US question about Francophone business practice

[Book Lover]

I have occasional contact with a printer in Louiseville, QC (I am in SF, CA). They answer the phone in French, and I reply in English. They mail back printing proofs with French and English paperwork, and I reply in English. If I started replying and speaking in French, would that be seen as silly or unprofessional? English and Italian are my first languages, and I have studied French formally, so I don't think I'd make *too* much of an ass of myself, but I know I don't know about the local business culture. Thanks!

[northernsoul]

1. My experience

I am of quebecois descent, but I learned French in schools ('cept for a little cursing courtesy of mon grandpere). My experience in making business contact with francophone quebecois is that if you make even a half-assed effort communicating with them en francais, they really appreciate it and are much more cheerful about working in English thereafter because they know just how awful your French really is.
I also worked with a quebecoise account exec. (she worked in SF of all coicidences), and she loved it when I emailed her in french (though that didn't stop her from correcting my grammar).

[Book Lover]

2. Many thanks!

I just hope I lose my (bad) habit of using Italian words when I don't know the French ones :-)

[applegrove]

3. If you can speak french... use it. You will make someone's day.

If your french is not understandable to them... they will let you know. Nobody is going to try and loose customers by refusing to serve you in English if you speak no French. But some companies in Quebec... don't speak any English. At all.

Trust me they are for real. So if you would hope to find and Italian English speaker if you called Italy... but would try and make do if the person only spoke Italian.. expect the same thing in Quebec. Many millions don't speak a word of English. Why should they? They do not have English speaking people living on their street. They do not see English/American TV. How could they possibly learn the language if it is not part of life here?