This paper explores the results of imposing a professional norm of the French language during peer-coaching at a call centre. First, the author examines employees’ reactions towards the establishment of a new standardized norm in the workplace. The author also investigates the establishment of a peercoaching programme during which a professional norm must be imposed. Finally, the author shows the relationship between discourse and practice and how the imposition of a professional norm conflicts with the employees’ day-to-day language use. More generally, the article shows how a business in the new economy plays a decisive role in the imposition of a professional norm on a linguistic minority. This leads to reflection on the role of linguistic training in the corporate world and on the importance of the use of language varietiesin the context of globalization.