Number Of Staff In Thai Shops

[kunash]

I walked into the local hair colouring shop with my GF and i counted 12 staff. The size of the shop was no bigger than your local KFC. Same with Big C, and the motorbike shop we went to. Why do Thai shops have so many staff? Can they be making a profit? Not all Thai shops have too many staff though.

[dumball]

Could you please enlighten me more on your observations , amongst all of the seeming 'Extra' staff , were you given excellent service by a knowledgeable person ? You are aware , of course , that Thai expect a job to be 'Sanook' where they can chat and joke freely with other staff , they are even found to change to a position with less pay to get it , the workplace , as such , appears to be a place to hang out and socialise , getting paid for thier extreme pleasurable life-stye to do so . The question "What do you think service is ?" would most likely receive the response "Oh , that is what you give when you are enlisted into the army " That is akin to the word 'Clean' , they think (?) that means rub things with a damp cloth as apposed to make it claen .

The only thing I have found many Thai can get clean is a teflon coated fry-pan , within minutes you finish up with a mirror with a long handle . 555

[JohnnyFeelIt]

It gets on my nerves sometimes when I am in a rush.. On plenty of occasions I've walked into a big 7/11 with 4x counters, counted 6-8 staff most of which are doing FA, yet only 1 counter is open with a que of 5 people..

[sanook2me]

yeah, common problem here...

Actual good service staff are few and far between..

Thai staff are given specific job roles and do not feel the need to use initiative and do something outside of their box....fact..!

maybe they are scared of making a mistake the big boss being angry..... maybe...or just cannot think?

[spud1]

There may be over staffing in Thailand but I can assure you there work rate would total less than one.Only last week I contacted over 10 manufacturers regarding a product I wanted to buy wholesale.Guess how many returned my

emails and calls.That's right,NONE.How business works here, I haven't got a clue.

Edited July 7, 2010 by spud1

[kunash]

Thai staff do not feel the need to use initiative

probably, very true.

[wintermute]

maybe they are scared of making a mistake the big boss being angry..... maybe...or just cannot think?

Most don't care because there are tons of service jobs that pay 6,000 baht per month and under to be had. Usually they work part time.

[Richb2004v2]

I was going to start the exact same topic. I was waiting outside a tiny spa the other day and also counted 12 staff and only two customers! It's the same in my local bar. A very very nice AC bar, with normally 8 staff and no customers except us.

I guess this is why so many businesses come and go so quickly.

Just today my wife commented on how stupid they are to often open a shop and pay three months rental and then have almost zero customers because they have not done any research on what they are selling or the actual market. I think she's right. Coffee shops are a favourite. They open them in the strangest location, have next to no customers and then close again, or open over the road from two other identical empty coffee shops and never get a customer. Strange business sense. Another good one is glasses shops that have two or three girls sat in the window all day but very rarely a customer. Of course there's always the chance that all the customers come late in the evening. Just my observations.

[harrry]

I cannot answer the question about overstaffing but I think there is too much overqualifying here now. I think one of the reasons Carrfoure may be shutting down may be that their staff stand round in groups chatting to each other as with their universty education serving customers is not for them as that is something uneducated lower class people do.

[Buckeye911]

I've always been impressed with the amount of staff present in Thai stores and shops, it's always easy to find someone for help. In the states stores are chronically understaffed and in popular stores it's next to impossible to find anyone to help you without making a real effort and sometimes not being able to find someone then. On the other hand, if you set foot on a car lot in the states you can't look for more than a few seconds before a pesky salesperson approaches. You can say you just want to look around but they'll still hover nearby. In contrast, I enjoy the way Thai store staff let you alone but are always nearby to help if you ask.

Just my two cents.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Buckeye911

[sanook2me]

In contrast, I enjoy the way Thai store staff let you alone but are always nearby to help if you ask.

Just my two cents.

Do you actually live in Thailand? ever been shopping in Central / Boots / Home pro etc..

The little f_ckers there follow you around...it does my fruit in.... if i'm in an expat grumpy mood i purposely carry products from one section to another just to lose em off my trail for a bit...its like jungle warfare...hide and seek !

The only place you don't get followed or hassled is in Tops...I enjoy my shopping there except the constant queueing but its like shopping back home, no one follows or hassles you...

I swear Boots chemist is the worse...only a small store but you can have as many as 2 assistants following you around...trying to give you a basket to carry 1 product in....

Favourite has to be Home Pro..play British Bulldog everytime...you against an army of Thai shop asistants...

Grab your product and run with it body swerving, checking back, switching aisles at the last moment, making a dummy turn till you pass em all and reach the goal line which is the till...

It could become a Thai gladiators on TV...farang versus Thai shop asistants!

[dumball]

Keep up the good work chaps , I enjoy a good laugh now and then instead of the more usual stuff .

[peter991]

One of the REAL reasons for the seemingly high number of staff has not been mentioned so far. In a large department store such as Big C, if a manufacturer / supplier wants their goods stocked, they (the manufacturer / supplier) has to supply the staff. Those particular staff are paid by the manufacturer / supplier ... not by Big C. Result: Those staff only look after a small section of a small department ... they can not and will not help you with anything other than their specialty.

[phetaroi]

There may be over staffing in Thailand but I can assure you there work rate would total less than one.Only last week I contacted over 10 manufacturers regarding a product I wanted to buy wholesale.Guess how many returned my

emails and calls.That's right,NONE.How business works here, I haven't got a clue.

You are not alone. They don't have a clue either.

Either you get too much help or no real help at all. At Central I once had to find a manager and tell him that if the staff didn't leave me alone and let me just look at the many selections of bedding available, I would leave and go to the other department store.

And how many conversations like this have I had:

Me to clerk: Could you tell me if these sheets are made of cotton?

Clerk: 20% discount.

Me: No, I want to know if this is cotton?

Clerk: Okay, I give you 25% discount.

Me: Stop! Please listen. [stroking cotton] What made of? Cotton?

Clerk: 30% discount plus free towel.

My former Thai language teacher was much more unforgiving about Thai service in stores than was I. She said if you take a product back because it has failed, somehow they will always find a way to blame you, the customer. She said same if you are Thai...they will always say it is your fault.

Let's face it, consumerism has not reached Thailand.

In regard to the number of clerks in stores, one day I went into the Emporium department store and noticed how grossly the clerks outnumbered the customers. It was a lazy day for me, so I walked around the cosmetics floor and counted the clerks -- I think it was 58 clerks and 7 customers. My flat mate had a niece that worked at Central, so I asked her why so many clerks. She said with most products, the clerks are hired by the product company, not the department store. So each cosmetic producer hires two or more clerks for any shift. The individual cosmetic companies rent space (perhaps by a percentage, or perhaps a flat rate), and only rarely does the department store itself take on a particular line, and only when it is a line that is particularly profitable over a long period of time. Same with clothing, etc.

[surayu]

Same here, today i just went out for some small shopping at Tesco Lotus Express, only another customer in the store at the time and about 8-9 staff members all having a funny chit-chat around the till area, i wanted to find out the price of a product because on the shelf it was a total mess and even my usual method to match the numbers on the barcodes would not work simply because were no numbers on the barcode with the price on it, it took me 3 attempts (regularly increasing the volume and body language) before someone would come to find out and end up with my same doubts untill a scan at the till point was made, no big deal, it happen quite frequently over here, look also where some construction work is in process, the rate would be roughly 1 person doing a little bit of work and another 10 just sitting down or doing nothing related to work anyway, in some other stores i also experienced sales assistants that would not leave you alone and ask so many questions or just stand between you and the product you want to look at, usually after some explicit sentence they let you carry on with your checks, personally i appreciate to have somebody caring for your custom, but i have the impression that more often they just want to get rid of those products and couldn't give a monkey about your specific needs....

[dsprtliving]

In contrast, I enjoy the way Thai store staff let you alone but are always nearby to help if you ask.

Just my two cents.

Do you actually live in Thailand? ever been shopping in Central / Boots / Home pro etc..

The little f_ckers there follow you around...it does my fruit in.... if i'm in an expat grumpy mood i purposely carry products from one section to another just to lose em off my trail for a bit...its like jungle warfare...hide and seek !

The only place you don't get followed or hassled is in Tops...I enjoy my shopping there except the constant queueing but its like shopping back home, no one follows or hassles you...

I swear Boots chemist is the worse...only a small store but you can have as many as 2 assistants following you around...trying to give you a basket to carry 1 product in....

Favourite has to be Home Pro..play British Bulldog everytime...you against an army of Thai shop asistants...

Grab your product and run with it body swerving, checking back, switching aisles at the last moment, making a dummy turn till you pass em all and reach the goal line which is the till...

It could become a Thai gladiators on TV...farang versus Thai shop asistants!

What he said!!! I love Thailand dearly, but this is one aspect of living here that absolutely does my head in whenever I need to do a bit of clothes or electronic shopping. I'd probably do a lot more browsing in stores like Central or MBK if the Sales staff didn't immediately begin shadowing you the moment your foot strays into their set little area. I've taken to wearing my ipod, as that almost always works in other situations like airplanes....but that doesn't always work with the sales shadows either. I think a good specific example are the sales girls that work in any department store wine shop. I go in with a specific wine in mind and usually head straight to the bottle or section I intend to choose from. Then, almost without fail, a Sales Shadow will appear with some off brand Chateau de Blah trying to convince me that it's obviously much much better cause of that magical 10% discount intended to seal the deal on all products in Thailand. Earlier on in my stay here in Thailand I once asked a wine shop sales girl if she'd indeed tried the wine she was trying to convince me to buy.....her answer....Oh no sir...I don't drink, said with the most sincere smile she could muster.

[Forethat]

In contrast, I enjoy the way Thai store staff let you alone but are always nearby to help if you ask.

Just my two cents.

Do you actually live in Thailand? ever been shopping in Central / Boots / Home pro etc..

The little f_ckers there follow you around...it does my fruit in.... if i'm in an expat grumpy mood i purposely carry products from one section to another just to lose em off my trail for a bit...its like jungle warfare...hide and seek !

The only place you don't get followed or hassled is in Tops...I enjoy my shopping there except the constant queueing but its like shopping back home, no one follows or hassles you...

I swear Boots chemist is the worse...only a small store but you can have as many as 2 assistants following you around...trying to give you a basket to carry 1 product in....

Favourite has to be Home Pro..play British Bulldog everytime...you against an army of Thai shop asistants...

Grab your product and run with it body swerving, checking back, switching aisles at the last moment, making a dummy turn till you pass em all and reach the goal line which is the till...

It could become a Thai gladiators on TV...farang versus Thai shop asistants!

What he said!!! I love Thailand dearly, but this is one aspect of living here that absolutely does my head in whenever I need to do a bit of clothes or electronic shopping. I'd probably do a lot more browsing in stores like Central or MBK if the Sales staff didn't immediately begin shadowing you the moment your foot strays into their set little area. I've taken to wearing my ipod, as that almost always works in other situations like airplanes....but that doesn't always work with the sales shadows either. I think a good specific example are the sales girls that work in any department store wine shop. I go in with a specific wine in mind and usually head straight to the bottle or section I intend to choose from. Then, almost without fail, a Sales Shadow will appear with some off brand Chateau de Blah trying to convince me that it's obviously much much better cause of that magical 10% discount intended to seal the deal on all products in Thailand. Earlier on in my stay here in Thailand I once asked a wine shop sales girl if she'd indeed tried the wine she was trying to convince me to buy.....her answer....Oh no sir...I don't drink, said with the most sincere smile she could muster.

Relax.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Forethat

[elkangorito]

Could you please enlighten me more on your observations , amongst all of the seeming 'Extra' staff , were you given excellent service by a knowledgeable person ? You are aware , of course , that Thai expect a job to be 'Sanook' where they can chat and joke freely with other staff , they are even found to change to a position with less pay to get it , the workplace , as such , appears to be a place to hang out and socialise , getting paid for thier extreme pleasurable life-stye to do so . The question "What do you think service is ?" would most likely receive the response "Oh , that is what you give when you are enlisted into the army " That is akin to the word 'Clean' , they think (?) that means rub things with a damp cloth as apposed to make it claen .

The only thing I have found many Thai can get clean is a teflon coated fry-pan , within minutes you finish up with a mirror with a long handle . 555

I couldn't agree more Dumball. Most Thais have no idea about 'real work'.

Besides this, it's generally a good idea. It keeps people 'off the streets'. When wages are a pittance, why would anyone NOT employ 6 people to do the job of 1 person?

I sincerely hope that Thailand does not become another 'work-a-holic' country like Australia, where you work your guts out under pain of dismissal (all thanks to 'shareholders' most of the time).

EDIT: I'd like to say 'thanks' to the OP for not saying 'staffs' in the topic title

Edited July 7, 2010 by elkangorito

[jackinbkk]

It is quite strange that the concept of a profit doesn't seem to register.

There are shops in the Phuket royal marina that would be lucky to see 2 customers a month yet they remain open.

Also some shops seem to open branches in plaza's just for the sake of it. There's lots of shops in the complex opposite

central festival(Phuket) that look like they have 1 customer a month if that. Yet at least 1 employee is sat there looking

incredibly bored every day.

The whole chain is absorbing the costs of the useless shops but why do they let it happen?

[Livinginexile]

yeah, common problem here...

Actual good service staff are few and far between..

Thai staff are given specific job roles and do not feel the need to use initiative and do something outside of their box....fact..!

maybe they are scared of making a mistake the big boss being angry..... maybe...or just cannot think?

absolutely spot on observation.

[moe666]

Bought the girlfriend a few items at Tesco Lotus onnut the sales person was actually knowledgeable about his products, the delivery men showed up at appointed time and installed everything and insured it worked properly before leaving.

[tangcoral]

Theres a high turnover rate. When one employee leaves there is always a standby to take over their position. This is fact.

[Maccheroncini]

I do get a blank stare from sale staff a lot when asking simple question about product and service.  Sometime I think they are many staff to support the blank stare effect just to make it even more awkward.

[llso]

This thought of the number of staff i Thai shops occured to me when I first hit the shores in Thailand some 10+ years ago. My first experience was in a 7/11 where in a shop that was so small you barely had room to walk down the aisle without bumping into someone there were 5 or 6 staff. The thing that I noticed most back then was the politeness, something I wasn't used to.

In my home country US of A walking into a 7/11 or some other such convenience store there was on mamajama behind the counter on the phone talking to someone about the baby's daddy. My presence was just an incovenient distraction as the telephone call continued. I was expected to look at the display on the cash register and offer the tendered amount and hope for the correct change. Any interaction or question was met with utter contempt for my audacity to interrupt the phone conversation.

You can imagine my reaction to entering a shop and seeing staff who were wiling to acknoledge me and be polite at the samre time. I also went to a hospital where I noticed cleaners going around polishing the handrails and tidying up dusting and mopping the floors. Later it occured to me that daily wages for 1 western worker would pay for 5 or more Thai workers per day.

As a casual tourist or someone who doesn't speak Thai very well one can hardly expect decent customer service. As my Thai language skills improved over the years I became quite pleased with Thai customer service. If a Thai cannot understand your request it really puts them on the spot and the blank stare or as I like to refer to the "deer in the headlights " look happens.

I was very impressed when I moved into my apartment and went to buy some furniture and when asked for delivery they said they would follow me to my apt. and deliver ,assemble and install the furniture. Back home they would have arranged delivery for an exorbitant price two weeks from now betweem 6 AM and 6 PM and dropped some boxes off at my doorstep.

LL

[simon43]

The situation in Big C/Tesco where staff members are supplied by the product manufacturer really frustrates me. It means:

- If you ask about a competitor's product, you will only get lies and condemnation of that product

- If you ask about the manufacturer's product, you will only get lies and lauding of that product

Simon

[Heng]

They're there to grovel and applause when you shop. That's my experience anyway.

[Lannatyne]

A few years ago, I recall almost starting a fight between 2 members of staff in the electronics section of Tesco, in Phuket. Both were wearing standard Tesco uniforms, but one was clearly the Panasonic rep, and the other was the JVC rep.

Much fun was had by me as they slagged each others product off, in order to push their own!

I had to leave the shop with an acheing belly of laughter as, mischievously, I got the Sharp guy involved, too!!

[thaiozy]

I've always been impressed with the amount of staff present in Thai stores and shops, it's always easy to find someone for help. In the states stores are chronically understaffed and in popular stores it's next to impossible to find anyone to help you without making a real effort and sometimes not being able to find someone then. On the other hand, if you set foot on a car lot in the states you can't look for more than a few seconds before a pesky salesperson approaches. You can say you just want to look around but they'll still hover nearby. In contrast, I enjoy the way Thai store staff let you alone but are always nearby to help if you ask.

Just my two cents.

Have to agree, & you would of worked out i`m from australia where you don`t get service because you usually can`t find anyone even to check a price.If you do it`s usually a young person wher they pay them FA for knowing FA

I love the thai shops with great service, even taking my list & trolley to get the required items & if they don`t have the product will soon obtain it from another. But on the other hand was looking for mower, seen some & asked if they had more & was told no so come back with picture & seen front desk & they had it all the time. probably not much difference to other countries as it was maybe not her section

[thaibkk]

i guess in farangland, you as a working people have lots of pressure and have to sell sell sell to keep your job

here in thailand : its the mai pen rai or nevermind attitude....

but... as an example, could you blame people earling 35 baht per hour ??? you earn that in farangland with a few minutes of your toilet or coffee break...

as for construction, there are busy building new one's in our moo baan ... they earn 200 baht per day for construction of houses they will sell 12-15 million baht

if home buyers would see how they construct them... i do not think many would buy ... 15 people in a line, passing buckets of liquid concrete that comes from one truck... tossing them side by side and them up in the air, to fill the poles (fundation) of the house....

[thaibeachlovers]

I was going to start the exact same topic. I was waiting outside a tiny spa the other day and also counted 12 staff and only two customers! It's the same in my local bar. A very very nice AC bar, with normally 8 staff and no customers except us.

I guess this is why so many businesses come and go so quickly.

Just today my wife commented on how stupid they are to often open a shop and pay three months rental and then have almost zero customers because they have not done any research on what they are selling or the actual market. I think she's right. Coffee shops are a favourite. They open them in the strangest location, have next to no customers and then close again, or open over the road from two other identical empty coffee shops and never get a customer. Strange business sense. Another good one is glasses shops that have two or three girls sat in the window all day but very rarely a customer. Of course there's always the chance that all the customers come late in the evening. Just my observations.

Even more puzzling are the shops that never seem to have customers, yet keep going for years. There is a coffee shop on Pattaya's Walking Street, been open for as long as I can remember, yet I've only seen 2 customers in there the whole time.

Of course there are the thousands of tailors shops that never have customers either, but they probably have another reason for existing than merely making clothes!

Personally I like the big department stores, as they are well staffed with eye candy.

Banks too seem to have lots of staff, unlike back "home", as they often have a lovely young lady to smile at you when you enter.

Edited July 11, 2010 by thaibeachlovers