Since Colobar started doing business online, its owners Frédéric Bourdon and Patrice Riopel realized the challenge of ensuring the quality of the French in communicating with their customers. They involved their team in developing reflexes in their communications, which have translated to high standards of professionalism and rigour on which the Riopel-Bourdon family has established their reputation.

“My parents were from the print industry and they were known as specialists of high-quality documents. Because their French was very rigorous, they obtained major contracts with institutions like Loto-Québec. Three of my mother’s sisters were proofreaders and secretaries for senior management. The quality of the French language was transmitted to us as a strong family value, almost genetic,” recounts Bourdon.

Ever since their beginning in online business, the small team of 17 employees at Colobar receives and responds to a great number of emails, social media interactions, live chats and not to mention its production of digital content. “It’s inevitable, typing mistakes do make it in. But for us, it remains an important business value. We pay attention to the French language and it must be a reflex for all of us. The younger members of our team may have great ideas, but they must be aware of their weaknesses. It is essential to give credit to the French language,” continues Bourdon.

Helping Each Other
Frédéric Bourdon admits some of his most motivated, brilliant and creative employees have not mastered the foundations of French in the past, at elementary or secondary school. “We are trying to stimulate concern for the quality of the language in our employees. We want them to develop the reflex to want to improve, to get revisions before sending out an answer, without the employee feeling belittled by this act,” says Bourdon.

Given the shortage of qualified workers, Bourdon recognizes that in hiring situations, it is difficult for him to refuse a rare, competent candidate in retail trade, even if he notices the person has certain shortcomings in French. “Our employees are aware of what is at stake in producing content in impeccable French. There is nothing worse than to share a botched job. It affects our professional image,” Bourdon explains.

Indeed, when time is limited and promotional material must be created quickly, the owners of Colobar do not hesitate to call upon external expertise. “We have also equipped a number of our computer work stations — which serve to communicate with customers — with Antidote, a language correction software. It is an essential expense,” Bourdon says.