I felt the same when I first came to Canada. I still hate when waiters ask “so, is everything alright?” because my mouth is always full, and as soon as they ask they leave anyway, so you barely have time to reply anything anyway. Sure, service in French restaurants can be long yet you have time to enjoy a meal, I also didn’t like when waiters clear the plates as soon as you put your fork down. This would be so impolite in France!

I also agree, call centers are better in North America, more efficient for sure, plus the call is free.

I find it very rude when people, Americans, English whatever expect people to speak English everywhere. Not only it’s rude but it’s also stupid

This is also so true: “French need to stop thinking they are the smartest people in the world and Americans need to stop thinking they are THE ONLY people in the world.” Love the way you put it!

Thank you again for taking the time to share your opinion. You should write more about your life in the U.S.A, you can obviously write well

Also…I was VERY irritated by the “babysitting” type service I was getting in restaurants. Waiters coming to our table 2 minutes after dropping our food and asking if the food was good when I had a full mouth and my personal conversation with my friend was interrupted. They would come over at our table an average of 5 times per meal to ask if everything was still all right and if I needed anything else, I felt like I was having dinner with the staff.

AND I absolutely HATE the way American waiters will try to get the plates out of your way and ask you if you are done…if there is still food on the plate(food I just purchased!) don’t even ask… it is still mine and why do I have to answer so many questions and why are they not waiting for me to be checked out before cleaning my table????I feel presure to leave the place for some one else so they can run more table/money in a given evening!

As far as my experience goes, I prefer French customer service when it comes to restaurants and that even after 12 years, I found the service in the states extremelly rude and can see that the only purpouse is to make money, regardless of this fact of life, the client should not feel it at almost every bite! Actually, if you go to a fancy restaurant in the States still, you will notice that the waiters are available and reachable with a simple hand wave… but wont pester you or try to get you out of there fast by cleaning your table as you leen back… which to me, prove that it is a more proper way to wait and serve.

As far as call centers or counter services…I find the American customer service being much much more friendly and efficient and after 12 years in the states and 22 years in Canada, I can say that most of those type transactions were without a doubt MUCH more enjoyable in the United States and horrible in Canada.

It is not the first time I read that French CS is treating people like “shit” and I find that to be a radical statement, it is important as a growing human being mostly if traveling the world, to realize that it might be seen rude to YOU but that your way to see thing might be seen as rude to them when they come in your country.

I can’t start listing all the things that I hated about Mexico and the way they treat tourist sometimes, but I keep going back for more and realize that it is their country and if I do not respect their culture I should retrain myself from going back.

Yes, French can seem rude and sometime are, I believe I am rude in some occasions…this said American are renown for being rude and that arround the world..thinking they are king everywhere they go and expect that the world should speak English…

I travel to Quebec once with an American co-worker to visit business and sell our service. I was there to translate to French…the American sales rep. walked out of one of the business and said: what kind of morons does not speak English” than I said…here is the very reason Quebecors do not have much respect for Americans, nothing says WE HAVE to speak English, and I was one of those “morons” just a few years ago and was doing just fine, living with them and doing just fine in our little French province, everyone went to work/school, ate and raised kids.

French need to stop thinking they are the smartest people in the world and Americans need to stop thinking they are THE ONLY people in the world.

That’s only my opinion but although I am French, I have lived in both American and French culture, and saw the good and the bad and to my opinion they are equal in both parties…and frankly I can accept being called a snob from being French and believe that yes I use to be and still might be a little but I refuse to be called rude…When I go to Mexico, I scrape the little Spanish that I have to communicate to them in their language out of respect..because I know that this is one of the main reason French Canadian resent Americans, most American ( not all) wont even learn how to say hello or thank you in French…these are little tiny efforts that makes a world of difference.

This said, it is only my opinion…

Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I am trying to improve everyday by writing, which I just did!

@barbara — These phone lines are the worse. I was so happy when I discovered 1–800 numbers in Canada… it’s just so much easier!

Some “family businesses” are very friendly in France. Yet it is true that it’s kind of a culture shock for me to adapt to French customer service when I go visit France!

@Crikette — Yep, it is never perfect… I do admit the perkiness annoys me sometimes here.

@London Caller — Yep, “roi”, “royal” “royaume” (kingdom)… Are customers actually “God” in Japan? That would explain the great customer service, I’ve heard it was insane!

@Seraphine — ring, koi… I’m making up my own words

@Seb — Paris is definitely the worst in terms of customer service. I have low expectation, so that when I go there, I’m not disappointed!

@Kirsten — Well, on the other side, you can’t go wrong with crêpes

I’ve gotten used to friendly customer service. It really makes a difference. I remember shopping at a Walmart a little while back and the lady working at the checkout was so grumpy and unhappy, complaining to me about her job, that I never wanted to go back. I felt bad for her and her work environment. It seemed awful.
.-= Seb´s last blog ..Mon petit dejeuner. =-.

So the customer is a “King” in French?
In Japanese, the customer is “God”. Ha ha… Maybe that’s why customer service is so fucking unbelievably good in Japan. They’re programmed to bow at you even if you don’t buy anything!

Re: Birthplace of Cheddar Cheese / 车大芝士的发源地 / Tempat Lahir Keju Cheddar / チェダーチーズの発祥地

Ha ha… I want to go to Condom.
Did you also know that there’s a place called Fucking in Austria?! Crazy German language!? Ha ha…
.-= London Caller´s last blog ..Spring in summer / 夏天的泉水 / Mata air pada musim panas / 夏の泉 =-.

I got to know both ways of each country, it’ not perfect !

Unefortuanetle, I think money is the key issue of the problem.

Take care
.-= Crikette´s last blog ..Märsi …pour lui, Merci aux restos du Coeur. =-.