ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Correct clothing is expected. Prior appointments and business cards are common. Knowledge of French is an advantage, it is considered impolite to start a conversation in French and then continue it in your mother tongue. Business meetings are usually formal. Decisions about business deals are made after long and careful deliberation and precise data should be provided. Business lunches are usually held in restaurants. Mid-July to mid-September are not suitable for business trips.
Nice
Business in Nice is quite formal. Colleagues are addressed by their last name, although the locals, who are used to the international business world, are not offended if they are addressed by their first name. You’re just a little embarrassed. Handing out business cards is very important. Even the leisurely colleagues in the south of France attach great importance to punctuality. Because of the (sometimes) good-natured rivalry, praise about the capital (unless the colleague is from Paris) or about the southern rival Marseille should be avoided. An appreciation of the advantages of the Côte d’Azur is always appropriate. The clothes of business people in Nice are usually elegant and chic. Light suits are a must in the hot summer months.
Business meetings over lunch are common. Making contacts is not done very often or willingly after working hours.
Paris
A little Parisian aggressiveness and a lot of persistence are needed for doing business in this metropolis. However, it is important to be firm, but not rude. If you do not speak French, you should apologize for the lack of language skills at the first meeting and respect the local formality. To greet you, you shake hands and speak to your business partner with the appropriate title (Madame, Monsieur, Professeur or Docteur)), followed by the last name. Business cards (preferably in German and French) are essential, as is a private chat, which is an important part of business. You should therefore brush up on your knowledge of French politics and culture before the meeting and not jump into business too quickly. Correct clothing is expected.
Lunch can be two hours or longer, so it’s better to set up meetings at 11am or 3pm unless you’re meeting for lunch. Business lunches very often take place at lunchtime, often in the evening, but breakfast meetings are becoming increasingly popular. Payment is usually made by the person who arranged the meeting. Business should by no means be planned for August, because then the Parisians are drawn to the south in huge swarms.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Economy
French-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
18, rue Balard, F-75015 Paris
Tel: (01) 40 58 35 35.
Internet: www.francoallemand.com
French-Austrian Chamber of Commerce
Am Heumarkt 10, A-1030 Vienna
Tel: (01) 71 14 73 80.
Internet: www.ccfa.at
Chambre France-Suisse pour le Commerce et l’Industrie
5, route de Chêne, PO Box 6298, CH-1211 Geneva 6
Tel: (022) 849 05 70.
Internet: www. cfsci.ch
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris
2, place de la Bourse, F-75002 Paris
Tel: (01) 53 40 46 00.
Internet: www.ccip.fr
Assemblée des chambres Francaises de Commerce et d’Industrie
45 Avenue d’Iéna, F-75716 Paris Cedex
Tel: (01) 40 69 37 00.
Internet: www.acfci.cci.fr
Business contacts
French-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
18, rue Balard, F-75015 Paris
Tel: (01) 40 58 35 35.
Internet: www.francoallemand.com
French-Austrian Chamber of Commerce
Am Heumarkt 10, A-1030 Vienna
Tel: (01) 71 14 73 80.
Internet: www.ccfa.at
Chambre France-Suisse pour le Commerce et l’Industrie
5, route de Chêne, PO Box 6298, CH-1211 Geneva 6
Tel: (022) 849 05 70.
Internet: www. cfsci.ch
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris
2, place de la Bourse, F-75002 Paris
Tel: (01) 53 40 46 00.
Internet: www.ccip.fr
Assemblée des chambres Francaises de Commerce et d’Industrie
45 Avenue d’Iéna, F-75716 Paris Cedex
Tel: (01) 40 69 37 00.
Internet: www.acfci.cci.fr
COMMUNICATION
Phone
According to zipcodesexplorer, the country code is 0033. The area code for Paris is “01”. Card phones can be found everywhere, phone cards are available in post offices and tobacco, souvenir and magazine shops. There are cheaper rates for international calls from Mon-Fri from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. and Sat-Sun continuously
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800 networks are widespread. The main network operators are Bouygues Telecom (Internet: www.bouyguestelecom.fr), Orange France (Internet: http://www.orange.fr/) and SFR (Internet: http://www.sfr.fr/). Roaming contracts exist with various European and international providers.
International roaming can be used within the EU at the Euro tariff. Customers of all European mobile network operators automatically make all calls in and from other EU countries at the Euro rate. However, the Euro tariff does not apply to other mobile communications services such as SMS, MMS and data transmission.
Internet
Public Internet access exists in Internet cafes, among other places. Many fast food restaurants and cafés offer free wireless internet access via Wi-Fi. There is a dense network of public hotspots in France. The main provider is Orange (Internet: www.orange.fr). There are more and more “WiFi pillars” in public places such as streets and train stations that offer wireless access to the Internet. Mobile surfing on the Internet is also made possible by the Goodspeed Wi-Fi hotspots, which are subject to a charge (Internet: goodspeed.io/de/index.html).
Post Office
You can also buy stamps in tobacco shops. Post within Europe usually takes 2-3 days. Post office opening times: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.