip the Tour Directors for the wonderful job they do! The > most terrible cases are those teachers who collect the > money from the students and they pocket most of it. This > info...See More

Mar 17, 2011

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