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free to listen. (Remember to say
Bonjour, M...
to the next
person too.)
If you get that pained 'Oh-god-what-awful-language-is-she-
speaking?' grimace, try repeating your question a different
way. Quietly. They aren't deaf, they just don't recognise
your accent.
If you have to, show the word from the dictionary to the
store clerk. That should do it. “Ah, this person really wants
my professional help!” they will conclude. “She's even
willing to struggle with her pathetic French. So THAT is
what she wants. Let me help the poor thing.” The French
do have a code of honour that doesn't allow them to stand
by when someone is really suffering. I've also found the
older the employee, the more helpful they will try to be...
probably because they own the place.
In general, the ways to get through to people in public services in
France are:
Start with
Bonjour, Monsieur
or
Madame
Be patient
Be sincere but not ingratiating
Study the vocabulary you need in advance
Respect the person's expertise and ask for it
Try to establish an intelligent conclusion to the dialogue
If you are stuck with a surly young lady who clearly failed
her English exams, and she abruptly turns away from your
query with a '
non
', thank her back politely (you can maintain
your dignity if she can't) and go i nd someone else. Or
better yet, just go look yourself. Large department stores like
Monoprix have so few staff, it will often be up to you to i nd
what you want on your own.
If you still can't i nd it or i nd someone else who can, the
very last ditch approach is to go back to the i rst person and
talk about something else entirely. It can be something else
of interest in the shop, the discount price of something, the
interesting utility of something. Once you get her paying
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