F1fanatic Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 my wife assured her on 3 occasions that we would come get only her if needed, not to worry, because like you, i seen she was keen and that was to be commended. however she wouldnt stop so we left. i am entitled to this as a consumer and should never be made to feel obligated to a sales person no matter what his/her circumstances are. what she was doing was 'pressure selling' which is regarded in the sales profession as combative and totally unnecessary. a simple agreement by the sales lady to wait until called was all that was asked. it didnt happen, we felt uneasy so we left. thanks for your question. The sales woman was 3 aisles away (from memory), but you still felt unbearable pressure?? Perhaps she was just trying to stay close enough to be 'called' when demanded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaitlinHappyMeal Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 This thread made me chuckle today, I'll add my 2 penneth, recently 2 incidents have happened in 2 separate shops, 1st a sweat band in sports world, and 2nd a mars bar in 7......... No bar code, a complete catastrophe!!!! After just standing there for what seemed like an eternity listening to the staff bawling their heads of at each other in growing panic many members of staff had to be sent out like minions to get another identical product to scan, but none of the products had a bar code, more shouting, more waiting, I was about to say forget it when one member of staff showed enough initiative to get the price and code off the shelving and enter it manually into the cash register!! Every establishment could really do with that one special employee of the month, it seems they are hard to come by? ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonytigerbkk Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Its the same in every country - they're either following you around like a limpet, or impossible to find. No it is not. If I go shopping for a fridge in England i don't get swamped by 7 shop assistants all pushing me to buy the brand that they get the commission on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F1fanatic Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) Its the same in every country - they're either following you around like a limpet, or impossible to find. No it is not. If I go shopping for a fridge in England i don't get swamped by 7 shop assistants all pushing me to buy the brand that they get the commission on. No you don't. Mostly they ignore you until they realise that there is a genuine sale (and commission) to be made. A fridge? Not worth their valuable effort. Edit - mind you, once you go to the cashier to pay for your chosen fridge - they will be there to persuade you that you need the 'maintanence protection' policy - that costs as much as the bloody fridge! Edited January 18, 2012 by F1fanatic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudolus Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think everyone understand they are serving you to earn commission. No one debates that, nor the fact that they most likely need the money to top up a frankly abysmal salary (if any). My major point of consternation and it must come from my personality type which has an allergy to being sold to, is that I do not actually need to be sold to. If I enter a shop (which is rarely) it is because I have already decided to buy something and then just comparing a few things. It takes me an age to decide and I really do not want someone standing there (especially someone pushing tosh Thai brand when you are looking at something high end). In Home Pro for example, there is one employee for every 20 that actually knows anything. The rest are there for decoration (by the way, has anyone else noticed that the place does not really sell all the things you would need to buy if you are running a house?) I do not think it is too much to ask to be left alone. If someone asks me to leave them alone, I would not bother them. Why? Because I do not think people actually buy things from people that annoy them. Not given a choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblether Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 If its not bad enough trying to shop without being shadowed by a 5-a-side team, try taking something back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midasthailand Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 My contribution to the thread is not so much the pressure to buy, but the hordes of staff in all chains of supermarkets that clog up the aisles and stand in little groups picking their noses and chatting as if you do not exist and they are not in the way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thequietman Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 my wife assured her on 3 occasions that we would come get only her if needed, not to worry, because like you, i seen she was keen and that was to be commended. however she wouldnt stop so we left. i am entitled to this as a consumer and should never be made to feel obligated to a sales person no matter what his/her circumstances are. what she was doing was 'pressure selling' which is regarded in the sales profession as combative and totally unnecessary. a simple agreement by the sales lady to wait until called was all that was asked. it didnt happen, we felt uneasy so we left. thanks for your question. The sales woman was 3 aisles away (from memory), but you still felt unbearable pressure?? Perhaps she was just trying to stay close enough to be 'called' when demanded? she was asked to stop where she was and dont follow us. simple request. why dont you just let it go. as a consumer I, me, choose how i want to buy something. i dont care if she was on commission. she was told that she will get the commission, but just leave us to look around. she didnt. we left. i suppose you like people following you around. are you craving attention ? or what ! you dont need to respond to this. i am not alone in not liking sales people follow me around looking over my shoulder. especially since the prices were all on the furniture. what would I need her to follow me around for ? if i was a sales person and somebody asked me not to follow them around and I would still get the commission, then I would LISTEN. the problem here is thai sales people dont listen. they hear what they want to hear and they will say anything to get a sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forethat Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Ever notice, it's never a pretty girl that follows you? I had this one guy who insisted on picking his face following me and another time a kid on a telephone. I can't stand it. And now for a confession, I try to pass gas, but only in the vicinity of other clients and staff. If done well, you can make a discreet exit into the wind leaving the vapour trail of noxious fumes behind and the group looking at each other. I've done this a couple times and pulled it off. The only danger is that sometimes its hard not to start laughing. My friend caught me once and boy did I get in trouble. I would like to add a friendly note of warning here to the untrained ‘crop duster’…….Before you try and lay that ‘cloud of doom’ best try a few test shots first, the combo of trying to drop that…’special brew’ mixed with Thai food, (especially if not used to Thai food) could end up with a ‘negligent discharge’……Not to smooth a move, especially in shorts! Take heed my fellow novices to this wise man's words of advise. I too have suffered the perils of discharing an unplanned "cloud of doom" to an unsuspecting antogonist without calculating the "cause & effect". Bahahaha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willeyeam Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 It is the same everywhere you go - (Electronic goods are the worst) they are so bloody annoying, you just look at something on the shelf and then they home in like locusts "Sawadee Kah" unless you are shopping in Big C or Tesco and actually want to buy something like FOOD!, then they cannot be found for love or money, they do however tend to congregate like lice when stacking shelves and blocking aisles- an m16 would be a handy option here when shopping. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonburiram Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Sales people follow you because they are told to do so. Get used to it, it's not to irritate you. I like to pour out my beer for myself and know that the staff is told to do it for me, so I just tell the service to tell the boss the customer prefers to do it for himself and it is not lack of attention on his/her behalf. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonto21 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Sales people follow you because they are told to do so. Get used to it, it's not to irritate you. I like to pour out my beer for myself and know that the staff is told to do it for me, so I just tell the service to tell the boss the customer prefers to do it for himself and it is not lack of attention on his/her behalf. Nice one ‘Chonburiram’ ……..Nobody new this! If only you had posted your words of wisdom on this topic sooner…..All those that replied could have spent the 30 seconds replying……………..done something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samtam Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 I think everyone understand they are serving you to earn commission. No one debates that, nor the fact that they most likely need the money to top up a frankly abysmal salary (if any). My major point of consternation and it must come from my personality type which has an allergy to being sold to, is that I do not actually need to be sold to. If I enter a shop (which is rarely) it is because I have already decided to buy something and then just comparing a few things. It takes me an age to decide and I really do not want someone standing there (especially someone pushing tosh Thai brand when you are looking at something high end). In Home Pro for example, there is one employee for every 20 that actually knows anything. The rest are there for decoration (by the way, has anyone else noticed that the place does not really sell all the things you would need to buy if you are running a house?) I do not think it is too much to ask to be left alone. If someone asks me to leave them alone, I would not bother them. Why? Because I do not think people actually buy things from people that annoy them. Not given a choice. Spot on. When I go to the wine section of Central Food Hall in Chidlom, I pick up the brand of vodka, (Absolut or Finlandia) I like to drink. Some silly arsed girl tells me that Smirnoff is "better". I just give them an "old fashioned" look, and am on my way in seconds. My contribution to the thread is not so much the pressure to buy, but the hordes of staff in all chains of supermarkets that clog up the aisles and stand in little groups picking their noses and chatting as if you do not exist and they are not in the way! Yes, that was basically the gist of my original post, but my experience this time had "bells on". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soutpeel Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 People always complaining about Thailand and Thai people should go home. What an original comment on TV !!!!....did you come up with this all by yourself ?......another trainee apologist in the midst.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundman Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I have removed posts with less than accurate transliterations of Thai language. Please use Thai Visa's "Thai Language forum" for help with correct grammar and pronunciation. Here. ..................... Tonto21 - please post in normal font, not bold. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardandtubs Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 They are extremely annoying when they come RUNNING up to you and just stand and stare at you. Do they not appreciate that staring at someone may make them feel uncomfortable? Another bizarre thing I've noticed is when I'm choosing my alcohol, whatever bottle I touch she suggests a different brand. I pick up a Black Label? She picks up and "presents" to me a Chivas Regal. It the same with clothes. I pick up a blue tie, she picks up and "presents" a yellow tie that I'm not at all interested in. <deleted>? Then while choosing a shirt, whatever shirt I touch she picks it up and "presents" it to me. So I just keep randomly touching shirts and she keeps pulling them out and "presenting" them to me until 10 shirts later she finally realises I'm taking the piss out of her. Fun can be had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Yes it's rude It's not rude, really. Perhaps from some perspectives such action might be considered annoying, to be sure. Look at it as a social extension....because that's what such interacting activities are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 They are extremely annoying when they come RUNNING up to you and just stand and stare at you. Do they not appreciate that staring at someone may make them feel uncomfortable? Another bizarre thing I've noticed is when I'm choosing my alcohol, whatever bottle I touch she suggests a different brand. I pick up a Black Label? She picks up and "presents" to me a Chivas Regal. It the same with clothes. I pick up a blue tie, she picks up and "presents" a yellow tie that I'm not at all interested in. <deleted>? Then while choosing a shirt, whatever shirt I touch she picks it up and "presents" it to me. So I just keep randomly touching shirts and she keeps pulling them out and "presenting" them to me until 10 shirts later she finally realises I'm taking the piss out of her. Fun can be had. Absolutely! Try pointing at a TV and asking "How many calories in that?" or "which brand of waffle-iron makes the best trouser press".. Hours of amusement while waiting or your other half to finish shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJIC Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I hear you…..One of my pet hates is being followed by a personal shopper, the second I cross the shop thresh hold, I find myself, very quickly no longer really shopping but trying to out run and out maneuver my new friend. I’ve tried to tell them I don’t need help, in Thai, but I might as well be talking Swahili. Sometimes if I have the devil in me I will try and start a ‘Benny Hill’ type chase…….No takers yet, but will keep trying. Best tactic start asking as many questions as you can in anything but Thai language, they soon scamper off............................sometimes to return with an English speaking person where I tell them................Im only looking!!! I don't think they will ever understand,the quickest way to drive people out of the store,without buying anything,is to follow them around and make them feel uncomfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 The 'leaving a scent trail behind' idea one of the posters in this thread commented on is pretty discusting !!! That said - Yes, its very annoying when thinking about a purchase and the sales assistant is virtually in your underwear... I like walking into a clothes shop... "Can I help you ?" "Thanks, but no" "What are you looking for ?" "My Marbles".... Or, again in a clothes shop... "Can I help you ?" "Yes, I'm looking for a 55" Samsung LED Series 7 TV with internet connectivity" "excuse me!" "Thats OK" "erm, excuse me, can I help you" "Yes, I'm looking for a 55" Samsung LED Series 7 TV with internet connectivity - A Television....." "This is a Clothes shop, TV upstairs" "Thank you" And then they must think... Stupid foreigner ! But its better than Singapore. I once walked into an Electronics shop on Orchard Road... The sale man asked..."Can I help you ?" "No thanks, I'm just taking a look" "What you look for lah" "Just looking thanks" "You walk into my shop, you must know what you are looking for" "Not really, I'm just browsing thanks" "you come into my shop and you dont know what you want, why you waste my time?" "OK, I was looking at that Nikon Digitial SLR, I was also looking at that Zoom lense to accompany it, and I'm also considering an MP3 player, but if think I'm going to spend SG$2000 in your shop you can forget it, now get out of my way !!!" (and I promptly left !).... If all the shop asstants do is aimlessly follow me around I do my best to ignore them and filter them out until they speak, at which point I hope a "Mai aw khrap, mai penrai" is good enough to keep them away for a while.... If not, like many others, I also leave the shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSnapper Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Went to Power Buy at Emporium and I was surprised that nobody tried to stalk me. I was almost missing it Maybe the complaints from Farangs and Japanese who are prime customers there did have some effect. At other places, I often ended my shopping when the stalking got too much. It is really annoying here, never experienced that in another country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soutpeel Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Went to Power Buy at Emporium and I was surprised that nobody tried to stalk me. I was almost missing it Maybe the complaints from Farangs and Japanese who are prime customers there did have some effect. At other places, I often ended my shopping when the stalking got too much. It is really annoying here, never experienced that in another country. all they all could have gone off on holiday being Chinese New year and all ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foggy Dew Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hi All, I like shopping in Bangkok! I like that when I buy a book in a good bookshop they offer to wrap it in a protective sleeve. I like that I can pop into Robinsons and get an instant personal shopping assistant that will carry my purchases and go get the bill ready when it is time to check out. I like that when I stop at a service station for some fuel I get service, I can get the tank full and pay for my purchase without leaving the car! Contrast that with the service or lack of it I get in many Irish stores. You have to fight to get the shop assistants attention. They are too busy texting their friends or updating their facebook profile to be bothered to assist you. Compare ordering a drink in a Thai night club and an Irish / UK nightclub. The only thing in common is the drink. I do not live in Thailand just visit from time to time, but I like it when I do visit. Regard Foggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sing_Sling Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Oh god yes. I'm guessing you're English as well. We like to have to drag the assistants out from behind the till looking like they'd wish we'd drop dead rather than do business with them. Funnily enough I still prefer it, something about being able to take my time. My wife and I adopt tag-team tactics. The person who isn't shopping in that particular shop diverts the attention of the shop assistants whilst the other one browses leisurely. My wife and I adopt the tactic of splitting up and whichever one is followed blocks the aisle just to see the confusion . . . it helps that my wife isn't Thai and can see the humour in it. (Our kids, however, are more baffled than anything) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpio Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Im sick of walking into a store for a brouwse and to check prices only to be followed every where i go by staff like flies round sh***e, soooooo annoying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halfcast Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Surprisingly, I don't mind them. I really don't care If they wish to pursue me around the store or not, as long as they don't obstruct me & keep clear of my personal space that is. If I need help I with a product I will signal them. Saves me from searching the whole store for an assistant like I do here in Aus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Im sick of walking into a store for a brouwse and to check prices only to be followed every where i go by staff like flies round sh***e, soooooo annoying Though, this type of hounding service tends to be limited towards the particular type of shopping place. One will not find this annoyance in your average Big C's or Lotus [examples]......this is true of your small little everyday Thai owned shops everywhere, less the proverbial daily Thai markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardholder Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Im sick of walking into a store for a brouwse and to check prices only to be followed every where i go by staff like flies round sh***e, soooooo annoying Though, this type of hounding service tends to be limited towards the particular type of shopping place. One will not find this annoyance in your average Big C's or Lotus [examples]......this is true of your small little everyday Thai owned shops everywhere, less the proverbial daily Thai markets. Big C are actually the worst offenders - certainly in the electrical goods areas. I take a juvenile delight in seeing how far I have to slowly walk before I take the staff member out of their (comfort) zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendix Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 So let me get this right. If a shop assistant comes up to you to help in Thailand, it's rude? Whereas, if you're ignored by an obese shop assistant in the UK, it's . . . ummm . . ok? Honestly, people don't half like to have a whine, don't they? It's hardly the end of the world. If it annoys you, how about saying something simple like: "I'm just looking around. Do you mind if I do that alone, and if I need any help, I'll come to you personally.' Get a grip people. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSnapper Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 So let me get this right. If a shop assistant comes up to you to help in Thailand, it's rude? They don't come to help. They come to get their commission if you buy something. And no, they don't go away even if you tell them. Because then they wouldn't get their commission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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