# Selling Commercial Dishwashers in French

**Language:** French  
**CEFR Level:** C1  

> Master French business conversations by listening to Nicolas and Pauline's conversation about pitching professional dishwashers to cafe owners and wholesale clients. It may feel challenging at first, but by the end of this course you will be able to fully understand and participate.

**Setting:** Nicolas and Pauline meet at a regional HORECA trade exposition in Marseille near the Vieux-Port to discuss commercial dishwasher distribution and fleet equipment upgrades for local venues. Pauline represents a major regional equipment wholesaler, while Nicolas works as a technical sales representative specializing in high-efficiency professional dishwashers.

## Lessons

### 1. Inspecting commercial equipment features

Pauline meets Nicolas at his trade show stand and examines the build quality of his under-counter dishwasher.

### 2. Matching equipment to business layout

Pauline describes her catering clients in Toulouse, and Nicolas evaluates whether under-counter or hood dishwashers suit their space constraints.

### 3. Discussing past equipment breakdowns

Nicolas estimates required washing capacity for small bistros, while Pauline recalls recurring heating element failures with a competitor's brand.

### 4. Identifying equipment maintenance causes

Nicolas attributes past machine failures to uncalibrated water softeners and suggests adding a mandatory service contract to prevent breakdown calls.

### 5. Pricing a commercial maintenance contract

Nicolas details what is included in four annual service visits and quotes the yearly maintenance cost per machine.

### 6. Bundling service costs into pricing

Pauline raises concerns about extra costs for clients, prompting Nicolas to suggest embedding maintenance fees directly into a single package price.

### 7. Evaluating technical support coverage

Pauline asks if technical service covers regional client locations, and Nicolas explains their partner coverage network and emergency response times.

### 8. Comparing high-capacity dishwasher models

Pauline inquires about hood dishwashers for larger brasseries, and Nicolas presents a high-capacity model while explaining its long-term value.

### 9. Understanding new environmental regulations

Nicolas explains upcoming 2027 EU eco-design rules for commercial dishwashers and why manufacturers are clearing out non-compliant stock.

### 10. Evaluating equipment lifespan and offers

Pauline connects new regulations to trade show discounts, and Nicolas guarantees a ten-year lifespan for compliant machines backed by regular service.

### 11. Negotiating bulk order pricing

Pauline proposes a bulk order of twenty under-counter dishwashers with staggered deliveries, and the two negotiate initial unit price discounts.

### 12. Bargaining with added service offers

Pauline leverages competitor discounts to request lower unit prices, leading Nicolas to offer a free first year of maintenance across all units.

### 13. Clarifying warranty and resale terms

Nicolas explains how Pauline can profit from maintenance renewals in future years and outlines their three-year total parts warranty coverage.

### 14. Setting order deadlines and closing

Pauline defers a final agreement to consult her business partner, while Nicolas sets a summer order deadline before inviting her for a drink.