Is France going to lose a portion of their current generation?

STACY....Wow,,,3 times can hardly be a typo . So sorry. But I capitalized the S each time so it was a name and pretty close. Just yesterday in conversation I was referring to that very goodlooking actor and couldn't think of his name. I said "You know, his aunt was the famous singer who died recently".So George Clooney was one of my senior moments.

Al, although I probably am indeed spacy at times, I'm hoping that was just a typo of some sort.

Anyway, to continue our discussion:

The day after I posted last, I had lunch with different people who were discussing the process of setting up small businesses in France and how complicated it can be. One of the things mentioned was that the requirements can change according to the people you deal with. One gentleman was told that in order to transfer his professional credentials from another country, he was required to do A, B, and C -- which he did, even though it involved considerable time and expense on his part. With proof of having accomplished that in his hand, he went back, but this time he saw a different person who said no, that's not acceptable. I think some of our expats here have experienced this sort of thing when dealing with administrative issues. Not only do the rules themselves officially change from time to time, but they also seem to change arbitrarily depending on the employee. Needless to say, this doesn't make setting up a business any easier.

Al mentioned the level of customer service he's experienced in the US, which also got me thinking about some of the differences between the countries. In the US, we have a greater tendency toward individual accountability. This shows up everywhere from "Hi, I'm John and I'll be your waiter this evening" to store employees who wear nametags and phone representatives whose calls are monitored for quality. When we have a problem in the US, we note the employee's name and, if necessary, move up to the supervisor, etc., and we document everything. "Hi, I called yesterday and spoke with Joe Jones about my account, and he said..."

In France, on the other hand, the individual tends to disappear in the workplace. Employees don't wear nametags or give their names. If you have a problem with them, you won't get their name, and if you escalate things to speak with a supervisor you won't get a name there, either. If you contact them by email, the person who responds often does so without identifying himself or herself. (I sometimes jokingly refer to this as the Cult of the Anonymous, which also shows up in apartment buildings where the floors aren't numbered and no names or numbers are displayed on the doors--the privacy of the individual seems to take precedence over all else). In addition, customer service doesn't have the same importance here.

Finally, for a lot of young French people, especially those who have traveled or are creative or ambitious, the rigidity of the French workplace just isn't a good fit. From what I've been told, it tends to be a structured environment with strict social rules and boundaries. It's not surprising that those people would look beyond the French borders for work opportunities better suited to them.

I have found for the past few years that all government phone agents have been kind, proper and very relaxed in dealing with people whether the problems are heavy or not. This in big contrast to their practice before then.The same with all public service facilities.

Al - that's an interesting observation. Perhaps it's also indicative that there's been so much out sourcing of services that people want to keep their jobs.

I am not referring to the IRS's phone bank. I suspect they're trying to avert hearing tears and angry people.

I almost think it is not just the regulations and system. I think it is also people with menial positions who discover they have the power to create havoc. It is interesting to note the change in the US in areas like phoning the IRS or most any customer relations depts of any big company or government agency. The inqueries of the phone connections start off with the announcement that the call could be listened to to make sure that responses to inqueries are proper and polite. I have made calls to the IRS with a feeling of total disbelief in how nice and polite they are and how they go out of their way to help with problems. I think the problem is one of attitude as well as the other factors.

Mar 15 2008, 04:09 PM Post #4





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Stacy....perhaps you are right about where the subject should be posted but I thought we were in the right area which was on the subject of bureaucratic France and people who might not otherwise readily get the connection. Too many of us are in love with love when it comes to how wonderful it is with what France has to offer without realizing the consequences of things that they normally don't have to live with. I would have thought there were conversations like you had today and that was what I was trying to find out. I have heard so many stories from expats on this subject. Al

Al -- Here is Stacy's response:






thank you for your patience.

KAREN what is missing is Spacy"s addition to this post that makes it all so meaningfull. Without Spacy's posting it is very easy to ignore what we are trying to say. Please add Spacy's postng.And most important my response to Spacy.

Posted by Al: