Our work puts my (Thai) wife and I in constant need of significant construction supplies and materials which means we are often making inquiries in specialty shops. We are often amazed at the indifference of either owners or assistants to our questions about their products. Maybe this falls under a general category of "Questions means either you are stupid or trying to make me look stupid". Owners hardly look up from their newspapers, clerks mumble something about "that's not my job" and walk away. Questions about "if you don't carry it do you think it might be available anywhere else in Thailand" seem to be taken as insults. Wai-ing and smiling don't seem to do much. My wife gets angry and rude at this and this doesn't get us much either. Maybe we have exaggerated expectations of customer service. Anyone else share this reaction?

Very much so...

It annoys me too. There is two types of retail that bug me here. The kind you mentioned, where they are simply distributors of a certain product and the clerks/specialists don't seem to know squat about the product and no assistance or desire to help---with the this is what we have, this all there is, take it or leave it attitude.

And the other type of retail which is annoying is when you are simply browsing the selection and the clerk is following you everywhere like a magnet...and even when you do have an inquiry, before you finish the sentance, it's a 'no we don't have' or 'no it doesn't exist' type of attitude. Either that or they ask some other senior joe who doesn't know squat either, giving us, the consumer a look like 'what a crazy consumer wanting to know this info'

bugs me too.

It's no wonder why many people are forced to import certain products might even have a small distribution line locally, just almost impossible to find.

I've seen both ends of the spectrum here. It took awhile but we finally found some stores with good service and we give them all our business...many of them are really excited about special orders because the prices and resulting profits on special orders are higher than the regular line of goods.

Edit: OOOOOOPS....just noticed you said Bangkok.....I'm upcountry.

Our work puts my (Thai) wife and I in constant need of significant construction supplies and materials which means we are often making inquiries in specialty shops. We are often amazed at the indifference of either owners or assistants to our questions about their products. Maybe this falls under a general category of "Questions means either you are stupid or trying to make me look stupid". Owners hardly look up from their newspapers, clerks mumble something about "that's not my job" and walk away. Questions about "if you don't carry it do you think it might be available anywhere else in Thailand" seem to be taken as insults. Wai-ing and smiling don't seem to do much. My wife gets angry and rude at this and this doesn't get us much either. Maybe we have exaggerated expectations of customer service. Anyone else share this reaction?

when in Thailand, do as Thai's do:

ma bpen rai

Walk into the Mcintosh Hi Fi store at Amarin Plaza to see what pitifull service is all about.

The worst has been at Central Chitlom Television/Electronics area. 20 employees, 3 customers and zero help.

Same thing happended the other day at the BMW Mini Cooper store on Soi Luang Suan. 5 or 6 employees sitting there and not even a hello.

I've seen both ends of the spectrum here.  It took awhile but we finally found some stores with good service and we give them all our business...many of them are really excited about special orders because the prices and resulting profits on special orders are higher than the regular line of goods.

Edit:  OOOOOOPS....just noticed you said Bangkok.....I'm upcountry.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would echo that oops too, because I was thinking the same thing. I've gotten great help and service at a major hardware store here.... but then again, I'm not in Bangkok either.

But I do notice The Skipper is like you, Uncle, in BKK.

Perhaps it's geographic, but then it must be just blind luck too...