C'est la règle d'or de beaucoup d'entreprises américaines, mais je suis franchement étonnée que cette expression existe même en français. Ici en France, on a plutôt l'impression que le client est le fléau (mot du jour) de l'existence des employés. J'adore ce pays, mais je dois admettre que très souvent, ils ne s'intéressent guère aux clients et ne font pas plus que le minimum pour répondre à leurs besoins. Le gouvernement français fait des efforts pour convaincre les fonctionnaires qu'ils travaillent au service du public, mais il y en a certains qui ne l'avalent pas. D'après une amie française, la Poste est le dernier secteur à tenir bon contre cette initiative, et c'est vrai qu'on peut passer de très mauvais moments là-bas.
J'ai récemment appris que la Poste française propose un tarif préférentiel pour envoyer des livres à l'étranger. Pourtant, la plupart des employés ne le connaissent pas, ou du moins ne veulent pas l'admettre. Quand j'y vais avec des livres destinés aux USA, c'est un peu comme la roulette russe - il faut éviter le monsieur qui a prétendu que le tarif n'existe pas, et la blonde qui a insisté pour que les livres soient emballés dans du plastique transparent. Où est la dame qui m'a aidée la dernière fois ? Elle ne travaille pas aujourd'hui, donc je vais devoir revenir demain.
(Pourquoi dois-je envoyer autant de livres aux USA ? Je suis inscrite dans BookMooch, un club d'échange de livres international. J'envoie des livres dont je n'ai plus envie, et j'en reçois gratuitement d'autres que je veux. Ça marche très bien.)
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English translation Please scroll down for the side-by-side translation.
The customer is king
It's the golden rule of a lot of American companies, but I'm frankly astonished that this expression even exists in French. Here in France, you tend to get the impression that the customer is the bane of employees' existence. I love this country, but I have to admit that very often they hardly care about customers and don't do more than the minimum to respond to their needs. The French governement is trying to convince civil servants that they are working for the public, but there are some that aren't buying it. According to a French friend, the post office is the last hold-out against this initiative, and it's true that you can have a very bad time there.
I recently learned that the French post office offers a discounted rate to send books overseas. However, most employees don't know about it, or at least don't want to admit it. When I go there with books for the US, ít's a bit like Russian roulette - I have to avoid the man who claimed the rate didn't exist, and the blond woman who insisted that the books be wrapped in clear plastic. Where's the woman who helped me last time? She doesn't work today, so I'll have to come back tomorrow.
(Why do I have to send so many books to the US? I'm a member of BookMooch, an international book exchange club. I send books I don't want any more, and I receive free ones that I do want. It works very well.)
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Side-by-side translation
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Le client est roi C'est la règle d'or de beaucoup d'entreprises américaines, mais je suis franchement étonnée que cette expression existe même en français. Ici en France, on a plutôt l'impression que le client est le fléau (mot du jour) de l'existence des employés. J'adore ce pays, mais je dois admettre que très souvent, ils ne s'intéressent guère aux clients et ne font pas plus que le minimum pour répondre à leurs besoins. Le gouvernement français fait des efforts pour convaincre les fonctionnaires qu'ils travaillent au service du public, mais il y en a certains qui ne l'avalent pas. D'après une amie française, la Poste est le dernier secteur à tenir bon contre cette initiative, et c'est vrai qu'on peut passer de très mauvais moments là-bas. J'ai récemment appris que la Poste française propose un tarif préférentiel pour envoyer des livres à l'étranger. Pourtant, la plupart des employés ne le connaissent pas, ou du moins ne veulent pas l'admettre. Quand j'y vais avec des livres destinés aux USA, c'est un peu comme la roulette russe - il faut éviter le monsieur qui a prétendu que le tarif n'existe pas, et la blonde qui a insisté pour que les livres soient emballés dans du plastique transparent. Où est la dame qui m'a aidée la dernière fois ? Elle ne travaille pas aujourd'hui, donc je vais devoir revenir demain. (Pourquoi dois-je envoyer autant de livres aux USA ? Je suis inscrite dans BookMooch, un club d'échange de livres international. J'envoie des livres dont je n'ai plus envie, et j'en reçois gratuitement d'autres que je veux. Ça marche très bien.) |
The customer is king It's the golden rule of a lot of American companies, but I'm frankly astonished that this expression even exists in French. Here in France, you tend to get the impression that the customer is the bane of employees' existence. I love this country, but I have to admit that very often they hardly care about customers and don't do more than the minimum to respond to their needs. The French governement is trying to convince civil servants that they are working for the public, but there are some that aren't buying it. According to a French friend, the post office is the last hold-out against this initiative, and it's true that you can have a very bad time there. I recently learned that the French post office offers a discounted rate to send books overseas. However, most employees don't know about it, or at least don't want to admit it. When I go there with books for the US, ít's a bit like Russian roulette - I have to avoid the man who claimed the rate didn't exist, and the blond woman who insisted that the books be wrapped in clear plastic. Where's the woman who helped me last time? She doesn't work today, so I'll have to come back tomorrow. (Why do I have to send so many books to the US? I'm a member of BookMooch, an international book exchange club. I send books I don't want any more, and I receive free ones that I do want. It works very well.) |
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Comments
I think that attitude is prevalent in public sector workers everywhere. On a slightly different note, in the UK a Minister had to resign after 18 days when it was found that he was paying rent for a homosexual “partner” out of expenses; i.e., he was stealing public funds. The Prime Minister accepted his resignation and said he was an honourable man. I don’t think he’ll go to prison.
En France le CONSOMMATEUR est roi…. pas le client.
Malgre que je suis amateur de la France, je suis d’accord avec vous.
I live in France and enjoy the overall politesse; however la Poste is almost the worst example of trial by government workers. I buy and print my postage stamps through the Poste’s website. I have been told by servers they are not valid and after much discussion she agreed to ask a superior. Having then been told they were ok she didnt apologise. However, she is otherwise always pleasant and cheery. However, the worst and most infamous of all is a server in the department for driving licences in Limoges. She will send you back for something you missed out, then next time will find something else you dont have and so on. Whereas one of her colleageus will give you a slip of paper listing what is required! Quelle horreur!
Do you happen to have a link to the part of La Poste’s website that talks about this special rate to send book abroad?
Our village post office is now run by the mairie and the young girl has no idea at all. So we all go
to the next small town, where the same thing is due to happen. We have a wonderful lady who has worked there for 25 years and is very knowledgable and helpful. La Poste is offering money to small communities to get rid of their post offices, much to the detriment of their residents. If we have a registered letter we will soon have to go to Cluny,15 kms away, to claim it. La Poste will not leave a registered item in a community post office!
My worst experience by far has been with la Caisse Maladie, whiose sole existence seems to be make you ill! If they make a mistake, there is no mechanism for putting it right other than starting the whole process again.No matter how long you have waited. I have never spoken to anyone who hs a good word for them.
I have more of a problem with rudeness in the U.S. than I ever had in France. Thanks for the Bookmooch.com tip.
It also exists here in Trinidad. I sometimes think that I have to say sorry before I ask for something, it can be in a food place, the grocery stores, the boutiques, the hotels, the restaurants you name it. They can be very rude, they will be playing their hair or chatting with their friends. It’s very bad!
The American Post Office service is–apparently similar to the French–not only inept, not helpful, as well as rude and unpleasant, but is operated at a $2 billion dollar a year loss!
…des livres internationaux.
Ma mère travaille à la Poste. Même si il faut reconnaitre que certains employés s’y soucient peu des clients, je pense quand même qu’il s’agit d’une minorité.
Et il faut dire aussi qu’ils sont confrontés à des clients (une minorité aussi) qui pensent que tout leur est dû et qui parlent aux agents de la Poste comme à des chiens.
I learned one of my favorite phrases at the post office near la gare Montparnasse in Paris. I don’t know what the customer in front of me had done, but all of the sudden the postal worker was yelling at him “ça n’ va pas la tête!?
It’s not just La Poste. I recently walked out of a Patisserie in Bordeaux because the lady serving me was so rude. She was also the owner of the shop and I am constantly surprised by this basic lack of commercial common sense I see in France. Treat your customers with respect and make their visit a pleasant one and they will return. Treat them with contempt and they will shop elsewhere. Like you Laura, I love the country and I have a lot of family in France but I dearly wish they could address their abysmal customer service.
Bravo! Je suis d’accord. It was a shock when I first came to France to find out that I have no consumer rights and that the client is often an unwelcome irritant who can keep his custom and his tiresome money. But once you relax and accept it, it’s fine; the worst thing you can do is keep getting worked up about it.
(By the way, I now understand the frustration that many Americans feel when they come to live in the UK – and I never thought I’d say that!)
Mais c’est comme en Angleterre! I think it depends where you are.The patron of a bar/brasserie where we holiday in Normandie (a place we love) could not be more helpful – en fait,he bends over backwards to help.But in the bigger shops the service is not always as it should be.But it is just the same here in England,some assistants are lovely,some surly.But as one of the dreaded ( much maligned?) Post Office staff,I have to say that some customers could be more pleasant.Do unto others as you would be done by – is there a similar French saying,I wonder?
Le client n’est pas toujours roi aux Etats-Unis. NYC a beaucoup en commun avec France dans ce domain.
Pour cette raison, je me sens chez moi a Paris
Je bien comprend la frustration de Laura, meme si je ne vis pas en France. Quand je voyage a travers les Etats-Unis ca me rappelle que tel service agreable existe toujours.
While I agree that cordial service is very lacking in France, my observation as a non-caucasian is that at least the French are equally rude to everyone, whereas in many other western countries the rudeness is reserved more for non-whites.
It is my standing joke that the next time I want to upgrade my computer, I will go to translation software, type in “the customer is always right” click: translate to French and watch my laptop blowup.
I recently discovered this website and must thank you Laura so much for all the great work she puts into it. It is really helping me pick up French which I am trying to learn. I love the side by side French-English translations and hope will be seeing more of the same soon!
I completely agree with Laura. It became a routine to go through the pourchased items after you are leaving the supermarket, and can admit that it became a custom to people who live in France and francophone part of Belgium. (You could see each second person studying the bill while walking out of supermarket
And if you are lucky and noticed something wrong in the bill: voila! you just go to customer service and trying to explain the situation. If you are lucky enough (I mean personnel is kind enough to understand you) you will be reimboursed.
So, it’s one of the reason I started to learn French. It’s my second year here in Belgium and I could see slow but steady progress on my french language skills. Knowing that English is not my native language, is the great opportunity to have an extra classes in French and to get deeeper in English.
Laura, thank you so much for these lessons and the interestin topics! Keep on moving!
Chère Laura,
When you encounter those bad manners, tell yourself “they don’t know any better”, don’t let it get you upset it’s not worse it……..
Enjoy yourself and peace to you,
Adieu,
Jacqueline
Fabulous article about this issue…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2005/jan/23/france.observerescapesection3
Very funny and some good tips from Stephen Clarke.
Here’s another interesting take, considering the French Revolution angle…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8500246.stm
le client est roi mais pas dieu.L’esclavage est abolie. Ne vous faite pas emporter par des termes bete.
Well, my 19 year old nephew was over in the UK for 9 months with us from Sydney (Oz) and said to me at the end of his stay, that he thought they didnt really understand the concept of customer service in the UK. So, there you go!