7 eleven general rant

[Kenny202]

Have two 7 eleven's near our home. Both busy. Went to the first one tonight and as usual at least 70% of the carpark is taken up by the Chysee soup restaurant, tables and chairs and their customers on motorbikes parked all over the place taking up even more room. Then of the about 5 other car parking spaces left are taken up by people who have parked there and walked across the road to the markets to get food. On top of that this 7 eleven is on a corner and has two entrances from each soi. You can imagine the motorbikes cutting the corner and screaming diagonally through the car park "short cut". The other 7 eleven has all the same issues but they have a derelict drunk man sat right in the doorway, begging for money. Been there for a month and no one has moved him on. Obnoxious and stinks too..... will try and drag at your clothing. I'm sure his situation of his own making, probably already brought a lot of grief too his own family, but I see people giving him money!

As far as the Soup stall goes, I thought maybe the 7 manager rents the area out for a bit of pocket money for himself but a Thai friend of mine assures me money goes to CP or the franchise owner. I don't understand how they tolerate all this? the business they lose compared to the 3000-6000k a month they get from the restaurant owner must be phenominal. Anyone have any insight into this apart from Thais seemingly boundless tendency to tolerate without question?

[champers]

You think too mutt. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

[Patong2021]

I sympathize,  doubt that the 7-11 loses any money. As you  observe, the  store is busy. If customers did not like the format, no one would go.  Thais are tolerant of beggara, unless in a hiso area. For the superstitious, It is bad luck to move them and it is unlikely the low paid 7-11 worker will want to. If people were upset, they would not give money in hopes of buying merit, much like Europeans did with their indulgences back in 1300's.

I am not disagreeing with you because I think you are 100% correct, but this is Thailand social fabric where people  are ok eating stall food  in presence of noise, car fumes and traffic. We see druggies and itinerants parked in tube/metro station around the world and some big cities  have the mentally ill in full walk about. Be grateful that you have the money to go to  any 7-11 you wish,  that you are not the man  in doorway, and do not have to eat  rubbish quality soup in parking lot . These people have subsistence lives surviving day to day and do not know any better.

[farang51]

28 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

I don't understand how they tolerate all this? the business they lose compared to the 3000-6000k a month they get from the restaurant owner must be phenominal.

Maybe they figure some of the people visiting the soup stall may be tempted to buy something from the 7-Eleven as well. It may very well be a win-win situation.

[Kenny202]

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

I sympathize,  doubt that the 7-11 loses any money. As you  observe, the  store is busy. If customers did not like the format, no one would go.  Thais are tolerant of beggara, unless in a hiso area. For the superstitious, It is bad luck to move them and it is unlikely the low paid 7-11 worker will want to. If people were upset, they would not give money in hopes of buying merit, much like Europeans did with their indulgences back in 1300's.

I am not disagreeing with you because I think you are 100% correct, but this is Thailand social fabric where people  are ok eating stall food  in presence of noise, car fumes and traffic. We see druggies and itinerants parked in tube/metro station around the world and some big cities  have the mentally ill in full walk about. Be grateful that you have the money to go to  any 7-11 you wish,  that you are not the man  in doorway, and do not have to eat  rubbish quality soup in parking lot . These people have subsistence lives surviving day to day and do not know any better.

I understand all that, have lived here for some years now...but I can't see those sort of sentiments being accepted in CP boardrooms. They are an exceptionally professional organization. I can't see them tolerating food stalls clogging up their car parks for the good of the community. Like most things here probably no logical answer.

[NanLaew]

Since about five years ago, new 7-elevens I have seen in Pattaya and Udon Thani have larger customer-only parking out front and signage that prohibits stopping more than maybe 15 minutes. I have never seen food vendors setting up on these frontages. Maybe newer franchise owners are prohibited from sub-letting their dedicated frontage by CP All (the franchise owners) or when CP All develops a new site, they invest in a larger, all-inclusive plot that doesn't include 'public' pavement/sidewalk? The only congested frontage I see are on the older, smaller 7-elevens that have maybe only sidewalk frontage and kerbside parking. They still tend to have noodle sellers and the like taking up space as that may not 'belong' to the 7-eleven?

Edited March 12, 2021 by NanLaew

[Morch]

From family experience - you can complain to 7/11 headquarters or whatever. They will sort it out. There are guideline for those picking up the franchise, with some variance according to 'plan' picked. There's obviously a downside, as the owner can know who complained. If you live really nearby (as in family case) or plan on buying there regularly, maybe rethink.

[Kenny202]

11 minutes ago, Morch said:

From family experience - you can complain to 7/11 headquarters or whatever. They will sort it out. There are guideline for those picking up the franchise, with some variance according to 'plan' picked. There's obviously a downside, as the owner can know who complained. If you live really nearby (as in family case) or plan on buying there regularly, maybe rethink.

No, not looking to make waves or change the world here. It is what it is and it seems to be like this everywhere. I just find it hard to understand why the Thais tolerate seemingly intolerable things. Maybe its lucky for us they do. I doubt any of these stores are  franchises. I'm in a large city albeit a few k's out. I was under the impression it was only smaller country 7 elevens were franchised.

[1FinickyOne]

Tolerate what? 

How does any of this matter? Are you a franchisee? 

maybe having vendors out front brings them customers?

Surely 7/11 knows their biz better than you do - they seem to be doing ok w/o your input.

[bermondburi]

If you don't like it you should leave Thailand immediately 

[sirineou]

This is Thailand. It is their culture, their country and it works for them. You can not have Thailand à la carte, where you take what's good for you and leave what you don't like. 

It is a package deal'

Many of the things that we like about Thailand are made possible by many of the things that we  don't like

So be careful of what you wish for you just might get it. and all the things that you like might also go away together with the bad. .

Edited March 12, 2021 by sirineou

[RichardColeman]

What's all the fuss - there's a 7/11 every 100 yards

[daveAustin]

Agree with last few comments. While certain things may infuriate (it can happen when one is sat on their arrse for extended periods) -- and everything's relative of course -- believe me, if having a busy 7 & some stinky old dude tugging my shirt was all I had to worry about opposed to enduring an existence in the dreary, dour, boring as F shiiite West, I would be cock-a-hoop! Stop whining and think yourself lucky!

[dbrenn]

Sounds like you miss the boring orderliness of home.

If the shop is busy, why would the owner care about the car park? Most of his customers are probably locals, pedestrians, motorcyclists and diners at the eatery outside.

[PatOngo]

8 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Anyone have any insight into this apart from Thais seemingly boundless tendency to tolerate without question?

It's a cultural thing Kenny, ingrained for generations, you can try changing it but it may be somewhat difficult!

[PatOngo]

7 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

I just find it hard to understand why the Thais tolerate seemingly intolerable things.

Welcome to Planet Thailand! 

[1FinickyOne]

7 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

I just find it hard to understand why the Thais tolerate seemingly intolerable things

the obvious answer is that the things you think are intolerable are not in the least to them... actually, or to me either... I bought chicken for my dogs at one of those vendors.. it was quite convenient

[ChipButty]

It is what it is, we have one right next to the market 2 days a week, just go to the next one up the road

[Kenny202]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

This is Thailand. It is their culture, their country and it works for them. You can not have Thailand à la carte, where you take what's good for you and leave what you don't like. 

It is a package deal'

Many of the things that we like about Thailand are made possible by many of the things that we  don't like

So be careful of what you wish for you just might get it. and all the things that you like might also go away together with the bad. .

You are assuming the majority of the Thais are happy with this situation? I am quite sure they aren't. 

[sanuk711]

My 7-11 has 5 girls on the check outs, until it gets really busy, 

.....then they have  2..........

[Maliproto]

16 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

I understand all that, have lived here for some years now...but I can't see those sort of sentiments being accepted in CP boardrooms. They are an exceptionally professional organization. I can't see them tolerating food stalls clogging up their car parks for the good of the community. Like most things here probably no logical answer.

If it's a franchised shop, CP's opinions about the franchisee's use of his own property are irrelevant, they still get their royalties.  

You assume that there is "no logical answer" but there may well be one that you have to ask the shop owner for that would justify his business decisions to you.  You also assume that the owner is losing business because of this but you have no way of knowing whether that is the case in any significant way.

[ChipButty]

I think they are doing everything they can to stay alive, we have had 3 close down near me

[natway09]

7/11 has never been in the business of providing parking. They are convenience stores.

The business model will attract beggars as the people going in & out provide some

support for them.

We have one that yells out "water" everytime I go in.I buy him one most times

 

[Caldera]

None of my 3 nearest 7/11s even has a car park I could rant about!

 

[from the home of CC]

imo Tesco has been the worst brand/store in Thailand for years..

[Lacessit]

How do you know the beggar is drunk? He may be disabled, in which case you will be making merit by helping him with a donation.

This is Thailand, one farang's opinion is not going to change things. I just ignore all the crazy stuff that goes on, I might go as far as to shake my head, not worth getting stressed about it.

[Russell17au]

I go to one of the noodle shops at a 7/11 and everyone that eats there also go and buy their drinks in 7/11 because the noodle vendor does not have the area to stock the drinks also. So if you hunt the noodle sellers then you would be hunting away your own customers. These noodles sellers bring people to the area and those people spend money, normally at both the noodles seller and the 7/11 store.

[ecoscape]

19 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

I sympathize,  doubt that the 7-11 loses any money. As you  observe, the  store is busy. If customers did not like the format, no one would go.  Thais are tolerant of beggara, unless in a hiso area. For the superstitious, It is bad luck to move them and it is unlikely the low paid 7-11 worker will want to. If people were upset, they would not give money in hopes of buying merit, much like Europeans did with their indulgences back in 1300's.

I am not disagreeing with you because I think you are 100% correct, but this is Thailand social fabric where people  are ok eating stall food  in presence of noise, car fumes and traffic. We see druggies and itinerants parked in tube/metro station around the world and some big cities  have the mentally ill in full walk about. Be grateful that you have the money to go to  any 7-11 you wish,  that you are not the man  in doorway, and do not have to eat  rubbish quality soup in parking lot . These people have subsistence lives surviving day to day and do not know any better.

 

[colinneil]

Loosen up folks, why get excited about something you cannot do anything about.

What does it matter to members on here, if 7/11 were not happy with the situation, they would certainly sort it out.

Just think yourselves lucky it is now 91 months since i was last in a 7/11, impossible for me to get in any in this area, damned steps outside.

Edited March 13, 2021 by colinneil

[hkt83100]

A regular one in front of our 7/11... For sure NOT disabled. Grrr.