Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following words carry the meanings set out below:

• "We", "Us", "Our" — Jérôme Parenteau, sole proprietor, 701, rue St-Pierre, Drummondville, QC J2C 3W6, Canada.
• "You", "Client" — the individual or organisation that requests or receives our services.
• "Agreement" — these Terms and Conditions together with any written engagement letter, proposal, or invoice exchanged between the parties.
• "Services" — the administrative and communication consulting programmes described on this website and in any engagement proposal issued by us.
• "Deliverables" — written materials, style sheets, flow maps, reports, phrase banks, and other documents produced as part of a service engagement.
• "Session" — a scheduled in-person or remote meeting between our team and your staff as part of a service engagement.
• "Website" — the website operated at jeromehparep.click.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By submitting a contact form on this website, signing an engagement letter, paying an invoice, or participating in a session, you indicate that you have read, understood, and accepted these terms.

• You must be at least 18 years old to engage our services on behalf of yourself or an organisation.
• If you are acting on behalf of an organisation, you confirm that you have the authority to bind that organisation to these terms.
• If you do not accept these terms, please refrain from submitting an enquiry or proceeding with an engagement.

3. Service Description

We offer three consulting programmes for small offices and organisations in Quebec:

• Plain-Language Writing Program (CAD 240): Four 90-minute sessions focused on rewriting dense internal and external documents for general readability. Includes a style sheet, before-and-after rewrites of two documents, and written feedback on a third. Suitable for teams of up to 12 people.
• Client Communication Workshop (CAD 560): Two half-day workshop sessions covering spoken and written communication with the public. Includes role-play scenarios, a bilingual phrase bank, a self-review sheet, and one follow-up coaching session at six weeks.
• Small-Office File Flow Review (CAD 950): A six-week operational review of document handling in offices of fewer than 25 people. Delivered over two on-site days with role interviews, producing a mapped flow, a bottleneck summary, a prioritised adjustment list, and a written report.

All services are delivered in-person or remotely within Quebec. Service availability is subject to scheduling capacity. We reserve the right to decline an engagement that falls outside our scope of practice.

4. Client Responsibilities

To allow us to carry out a service engagement effectively, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during scoping and sessions.
• Make staff available for scheduled sessions at the agreed times.
• Grant reasonable access to your office and documents when an on-site visit is included in the engagement.
• Review and provide feedback on draft deliverables within the timeframes agreed in the engagement letter.
• Use the deliverables and materials we provide only for internal office improvement purposes within your organisation.
• Not reproduce, resell, or distribute any deliverables we provide to third parties outside your organisation without our prior written consent.

5. Intellectual Property

We retain ownership of all methodologies, frameworks, templates, and general tools developed by us. Upon receipt of full payment, we grant you a non-exclusive, perpetual, non-transferable licence to use the deliverables produced for your specific engagement within your organisation.

• You may adapt deliverables for your internal purposes.
• You may not resell, sublicence, or distribute deliverables to third parties.
• You may not present deliverables as your own original work in a public-facing or commercial context without attribution.
• All content on this website — text, structure, and design — is our property and may not be copied without permission.

6. Payment Terms

• Currency: All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and are subject to applicable Quebec sales tax (QST) and federal GST.
• Invoicing: A deposit of 50% of the engagement fee is due upon signing the engagement letter. The remaining balance is due within 14 days of the final session or delivery of the final report.
• Payment methods: Cheque, electronic bank transfer, or other methods agreed in writing at the time of engagement.
• Late payments: Invoices unpaid after 30 days from the due date may incur interest at 1.5% per month on the outstanding balance.
• Cancellations: If you cancel an engagement more than 7 business days before the first session, your deposit will be returned in full. Cancellations within 7 business days forfeit the deposit. If we cancel an engagement, we will refund any amounts paid in full.
• Rescheduling: Session rescheduling is subject to availability and must be requested at least 48 hours in advance.

7. Service Delivery Terms

• Scope: The scope of each engagement is defined in the engagement letter. Work outside the defined scope may require a separate agreement and additional fees.
• Timeline: We will make reasonable efforts to complete deliverables within the timeframes set out in the engagement letter. Delays caused by late feedback or restricted access on your side may extend the timeline accordingly.
• Revisions: The Plain-Language Writing Program includes written feedback on one additional document beyond the two formal rewrites. Additional revision rounds outside this scope are not included.
• On-site visits: For the Small-Office File Flow Review, on-site days are scheduled at times agreed in the engagement letter. If access is not possible on a scheduled day through no fault of ours, a rescheduling fee may apply.
• Language: Deliverables are produced in English or French as agreed. The Client Communication Workshop phrase bank is provided in both languages.

8. Confidentiality

Both parties agree to treat as confidential any non-public information shared during a service engagement. Specifically:

• We will not disclose your internal documents, workflows, or staff information to third parties without your written consent, except where required by law.
• Physical documents reviewed during on-site visits will not be removed from your premises or retained by us beyond what is needed to complete the agreed deliverables.
• You agree not to disclose the pricing, methods, or templates we provide to competitors or use them to develop a competing service.
• Confidentiality obligations survive the end of an engagement for a period of two years.

9. Disclaimers

• Our services are administrative and communication consulting in nature. They do not constitute legal advice, regulated professional advice, or any service requiring a professional licence in Quebec.
• We do not promise specific outcomes, results, or improvements. All examples of results mentioned on this website are illustrative of the kind of work we do and should not be read as commitments to the same outcome for your organisation.
• The website and its content are provided as-is. We make no representations about its accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose.
• We are not responsible for decisions your organisation makes based on the materials and sessions we provide. Implementation of any recommended adjustments is at your discretion.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law in Quebec and Canada:

• Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of a service engagement will not exceed the total fees paid by you for the specific engagement giving rise to the claim.
• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages, including loss of revenue, loss of data, or reputational harm, even if we were advised of the possibility of such damages.
• We are not liable for delays or inability to perform caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including illness, natural events, or infrastructure failures.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Jérôme Parenteau and any associates involved in your engagement from any third-party claims, losses, or expenses arising from your misuse of deliverables, your breach of these terms, or your violation of applicable law. This indemnification obligation survives the end of the engagement.

12. Termination

• By you: You may end an engagement at any time by written notice. Fees for work completed or sessions already delivered up to that point remain due and payable.
• By us: We may terminate an engagement with 5 business days' written notice if your actions prevent us from delivering the agreed service, or if payment obligations are not met. We will refund fees for work not yet completed.
• Survival: Sections 5 (Intellectual Property), 8 (Confidentiality), 9 (Disclaimers), 10 (Limitation of Liability), and 11 (Indemnification) survive termination.

13. Dispute Resolution

• Governing law: These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
• Jurisdiction: Any dispute not resolved informally will be submitted to the courts of the judicial district of Drummondville, Quebec.
• Informal resolution: Before commencing any formal proceeding, both parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes in good faith by written notice and a discussion within 15 business days of that notice.
• Mediation: If informal resolution fails, either party may request mediation through a mediator agreed upon by both parties. Mediation is voluntary and non-binding unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

14. General Provisions

• Entire agreement: These terms, together with any signed engagement letter or proposal, constitute the complete agreement between the parties and supersede all prior discussions or representations.
• Severability: If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions continue in full force.
• Waiver: Our failure to enforce any provision of these terms on one occasion does not waive our right to enforce it in the future.
• Assignment: You may not assign your rights or obligations under these terms to a third party without our prior written consent. We may engage sub-contractors or associates to assist with delivery under conditions of equivalent confidentiality.
• Notices: Written notices may be sent by email to the addresses provided in the engagement letter. Email notices are considered received the next business day unless a delivery failure notice is returned.

15. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. When we do, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be revised. For ongoing engagements, changes to the terms will not apply until the current engagement concludes. For new enquiries, the version in effect at the time of engagement applies. We recommend reviewing this page periodically.

16. Contact

For questions about these terms or to exercise any rights under them: