Not if he shops at Carrefour he isn’t.
This month Carrefour had an offer on Grundig kitchen appliances – save up the stickers: the more you spend, the more of these little things you get and then you exchange them for 60% off. Always on the lookout for sturdy kitchen gadgets for the gites I duly saved them up and stuck them on the sheet.
The offending sheet
The first time I tried to exchange one of my sheets (I have several-goodness knows why but in spite of ourselves we tend to be loyal to Carrefour) the cashier pointed out, quite abruptly, that I had stuck them on the wrong sheet. I pointed out, not at all abruptly, that you could use any sheet for any article in the collection. It’s clearly written there. She didn’t like that one bit but I only got a muffled ‘Huh…’ accompanied by the Gallic shrug.
I have come to learn that the French don’t like being told they’re wrong. Or maybe it’s just this little bit of France, or maybe even it’s just those who work for large multiple chain-stores…I suspect it’s the former. Stephen Clarke wrote a very amusing book about this subject – ”Talk to the Snail”. So right in so many ways and a very witty read!
The first chapter “Thou shalt be wrong (if you’re not French)” sums up perfectly what I’m talking about. Especially the bit about the post office – I’ve been in that exact situation myself & it’s all true. But, I’m digressing…
Talk to the Snail - a witty read by Stephen Clarke
This week I didn’t get off so lightly.
Same scenario, different Carrefour.
”You’ve filled in the wrong sheet”, says she. VERY abruptly.
”No, I haven’t”, I replied. “It says here quite clearly…blah blah blah.”
She didn’t take kindly to this at all and went to full ticking-off mode. ”No, I have to scan the bar code to process the discount and you’ve used the wrong sheet”, says she, staring, nay glaring at me, her whole body language now poised for a fight.
”No, I haven’t”, I reiterated. ”It says here, blah blah blah…”
Clearly now exasperated, she huffed and puffed and produced the very bar code she needed to scan from a book, RIGHT BESIDE HER TILL. Unbelievably she added : ”Look, I have to scan this in order for you to get the discount, because otherwise you pay the full price. If you had used the right sheet it could have been so much easier.”(Easier for her of course, not me.)
By now a queue had formed and they were all listening to our debate. I rose to the occasion, employing my best French.
”Oh, I see, maybe you should just scan that one then. I’m so sorry ”, I simpered. ”I can see I’ve put you to far too much trouble.”
She smiled sweetly, totally oblivious to the heavy sarcasm that was oozing out from the gaps between my gritted teeth. As far as she was concerned she’d won the battle.
The sarcasm wasn’t lost on the elderly lady who was next in the queue though -she smiled at me discreetly with just a hint of French solidarity for my predicament twinkling in her eyes.
I could write a book on bad customer service here – it’s my bête noir. Don’t get me wrong-you can find great service-usually in smaller interdependently owned places where the owner is around and even more so if you remember to precede everything with ”Bonjour” and end everything with ”Bon fin de …l’après-midi, soirée, weekend” or whatever suits & follow a strict protocol of never, ever insinuating that they are wrong.
Please note that I’m not having a go at the French here – just making a general observation based on 6 years of living here.
They certainly don’t believe the customer is always right. It’s not in their psyche. And they let you know it.They let Stephen Clarke know it too. And maybe that’s the key – it’s not in their psyche.
Maybe best get me off my soap box – rant over! Vive la difference.
PS: to our guests-don’t worry about all of this. You won’t notice it on holiday …we didn’t !!