I haven't had a chance to go down to France yet but a while ago I was being helped by a lady speaking French in Belgium. She was all smiles and chatty cathy with everyone else but when it was my turn she didn't even TRY to speak to me even though I smiled and said hello in French just like everyone else She did crack a smile when I said Merci though so maybe the rest of it was just too butchered to be understandable
Here in Germany I have had MANY good experiences with language and it seems that everyone I have met so far appreciates that I TRY to ask/order in German