PUNCTUALITY
ALERTS!
The best policy is to take an appointment at least one week
in advance. If the company has scheduled your appointment for
11:30 am, consider it a meeting over lunch.
Punctuality is to be maintained at all times. Generally, the
first meeting does not revolve around business too much. It
is more important for Belgians to know the kind of person you
are before getting into any business tie-ups. Expect your first
appointment to be social.
BUSINESS HOURS
ESTABLISHMENTS
|
WEEKDAYS
|
TIME
|
|
Government Offices |
Monday-Friday
|
8:30am to 12 am
and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm |
Banks |
Monday-Friday
|
9:00am to 12 am
and 2:00pm to 4:00pm |
Private Companies |
Monday-Friday
|
8:30 am to 6:00pm |
Shops and stores |
Monday-Friday
|
9:00am to 7:00pm |
BEST TIME FOR BUSINESS TRIPS
You are welcome the whole year round, although it is preferable
to avoid certain times in the year. For Belgians summer vacations
are between July to August, try and avoid any business trip
around that time. The period between 20 December and 6 January
is taken up by Christmas and New Year celebrations. The week
before and after the Easters and of course official holidays.
OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS
for 2001
DATE
1
January
15-16 April
1 May
June
June
11 July
21 July
15 August
27 September
1 November
11 November
15 November
25 December
|
EVENT
New
years
Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
Labour day
Ascension day
Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
Flemish-speaking community day
National Commemoration day
Assumption
French- speaking community day
All-saints day
Armistice Day
Dynasty day (Government offices only)
Christmas
|
CONVERSATION WITH BELGIANS
First and foremost, be sure to speak in a low, moderate tone,
regardless of the topic in discussion. Too much excitement in
your voice can be frowned upon.
Suggested topics of conversation;
Your travels around Belgium
Sports, especially bicycling and soccer
Praising the food and beer you have sampled during your stay.
Avoid -
Politics
Various languages spoken in Belgium. Do a bit of reading on
that if you have to.
Cracking jokes about the Flemings to Waloons and vice-versa.
BELGIAN DRESSING
Belgians prefer to dress conservatively. Men are expected to
wear suits and ties. Business suits and dresses are the standard
attire for woman. In the Belgian culture, slip on shoes such
as loafers are not considered appropriate for men. Make sure
to polish your shoe to the highest gloss (talking to all the
men out there!!). When invited to someones home, you dont
have to dress as formally. For example, a man can wear a sport
coat with a shirt, tie and trousers. The ladies can wear a top
and a pair of trousers. However, Belgians traditionally dress
in their best on Sundays.
BUSINESS ATTITUDE
There are a few things you must keep in mind before negotiating;
Exchanging business cards, it is a standard protocol.
It is recommended that you have your business card in two languages.
One side should be in English and the other in French or Flemish,
depending on the main language of your business travel region.
Belgians are keenly aware of their status in the corporate hierarchy.
They respect privacy; knock and wait for an answer and keep
doors closed in the office.
Meetings usually start with some preliminary small talk
before getting down to business.
Avoid personal subjects like what do you do? Its
considered inappropriate in Belgium.
Try to remain modest about your accomplishments; self-aggrandisement
is not appreciated in their culture.
The predominant cultures in Belgium are French, Dutch and German.
Studying these cultures can be beneficial to a business traveller.
Belgiums cultural and linguistic divisions are sensitive
subjects. You must not confuse the three cultural groups.
When conducting a meeting, its agenda should be distributed
to everyone in attendance.
Belgian business people prize mutual trust.
Be sure to promptly reply to any request from a Belgian office.
Decision-making differs from region to region. When doing business
with Flanders, a collective response is welcomed whereas in
Wallonia the highest person in authority takes the final call.
BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT
Lunch is the most popular time for business meals.
Belgian dinner hour begin at 7:30pm or later.
Before meeting in a conference room or restaurant your host
tells you where to sit.
If your shoes are dirty, it is only too polite to remove them
before entering a room.
Dont drink until the toast is made. If your host stands
when proposing a toast, you should do the same.
Among the Flemish, glasses are raised twice during a toast.
First you raise glasses during the verbal toast and then you
proceed to raise the glass again, after which you take your
first sip.
During a meal, do not put your hands under the table, its considered
bad manners.
Belgiums most famous culinary items are mussels, chocolates,
waffles, three hundred types of beers and French fries. Be sure
to compliment their food.
If the maitre d has been especially helpful, give him
a 50 to 100BF tip.
Hotel shuttle drivers receive a minimum of 15 percent of what
it would have cost you if you would have taken a taxi to the
hotel.
Hotel, railway porters and chambermaids receive a tip of 25
to 50BF.
Cloakroom attendants receive 50 to 100 BF per coat.
Washroom attendants receive 10 to 20 BF.
GESTURES
Do not snap fingers as it is considered a vulgar gesture.
Talking with your one hand in your trouser pocket is rude.
Never point your index finger at anyone.
Always maintain an arms length distance when talking to
another person.
Above all, avoid gesturing! Its better to appear formal and
restrained.
GIFT-GIVING
Gift giving is not an integral part of Belgian business culture.
If you still wish to give one, do not include your business
card with it and do not give anything that has your company
logo on it. If an invitation is extended to you at a Belgian
home, bring flowers and chocolates for the hostess. Do not bring
chrysanthemums, which are evocative of death or thirteen of
any flower. Red roses are kept only for romantic occasions.
Any gift should be presented before a meal. When you are presented
with a gift, open it in front of the giver and express your
gratitude.