Selling Technique, Thai Style

[bendix]

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.

They come to help. It's a symbiotic relationship. They help you, they get commission. What, exactly, is wrong with that?

As for them not going away, my experience is very different to yours obviously. As I said, i simply smile, tell them I want to look alone and when I need their help, I will be sure to come and choose them to assist directly.

Life is so simple, when you don't cloud it with bitterness, resentment and anger.

[F1fanatic]

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.

They come to help. It's a symbiotic relationship. They help you, they get commission. What, exactly, is wrong with that?

As for them not going away, my experience is very different to yours obviously. As I said, i simply smile, tell them I want to look alone and when I need their help, I will be sure to come and choose them to assist directly.

Life is so simple, when you don't cloud it with bitterness, resentment and anger.

I find it hard to understand how anyone can survive living here if they get angry by shop staff (chasing their commission) being 'too' interested and staying close in case the customer either needs a question answered or, buys something - on which they can get commission.

There are far more annoying things going on than over-attentive shop-staff! But, to live here, one has to get over the irritation at little annoyances.

[GreenSnapper]

They come to help. It's a symbiotic relationship. They help you, they get commission. What, exactly, is wrong with that?

As for them not going away, my experience is very different to yours obviously. As I said, i simply smile, tell them I want to look alone and when I need their help, I will be sure to come and choose them to assist directly.

Life is so simple, when you don't cloud it with bitterness, resentment and anger.

Stalking people is wrong. I wouldn't mind if they were polite. They are not (with some exceptions obviously). I don't know what they are supposed to "help" me. They point out "20% discount" at some item where it is clearly written: 20% discount".

Some places have 5-10 of those stalkers hanging around. They are basically jobless, even if employed. They are bored to hell, what I can understand.

And as always in Thailand, I stay polite. If it is their business way to stalk people, it is my business way to buy where it does not happen. Easy.

But it is annoying and not only to me, but to Thais either.

[supaprik]

I enjoy wandering around in circles in Homepro, seeing how many laps I can get the sales person to follow me for.

Not every day mind.

yes an excellent way to get fit, and not have to renew that riduculously priced gym membership from True fitness!

[FreedomDude]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this type of OVERservice as it applies to restaurants! Why is it that every time I check out the menu displayed at the front of a restaurant, an employee always hurries up to me and stares at me as if I might have trouble reading the menu for myself?

A restaurant significantly increases its probability of getting me to sit down and order food if they leave me alone while browsing the menu!!

[Halfcast]

Your in Thailand what do you expect! Just learn to live with it. If shop assistants are right in your grill then you should be feeling concerned.

I was in Robinson & this one girl was up in my face watching my every movement & following me all over the store. So I grabbed her hand and held it.. For the remainder of my 15 minutes in the store I was walking up & down each section nonchalantly whilst holding the shop assistants hand..

[philw]

They come to help. It's a symbiotic relationship. They help you, they get commission. What, exactly, is wrong with that?

As for them not going away, my experience is very different to yours obviously. As I said, i simply smile, tell them I want to look alone and when I need their help, I will be sure to come and choose them to assist directly.

Life is so simple, when you don't cloud it with bitterness, resentment and anger.

Stalking people is wrong. I wouldn't mind if they were polite. They are not (with some exceptions obviously). I don't know what they are supposed to "help" me. They point out "20% discount" at some item where it is clearly written: 20% discount".

Some places have 5-10 of those stalkers hanging around. They are basically jobless, even if employed. They are bored to hell, what I can understand.

And as always in Thailand, I stay polite. If it is their business way to stalk people, it is my business way to buy where it does not happen. Easy.

But it is annoying and not only to me, but to Thais either.

Stalkers ????

They are under qualified shop assistants, trying to earn a living.

Had any good close encounters in the carpark ???

Ear damage from whistles perhaps ? ( it's actionable you know )

Nasty dent in the wing mirror ?

[zzaa09]

Your in Thailand what do you expect! Just learn to live with it. If shop assistants are right in your grill then you should be feeling concerned.

I was in Robinson & this one girl was up in my face watching my every movement & following me all over the store. So I grabbed her hand and held it.. For the remainder of my 15 minutes in the store I was walking up & down each section nonchalantly whilst holding the shop assistants hand..

I'm sure she was right with it as long as you made the big-ticket item purchase.

What a trooper.....

[NewlyMintedThai]

This has got to be the pettiest, whingiest thread ever on TV.

[farangme]

When being stalked, I find the multi question approach works. In particular, ask about/for features their product doesn't have. Insist you've seen it elsewhere and act dumbfounded they don't have it. They will melt to the background. If you want to rub it in, occasionally call them back for more questions. Their fellow staff will also disappear and now avoid you.

Another approach is to let them describe all the features of a product, then ask them to do the same for another item. Keep going and they will quickly wear out and leave you alone.

Or go with the wife, let her get them started, tell them its up to her, and wander off.

Lastly, if you're in a hurry or really don't want to deal with them at all, don't brush your teeth and when they approach you, get a little face to face and loudly tell them in your native tongue that you're just looking. Should scare them off.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[rockderk]

Retail sales people [even supervisors] make an about-face when dealing with another monster that doesn't include a prosective sale and needlessly shadowing you..

Ever tried to return or exchange an item....?? For whatever reason.

It's as they don't know what him them.

I know Thais [as a rule] don't take things back when appropriate. A little kreng jai mentality is involved - don't upset the apple cart. This mind set casts itself amongst commercial retail employees of every sort, as they don't know how to remedy a simple purchase/exchange.

I Successfully returned a microwave oven to Tesco. The store manager met me at the service counter, shook my hand and personally escorted me to the electrical goods section where I selected a new one. The minions tested it, the manager apologized and off I went. Why? Because prior to this I emailed him personally. I said I didn't have the sales docket and I was over the 7-day return limit, so could he advise me where I could get the thing repaired. Tesco has one of the few 'contact us' links that actually works!

[bunta71]

I have already posted before on a similar thread about the guy in Chiang Mai who quit selling electric space heaters because "they sell so fast I cannot keep them on my shelves. Tired of re-ordering them".

Yesterday at the grocery store in the bottom of Central in Phuket, I found two loaves of some really nice looking German Dark bread. I wanted two loaves but the lady said " cannot!" They use these for making sandwiches in their deli only. The breads they did have for sale weren't up to my liking at all. Small, hard crust that would almost cut your gums....etc.. So here you have a buyer wanting your product yet they do not take advantadge of it. Strange but TIT.

Edited January 26, 2012 by bunta71

[zzaa09]

Retail sales people [even supervisors] make an about-face when dealing with another monster that doesn't include a prosective sale and needlessly shadowing you..

Ever tried to return or exchange an item....?? For whatever reason.

It's as they don't know what him them.

I know Thais [as a rule] don't take things back when appropriate. A little kreng jai mentality is involved - don't upset the apple cart. This mind set casts itself amongst commercial retail employees of every sort, as they don't know how to remedy a simple purchase/exchange.

I Successfully returned a microwave oven to Tesco. The store manager met me at the service counter, shook my hand and personally escorted me to the electrical goods section where I selected a new one. The minions tested it, the manager apologized and off I went. Why? Because prior to this I emailed him personally. I said I didn't have the sales docket and I was over the 7-day return limit, so could he advise me where I could get the thing repaired. Tesco has one of the few 'contact us' links that actually works!

7-day return limitation!?!

[pauljones]

Often I see the Pizza Co delivery boy on his motorbike and try to stop him to buy a slice.

He ignores me & always keeps on going.

How do they stay in business I wonder?

[GreenSnapper]

When being stalked, I find the multi question approach works. In particular, ask about/for features their product doesn't have. Insist you've seen it elsewhere and act dumbfounded they don't have it. They will melt to the background. If you want to rub it in, occasionally call them back for more questions. Their fellow staff will also disappear and now avoid you.

Another approach is to let them describe all the features of a product, then ask them to do the same for another item. Keep going and they will quickly wear out and leave you alone.

Anti-stalking tactics as suggested do not really work.

The reason: it is not just one stalker you have to get rid of. You browse around a store and every few meters there is another stalker coming to you. On a single floor you can easily have 5 stalkers you must get rid of and if you move to another floor it is the same.

So your shopping experience mainly consists of getting rid of the stalkers.

Not much fun and very tiring.

[F1fanatic]

When being stalked, I find the multi question approach works. In particular, ask about/for features their product doesn't have. Insist you've seen it elsewhere and act dumbfounded they don't have it. They will melt to the background. If you want to rub it in, occasionally call them back for more questions. Their fellow staff will also disappear and now avoid you.

Another approach is to let them describe all the features of a product, then ask them to do the same for another item. Keep going and they will quickly wear out and leave you alone.

Anti-stalking tactics as suggested do not really work.

The reason: it is not just one stalker you have to get rid of. You browse around a store and every few meters there is another stalker coming to you. On a single floor you can easily have 5 stalkers you must get rid of and if you move to another floor it is the same.

So your shopping experience mainly consists of getting rid of the stalkers.

Not much fun and very tiring.

Alternatively, you could just tell them you are 'just looking' and thereafter ignore them unless you need their help?

I'm genuinely amazed that people can get so annoyed at a minor irritation.

[GreenSnapper]

Alternatively, you could just tell them you are 'just looking' and thereafter ignore them unless you need their help?

This is what I always try first. But it doesn't work because the stalkers usually don't have polite attitudes. They just continue.

Perhaps down there in Phuket it is better. But here in BKK they stalk you even at the BIG-C electrical department.

[bendix]

They come to help. It's a symbiotic relationship. They help you, they get commission. What, exactly, is wrong with that?

As for them not going away, my experience is very different to yours obviously. As I said, i simply smile, tell them I want to look alone and when I need their help, I will be sure to come and choose them to assist directly.

Life is so simple, when you don't cloud it with bitterness, resentment and anger.

Stalking people is wrong. I wouldn't mind if they were polite. They are not (with some exceptions obviously). I don't know what they are supposed to "help" me. They point out "20% discount" at some item where it is clearly written: 20% discount".

.

Aren't you being a bit melodramatic? Stalking people? Good grief. Stalkers are usually sinister young men wearing pee-stained trousers, hanging around outside the mansions of Jodie Foster. I think it a bit over the top to label them stalkers.

As for complaining about them pointing out discounts. Look, they are Thai. Most will have poor English, but they make an effort to communicate with you in English in their country. Highlighting a discount is an easy but awkward way to do that.

What's the big deal? Seriously, get over it.

[wpcoe]

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.'

If only that worked. In my experience, it does not, 90% of the time.

Alternatively, you could just tell them you are 'just looking' and thereafter ignore them unless you need their help?

I'm genuinely amazed that people can get so annoyed at a minor irritation.

It's minor but annoying enough that has often times lost a sale. If someone insists on following me after I've repeatedly asked them not to, if I decide to buy something, I will leave the department, and return to approach someone else and give them the sale. I will not reward them for ignoring my wishes.

If you were at the urinal in a public restroom, and one fellow begins massaging your neck and another stands at your side with a hot towel, even if that irritates or annoys you, I guess you should NOT expect them to respect your privacy and simply ACCEPT it with gratitude when they remain massaging and waiting, because it is merely their job?

[KeyserSoze01]

More farang getting their panties in a twist over a cultural difference. We are not accustomed to assisted shopping in the west and feel uncomfortable about it when in Thailand. Yes, it is frustrating and I have experienced it myself. My biggest gripe about the perpetual companion when shopping is that they don't know anything about the products in their areas. What good is it to have your own assistant when they don't know squat about what is one sale?

Edited February 5, 2012 by KeyserSoze01

[Kilgore Trout]

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.

They come to help. It's a symbiotic relationship. They help you, they get commission. What, exactly, is wrong with that?

As for them not going away, my experience is very different to yours obviously. As I said, i simply smile, tell them I want to look alone and when I need their help, I will be sure to come and choose them to assist directly.

Life is so simple, when you don't cloud it with bitterness, resentment and anger.

Help, ha. The only time I have ever received actual help is at a boutique store where the owner has a real interest in the things he/she sells, and then through only dealing with them. Their staff are useless.

In my experience, these workers who follow you around (and I have heard them in Thai dealing with Thai customers as well) they know nothing about the products they are selling and if you ask which is better, they will feed you some line of BS pointing to the idea that the one that costs more must be better, however they can not tell you why.

[GreenSnapper]

More farang getting their panties in a twist over a cultural difference. We are not accustomed to assisted shopping in the west and feel uncomfortable about it when in Thailand. Yes, it is frustrating and I have experienced it myself. My biggest gripe about the perpetual companion when shopping is that they don't know anything about the products in their areas. What good is it to have your own assistant when they don't know squat about what is one sale?

When you ask Thais, they are also annoyed by it. They often have more difficulties than farangs to get rid of the stalkers because of Thai politeness.

It is a nuisance for most people. Except for the ThaiVisa apologists, of course.

[F1fanatic]

More farang getting their panties in a twist over a cultural difference. We are not accustomed to assisted shopping in the west and feel uncomfortable about it when in Thailand. Yes, it is frustrating and I have experienced it myself. My biggest gripe about the perpetual companion when shopping is that they don't know anything about the products in their areas. What good is it to have your own assistant when they don't know squat about what is one sale?

When you ask Thais, they are also annoyed by it. They often have more difficulties than farangs to get rid of the stalkers because of Thai politeness.

It is a nuisance for most people. Except for the ThaiVisa apologists, of course.

You think I'm an "apologist" !

Shop staff are only doing their job and to get annoyed enough to post on TV about it....? Don't forget the OP said that the 'stalker' stayed a few aisles away.

[doji]

Instead of being annoyed by something you don’t like and come here to whine about it all the time, why don’t some here try to open your mouth and tell those salepeople “ thank you, but I’m just browsing..etcs”?

Geez…why is it so freaking difficult to speak up? No one can read your mind you know, they have a job to do too. I have heard the thais speak out all the time and so do I, after that they just leave you alone browsing happily. So I have no problem with them.

[wpcoe]

Catching up on some online comics, I immediately thought of this thread when I saw this:

[edwardandtubs]

Instead of being annoyed by something you don’t like and come here to whine about it all the time, why don’t some here try to open your mouth and tell those salepeople “ thank you, but I’m just browsing..etcs”?

Geez…why is it so freaking difficult to speak up? No one can read your mind you know, they have a job to do too. I have heard the thais speak out all the time and so do I, after that they just leave you alone browsing happily. So I have no problem with them.

Obvious newbie.

[doji]

^ Yes obvious, isn't it?

[chakatee]

Often I see the Pizza Co delivery boy on his motorbike and try to stop him to buy a slice.

He ignores me & always keeps on going.

How do they stay in business I wonder?