Inviter la cliente à

11:48 Feb 13, 2016 

We really need to know which customer profile this company is targeting to make the perfect choice. The higher the level, the more appropriate "invite" becomes.

But it should also be taken into account that you can find the term "invite" in ordinary letters in France, for example from the centre d'impôt, in which "inviter" really has the meaning of an order. Hence, "inviter" in French isn't necessarily - in reality - as polite as it looks. Hence my choice of "ask", as I think it corresponds best to the actual meaning of the French "inviter". But I know this is not a right-or-wrong question, and you obviously have a point too.

11:37 Feb 13, 2016 

Your entire entry is exactly why invite, in my opinion is better. Because it suits the environment, is very polite and is part of staff training. Doesn't mean I personally prefer this type of service, but in my mind it suited the context better...

I do respect your choice, I am just genuinely interested in the contrast between the two options.

11:04 Feb 13, 2016 

Guillaume, it's clearly an internal note to staff. About how polite to be, as I see it, it depends on the type of customer and business, and I myself aim for how most people would say in the given country, language and situation. "Invite", used like this, is simply much more common in French than English. Being too formal or too polite for the situation comes with the risk of sounding pretentious. That's one thing I don't like about what I call penguin restaurants, so I prefer places with a more relaxed atmosphere. Overdoing it can be almost as bad as not doing enough. What I care about is that staff be friendly, not an overly polite vocabulary, which may even make me feel ill at ease.

10:31 Feb 13, 2016 

"Inviter is just the polite way to ask the customer in French"

Nothing wrong with that, particularly in a customer focused environment!

Have a good weekend all!