Office Québécois de la Langue Francaise

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The use of French to greet consumers and provide services has declined, especially in the Montreal and Gatineau areas of the province, but not that many are exceptionally concerned about that, says a new Office Québécois de la Langue Francaise report.

The less negative feelings were especially prevalent amongst those between 18 and 34 years old.

The study was conducted in late 2023 with some 3,800 people responding.

Language Minister Jean-François Roberge reacted by urging Quebecers “to demand to be served in French in Quebec businesses, and to complain to the OQLF when this is not the case.”

In this reporter’s shopping experience, I am always greeted with a “Bonjour” or a “Bonjour-Hi” in local stores, and primarily “Bonjour” outside Montreal, never just a “Hi”.

The study, ‘Language of welcome and language of service in Quebec businesses in 2023’ says that “across Quebec, the lack of reaction among clients welcomed and served in a language other than French tends to increase.

“In fact, approximately one in three people feel indifference when they are not greeted in French (29%) or served in French (33%). A significant portion of the clientele has no preference regarding the language of welcome and the language of service (14% and 11% respectively). In addition, among all clients, including French-speaking clients, many rarely or never ask for service in French when it is not first offered in that language (56% of clients across Quebec and 40% of French-speaking clients).”

In the Montreal area specifically, from 2010 to 2023, “the proportion of customers experiencing negative feelings when they are greeted or served in a language other than French is decreasing,” with more than 52 percent saying they would not boycott the establishment, 11.5 saying they would not return, and the rest saying they would return if they needed the store’s product.

“Although the results show an upward trend in the proportion of people who have been greeted or served in a language other than French, fewer and fewer Montreal consumers experience negative feelings if they experience this situation (-26 percentage points for service and -15 points for greeting).”

As a result of these findings, the study’s authors wonder “is it now standard practice to be greeted and served in a language other than French, resulting in a feeling of indifference among some customers and a reduction in their negative feelings when they are not greeted or served in French? Is this experience, once less frequent and perceived more negatively, tending to become more commonplace?” n