Why do Thai shop owners have such bad attitudes?

[namdocmai]

The shop i hate (yes really hate) the most is 1- Homepro and 2- Homeworks. They are waiting at the entrance to annoy you, then follow you like a lapdog, don't know anything about their own products because they have never used/posessed them. They only try to sell you the brand that they are selling, approach you in a group or are playfighting with eachother. They don't speak english, can't count. I always get a bad mood after i have been there. When i go there with my wife they talk to her like crazy while i am the customer and not her. My wife refuses to go there again, also Powerbuy has annoying sales by the way but better then homepro.

[kkerry]

Homepro... yep, I've had similar experience there a few times myself but sometimes they are the only place with an item I want. Homeworks and Powerbuy usually leave me alone. My local Tesco lost me as a customer for any appliances as they are so often out of stock of whatever I want to buy, and if they do have stock they try and talk you out of it because they are on commission from another brand. If I'm with my wife they start on her to get her to change my mind, even if I am standing there cash in hand all set to buy... I walked out a couple of times and now I don't bother anymore as the electrical store in the same shopping centre will usually match the Tesco price, plus they know their products better.

[PM888]

I think it must boil down to:

1. For the shop assistants, they are not compensated on a commission basis so just couldn't give a rats. Coupled with an underlying dislike of falangs

2. For the shop owners, just an underlying dislike of falangs

Otherwise, it just makes no economic sense. And don't get me started on taxi drivers - they are just a menace unto themselves. How many times have I gotten into a taxi and been so polite with all the sawadee kup crap and just get met with stoney faced silence/anger. It's like I'm pissing them off for having the audacity to get in their cab and expect to go somewhere.

At the end of the day, living in Thailand is like Enid Blyton's "The Magic Faraway Tree". And from most of the answers to my post, I think we as farangs are totally clueless to what is going on. I think my problem is that I am trying to find logic in the behaviour and this is not a land of logic.

[paz]

Classic thread subject that will bring to classic differences.

My experience: Some shop owners are pathetic. Some are good. Employees don't really count and I don't care much about them anyway. But I've seens some of them trying, and some not.

Anyway, I've seen worst in other countries.

[bendejo]

Right, get away from the tourist areas and you're in a whole different sphere. Learning a few words of Thai doesn't hurt.

I once went up to a stall and asked for somtam and the old woman started to laugh uncontrollably, like someone was tickling her feet. She never heard a farang say anything in Thai before. It worked out well, whenever she saw me she'd call me over to offer discounts to get rid of her stuff so she could close up.

But as for those who cater to tourists, the motto seems to be 'you pay now, then go <removed> off.' So much for customer realtionships.

On the ground floor of MBK there is a stall where a woman sells bags daypacks etc. If you look at her stuff and you walk away without buying she starts barking at you. Sometimes when I'm passing I'll stop and look just to p_iss her off.

[mogandave]

I've been here 13 years and have while I have encountered plenty of incompetents, I simply not seen many rude shop keepers or staff.

Perhaps attitude is a two way street...

[canuckamuck]

I just remember the shops that give me an unpleasant experience and I do my best not to return, Unfortunately there are a few shops that have products I can't find elsewhere and i have to bite the bullet and shop there.

I don't mind being ignored so much, because what is worse is having someone hanging on every glance you make and making useless suggestions when they have no clue what you really want. The commissioned sellers are possibly the worst, especially the ones that try to keep you from buying the product you came there to buy, in favor of theirs. I get some pleasure out of selecting the product that they have tried to discourage me from buying. Particularly if there is a pack of them surrounding you like vultures. Yes Homepro is bad for this, but only in some sections, like water heaters. Go shop for screws or plumbing parts and you can hear crickets chirping.

One of the worst thing about shopping in Thailand is that most employees do not know their products and can't answer very simple questions. Or even worse, just make something up because they think it is what you want to hear.

[cobra]

Like posters have mentioned,

Many shops / businesses are tended by low paid employees that are not on commission, or have any vested interest.

The owner wants / needs to make money and in my experience will do what it takes to make a sale.
I found also that if I'm fairly pleasant, begin and end with a smile everything goes fairly well.

I have noticed in dept stores like Robinsons, Mikes, etc, the younger employees will be fairly attentive and helpful if for no other reason they're under the watchful eye of a supervisor.

But I get it, dealing with an employee glued to their phone, not even looking at you and just uttering the refrain, no have, no have, is pretty frustrating.

Edited December 27, 2013 by cobra

[namdocmai]

Many times i got the "no have" and while i kept on searching myself i still found what i was looking for. I never listen or talk to employee's, they are so dumb.

[alfalfa19]

Beats me why you have this problem.I get nothing but smiles and great service. I bought my car in april 2012 when people where waiting months to get delivery. My Nissan deal got mine to me in 9 days.I buy any big items they deliver them free and quickly.Local businessmen see me in a coffe shop or restaurant they stop in and say hello and then pay my bill. At the market the merchants always add a little extra to my order for free. I cannot say I experience anything like what you describe. I cannot help you because cannot see how that could happen in Thailand.

Biggest load of bs ive heard in awhile

Ive experienced both good and bad but this post is certainly troll based or the poster is the village joke...probably both

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Haha, I agree. I was thinking the exact same thing, but was not going to say anything. Seems like somebody needs a few hundred pats on the back.

[RandomSand]

These experiences (I refer the the OP) are probably happening because you're shopping for specific products that are priced higher than they are in the west / other markets.

You think the asking prices is outrageous so you want want to ask for a discount. The Shop has already been in this same situation 100s of times before so feels frustrated and blue that they can't be competitive.

Another thing is that Thais are more cold blooded when it comes to business. Many times I watch Thais transact. It's basically; "B200 ok?" (hand is already in pocket holding notes), "Yes here take it" (it is put into plastic bag), they then swap and walk away. Nothing more is said -not even a thanks or goodbye.

Edited December 28, 2013 by RandomSand

[alfalfa19]

One time, I took a girl I had met on the internet to lunch at one of the major shopping malls, I forget which, perhaps MBK. We were eating in a nice restaurant which was part of a big store. I needed to use the restroom, and asked one of the clerks in the main store where was the restroom. I tried to say it in Thai, something like: Hong nam yoo tee nai? The clerk made a big show of trying to help me, even enlisting 3 of her cohorts to assist. After much ado, they produced a 2 gallon red plastic bucket, and offered it to me. Then, all 4 stood around beaming with big sh!t eating grins on their faces, so proud of their humiliation of the stupid farang. I was half tempted to set it on the floor, and start urinating into it. However, I did not want my lunch date to see my animal like behavior.

[jacko45k]

They do seem chirpier in the 7-11, but I must agree, I have come across some unhelpful miseries in shops here!

Just boredom and frustration and the fact they are likely not on any commission and business is maybe not good!

[asdecas]

Two words: tourism fatigue - same in every city and every town in every country that suffers an overload of blubbery sweatpots in ridiculous clothes, who left what little brain they ever had at home.

I'm off to the crematorium for a day out..

[Carl64]

I always get good service. A lot better than many other places in the world.

[laobali]

Surely this doesn't happen the same in every shop either or both of you visit.

Edited December 28, 2013 by laobali

[ezzra]

My pet peeve when shopping in Thai shops, showing an article on display and not having it

in stock, asking for a certain size or color only to be shown something completely different,

having something on display that is clearly out of date or style but the shop owner wants full

price for it... Shall I go on...?

[ronthai]

I live in Pattaya for 10+ years and can say I have an overal good experience in any kind of shop/market.

Always excellent service and as somebody else said, they even good to other shops to get stuff that is out of stock.

Even markets and such, it happens that the vendor is not present, lunch or something maybe. Then the next door vendor comes and help out.

As far as I can remember I have had 2 "bad" experiences. In both cases the 2-3 staff just could not be bothered to sale anything, too busy talking among each other, guess the owner was not there. In both cases I went to the next shop a doors further down the road.

A little off topic, in the past 10 years my overal experiences with Thai people in Pattaya is great. The only time when something bad ever happened, it was in the bar scene, when a Thai is drunk or too pushy and get an attitude, but even then his/her co-workers step in and problem solved.

[TravelerEastWest]

Sure there are rude shop keepers etc in Thailand but is the percentage different from other countries?

To me a bigger problem as it is much more common is lazy staff....

[dotpoom]

What annoys me is the way they follow me around the store like my shadow, I tell them it's OK, I can look at something without assistance and if I need them I will call them, they smile at me and nod in agreement and when I move on they follow me again. Some shop owners that know me now tell their staff to leave me alone when browsing after my wife explained to them that it irritated me. My other peeve is phone addicts who never stop playing on their phone but in the case of shopping I have turned this to my advantage. Before I go into a shop I make sure that the assistants are well and truly engrossed with the phones then I go in and start looking around (if the wife is with me I tell her to go in the opposite direction), it gives me a right old laugh to look at them being caught up between attending to me, attending to my wife or if the pull of the phone wins out over the two of us. You should try it....it can be good fun.

[robblok]

I think biggest problem is the lack of english here and the lack of Thai from the others. They just feel uncomfortable talking in English it goes slower and such. To be honest there are bad shops anywhere but with a few words of Thai they often help me. It can be quite fun explaining something in Thai when you don't know the exact words. Of course this is outside the tourist area's and not in a busy shop taking up all their time.

I bet most people here can't say 2 words of Thai (not that mine is perfect by any means) but just a bit helps.

[spidermike007]

Strange I don't find the shop owners/helpers in Thailand as what the OP said....As for the shop assistant/owner in China, this is my experience ..

I was at a flea market I think they called it the Russian market in Beijing, there was this store selling children imitation Barbie jeans...asked how munch is a pair the price quoted was about USD 70, WOW I said this costs more than an original... So I walked off, the woman kept shouting and gesticulating, I understood she wanted me to quote her a price....I said how can I if the price you quoted was so outrageous...

So much so for what the OP has said about China shop owners...

Whenever I get quoted a really stupid price, I counter offer with a price that is about 10% of the original quote. It shocks them. If they are serious, they then get it, and counter with a price that is about 70% less than than the original quote. It is a fun game. They immediately realize you are not a stupid fareng. It helps if you speak minimal thai, and can count in Thai. If they are not serious, then they do not counter. That is all. It is your responsibility as a consumer to avoid shops with bad attitudes. Avoid shopping in tourist areas. Avoid unpleasant of unhelpful show owners. There are lots who have good attitudes, and are happy that you are in their shop. Seek them out. It is your responsibility to find those shops, and not their responsibility to be nice to you, wherever you go.

[rhodie]

To the OP. All I can say is our experiences differ greatly. I too have a Chinese wife and even she concedes that the manners of Chinese are terrible.

Most Chinese seem to show outward contempt whether in China or outside. Thais at least smile and make you feel welcome.

Just my 2c.

[spidermike007]

One time, I took a girl I had met on the internet to lunch at one of the major shopping malls, I forget which, perhaps MBK. We were eating in a nice restaurant which was part of a big store. I needed to use the restroom, and asked one of the clerks in the main store where was the restroom. I tried to say it in Thai, something like: Hong nam yoo tee nai? The clerk made a big show of trying to help me, even enlisting 3 of her cohorts to assist. After much ado, they produced a 2 gallon red plastic bucket, and offered it to me. Then, all 4 stood around beaming with big sh!t eating grins on their faces, so proud of their humiliation of the stupid farang. I was half tempted to set it on the floor, and start urinating into it. However, I did not want my lunch date to see my animal like behavior.

The best reply would have been a big smile, and Kuhn chai dee mak mak, and just turned around and walked back to their table. There are butt heads everywhere. Water off a ducks back. Means nothing to me. Nothing you can do will ruffle me. That attitude would have burned them even more. That would have gotten their goat.

[Suradit69]

Beats me why you have this problem.I get nothing but smiles and great service. I bought my car in april 2012 when people where waiting months to get delivery. My Nissan deal got mine to me in 9 days.I buy any big items they deliver them free and quickly.Local businessmen see me in a coffe shop or restaurant they stop in and say hello and then pay my bill. At the market the merchants always add a little extra to my order for free. I cannot say I experience anything like what you describe. I cannot help you because I cannot see how that could happen in Thailand.

Yes, I agree. Whether in the permanent market or Tuesday/Friday market in South Central Pattaya or the small shops in the area and such I find 95% of the time everyone is polite, helpful friendly ... and the other 5% tends to be a one-off, having a bad day thing.

I don't expect people to jump for joy as I head in their direction or click their heels in ecstatic expectation as I approach, but shopkeepers, clerks in Family Marts & 7-Elevens, waiters, Immigrations offices,bank clerks, sales people in big stores, et al almost always are friendly, smiling, sometimes chatty depending on our mutual language abilities. If I am with a Thai friend they may be more apt to speak to him because of the ease of communications, but still very few negative experiences or feelings that the person we're dealing with has "attitude."

And once again, the supposed experience of one person/couple, or at least their perception, is generalized. Rather than saying why do some Thai shop owners treat my wife and me with attitude ... it becomes Why do (all of the tens of thousands of ) Thai shop owners have such bad attitudes (to every foreigner).

If you were an American and kept getting attitude from sales clerks wherever you went in the US, you'd probably think: What am I doing wrong, not Why do all American sales people hate all Americans.

[The Deerhunter]

Usually all smiles & I have been shopping for many years in LOS with virtually no thai language. Dont try to bargain in big stores. That is for small market stalls.or street stalls. Sometimes I have been ignored when several staff have gathered to hide in an aisle for a gossip. I just walk up and say "Excuse me" in English. As a generality thai people are way more polite than Chinese who can be quite rude and very pushy, particularly in queues.

[Pormax]

Unlike many other replies to the OP I do tend to agree with him. Though one cannot label everyone in the same category I do find the attitude of 'you are a customer and I am hear to help and serve you' is very poor compared to many countries I have been to.

However, saying that I believe the attitude of the shop owners or staff is in response to the way the local people treat these people. I never hear a thank you from them when served or given their change, Thai customers tend to treat sales people as beneath them. I often have a go at my wife about this. I do thank people (in Thai) 90% of the time and get a reply or a smile. The other 10% I do not, this is when I do get a bad lazy attitude when asking for assistance. Only a few times can I remember other than in 7/11 getting a welcome when I walk into a store or a thank you when I leave, unless it is in reply to my thank you.

Maybe I can understand some bad attitude from shop owners/assistants if one tries to barter down too much or too hard. I don't barter very much at all. After being here a few years I tend to have a good idea if the price asked is realistic. However my wife will always try and get 20 or 50 Baht of the price of goods other than food.

Staff training is basically non existant here except in stores like 7/11. I cannot count the amount of times I have to wait for assistants to look up while they apply their make up, painting their nails or are playing games on their mobiles.

What does annoy me here is that, I am being served, say in a pharmacy, and someone else comes in, either by prompting by the shop keeper or not, asks/tells them what they want then goes and serves them leaving me waiting. I have experienced this quite a few times. I have also been asked what I want while others are still being served, I tell them I'll wait until they have finished.

[Muhendis]

"Why do Thai shop owners have such bad attitudes?"

Because they are Thais

Mostly not Thai. Most are third or fourth generation Chinese with more business acumen than Thai shop owners.

[Jasun]

What part of China are you referring to? I'm doubting it's one of the big cities. I've worked in both countries, and found the Chinese to be a lot more ambitious than the average Thai, but also less polite. The mai pen rai attitude can come off as arrogant, but it's just fatalism.

[jomcondo]

I've seen this attitude in small shops & markets in pattaya quite a lot......you walk in politely say hello, have a look around and then leave without buying anything and wow!.....listen to that verbal abuse!......because you have just committed crime of the century by not buying anything.