Could it be that they know that they are secure in their jobs and know full well that most of the French will stand in line and complain, but not go to customer service.
Mind you I have been to customer service in Macon Carrefour, but they say that management do not listen when they pass on any comments from customers.
ATAC in Cluny have a comments book.
Another thing i really hate about supermarkets, especially the bigger ones is that the customers seem to be presumed guilty and have to prove their innocence by showing the inside of their bags to the cashier.
The first time this happened to me at Leclerc in Auch i was actually horrified and refused point blank. She wasn't very happy but took it no further. Maybe it's my bolshy side or maybe it's the ex police officer in me but in my mind it's innocent till proven guilty and to see the french all dutifully lifting their bags up for the cashier to look in to prove their innocence really makes my blood boil.
Sadly, James, it's not just in Carrefour. I've experienced much rudeness from check out staff in Leclerc Bergerac (many times) Intermarche Mussidan, Auchan Perigueux (although they have improved in the last year). Would love to get my hands on the 'direction' in charge of customer relations as this essential part of retailing seems to be none existent in some stores. They could do with some of the staff trainers from Tesco to come over here and give them a shake up. Certainly the 'one customer in front queue policy' doesn't happen here and it's frequently 'service without a smile'. Our local Super U in Mussidan is the exception though, all the staff are polite and friendly - maybe because it's a small store and a very friendly manager.
When ever I am in the UK or America I never see a disgruntled check out operator, as they know if they are unable to do their jobs there is all ways some one else ready to do it. the pay will be around 10 euros an hour. Most French people are servient and are not taught how to be polite, it has been bread into them for generations, it will change but very slowly.
I agree with Catharine's point BUT our French friends remedy this by using small shops, especially 'producer' outlets, and markets. That is great for those who can afford to do that, in terms of time and money.
The Russian friend point is good too. I have been in supermarkets in Thailand and Japan where they all but fall over you to give service, in China where nobody seemed to know what to do, Georgia where alcohol was packed in but find a bag of sugar, Peru where they only took US dollars, etc. There is no 'norm' and surprisingly few countries seem to have imitated the USA where supermarkets were born although, as I would understand it, the owners have the same aspiration to become excessively rich.
have had a couple of terrible experiences here, but mainly store staff are ok but could be better. There are a select few who are lovely and I try and get in their queue each time because I think it's worth the wait. One woman in Gamme Vert in Mirepoix is anti-English speakers. I spoke in very polite french to her but she turned her head away - so I said even louder - Madame, I wished you a good day!
I think that most of the sour or bad-tempered ones probably feel they are worth more (no idea what their salary is) and therefore don't do a very good job. Barbara is probably right too - there might be pressure to process a certain number of people per hour or shift.
Perhaps I should challenge the owner of LeClerc in Limoux to offer me a job and see how much more the customers will buy if they are served by helpful and happy staff?
Visited Russia on several occasions, found that a bottle of very good vodka cost a couple of dollars, a pack of cigarettes was a dollar and a loaf of bread was nearly two dollars when there was some on the shelf.
for things to change people have to complain.
We've got 4 supermarkets near us, which is great. The main thing that we have a gripe with is; we had to make a regular habit of always checking our receipts as every second one is wrong, and usually in their favour. Lydl is the main culprit. The tills often don't say the same as the tickets.
The French are starting to change in terms of their expectations I think. All / most of my French friends rant about this kind of thing on a regular basis but then they tend to have travelled / lived outside of France and thus been exposed to a different way of doing things.
Mind you, my Russian friend Sasha pointed out yesterday that from her perspective, customer service esp. in terms of "functionaires" in France is a breeze compared to the USSR - so I guess it is all relative!
Oooh Simon don't, how wonderful would that be.
All it will take is for Tesco to sort their finances out and jump across the channel. Just imagine a Tesco with helpful staff all the big local supermarkets will soon change their standards.
The main problem is with the french customers, they just accept what is put in front of them and live with it as they have been doing for centuries, it is really only the British and Americans who kick up a fuss about poor customer service. If you ask for the store manager straight away you will find service will improve. But the French need to complain as well.
How can we change things Catherine?
Having said that may I say that most of the time our check out ladies (where we shop)
seem to be happy enough.Are we not being a little over fussy?
And, perhaps there are rules for check out people to follow....
Had a really negative experience in Leroy Merlin at Pau yesterday. Do the sour, unhelpful store staff not see the threat hanging over them from online businesses?
We have a smallish Casino nearby. The couple who run it are always willing to put themselves out to help, to go to look for stuff not on shelves, take suggestions for stock and more. The butcher is brilliant, is definitely the most helpful and honest of all butchers in town. It's not just we foreigners who say this but quite a few locals. The big problem is that a lot of people use the bigger Intermarché without second thought but a small supermarket is beneath them and far more people than is believable will happily have 'their throats cut' by the other butchers where they don't even get a cheerful service. It all defeats me why it is this way. I was in the big LeClerc in Bergerac yesterday morning and of the I guess about 40 tills only half a dozen were open and the staff on them were in foul moods from their faces. I had to go to GiFi as well. One till open, the cashier doubling by cleaning and could see me waiting at her till. After three or four minutes she drifted over and moodily dealt with me. 'Service with a smile' - almost entirely unknown here.
Aha but we CAN change it. And will do eventually :)
Nope but then I'm not French. However, no point getting stressed about it, you can't change it so you have to accept it or risk getting apoplectic all the time, which is not why we're here. I'm here for a better quality of life and try to accept the maxim 'God give me the strength to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I can't and the wisdom to know the difference'!
Ha ha! I bought something today from Simply, it cost just over 4 euros. I gave her 5 euros. She asked me for the correct change and when I said I couldnt help she looked disgusted with me and moaned. Eventually some coins turned up and I was sent on my way. Shocking attitude, and I feel sorry for them as they are obviously in the wrong job.
Hi James - Cora have a supermarket a few miles up the motorway from here - they have several well signed dedicated checkouts for holders of their own Cora cards. It is not part of the French pysche to own credit cards and part of the reason for that, is that French banks are killing the golden goose by charging an extortionate annual fee to have one. So in desperation, compagnies like Cora have to offer an additional perk - in the form of checkout operators - paid to do nothing most of the time. Mad!
well, there are usually around 40 or more cash desks at the average "big" carrefour, some are reserved for baskets only, others for disabled or pregnant people, others for catre bleu only, they also have self service cash desks if you want to "beep" your own shopping, and they have carte passe only... I reckon there are plenty to choose from, and they are all clearly identified so it is easy to know which to use...
It never fails to amaze me how badly the French supermarkets treat their customers.
What amazes me even more is that people put up with it. (by people, i mean the French, as a foreigner it's not really my place to say is it)
Customer service has yet to be invented in French supermarkets and i must admit it is my biggest gripe about living here. I've left my shopping in Lidl in the past and walked out, because of the staff pushing past massive queues of customers and continuing to clean the floor rather than open another checkout.
Although, i went into Mr Bricolage in Auch today and was told which shop to go to (other than them) to get my paint in bigger tins and cheaper by an extremely helpful man. I have to say the staff in Mr Bricolage could teach the staff in the supermarkets a lot about customer care.