Hey Foreigner, are you talking to me?

[Blindside]

Tesco lotus - small one in Kathu. Quiet Saturday afternoon. Five cars and a few bikes in the parking lot. Two cashiers on duty. One cash register goes down. One cashier helps the other for 4-5 minutes. A foreign guy arrives at the empty register and has to wait. Cashier goes back to her till and we all move to her as the other is not operating. We are behind the foreign guy. At this point I have been waiting for almost 10 minutes.

He points at the various staff saying how <deleted> useless they are - not to them, but to the Farang in the queue.

Why? Do I know you? How do you survive in Thailand with no patience? Do you think I am going to agree with you? Do I look like someone who points at people and uses bad language (only when I am watching football or rugby ). Do you just want to vent in English and we understand you?

Joe Foreigner, if you are lost and I know the way I will help you. Don't know a word in Thai and I might be able to help (limited help)? Want to chat over a beer while we watch footie? With the greatest of pleasure. However if you are grumpy and want to be rude, don't drag me into it. I understand you might be frustrated, but that is your problem. Did you see me going off my t^ts?

I should have said this to you in the shop and spared the TV members, but I was pretty gobsmacked at the time.

Rant over.

[falkan]

lazy thais i understand him..

[Guest]

For these moments of facing the great grumpy it's good to be prepared with few lines.

With leader's voice "If this should happen in your corporation, how would you handle the situation as a manager? As we now know, there was a great possibility to get both queues working and therefore get all of us processed faster, but at this time it failed. At what point you would have given up trying to get the second cash machine to work?"

Story teller: "I used to be like you. I got angry when things did not happen the exact way and moment I wanted. Few people were couple of minutes late from the meeting and I was furious - they were wasting my precious time! Then I had epiphany and realized my values were all wrong. I went to travel and learned what 'mañana' really means. It's not a definition of time, but how and why.. "

Nerdy way: "According to the studies, it's well known that 87% of the cash machine crash problems are solved within 42 seconds when senior staff is addressing the problem. Therefore it's logical to try to get the second cach machine to work as fast as possible to provide the best average service satisfaction on this first in first out queue problem. This time however, the optimal solution time would have been 3 minutes 42 seconds and therefore the senior member of the crew waited too long to get back to her normal duties. I might be obligated to make a complaint to the company's head of educational division of the company to correct the way they use statistical analysis."

None of these make any sense, but all of them will make the Grumpy one to think - and best of all, makes him to stop complaining. What happens next is important.

I guess we all have had our bad days and have been publicly morons every now and then. If the Grumpy one have balls and humor enough to smile and laugh to his mistakes, then he is probably going to make it here. If not.. well the last thing he'll hear is "Final call for flight 42 back home at gate 7 for Mr Grumpy"

[stevehaigh]

sounds like you are making a big deal out of nothing.

[keestha]

Nice personality test. If you would have been the OP, how would you have reacted? Myself, I would have been ashamed to be associated with him in the eyes of the Thai people. To cut off all contact right away, I would have said to him (thickening my accent) " Sorry, no speak English".

[kurnell]

I agree with the grumpy foreigner, though I would likely tell the cashiers myelf

[nedkellylives]

Its the Big White bawana syndrome, thinks he is superior to asian people and should get

preferential treatment

No shortage of them here, probably worked for the local council on the rubbish truck in his home country

when he could get a job

Had the same type of person walk up and talk to me at PAWS recently, rubbishing Thai women,told him

to piss off, keep his opinions to himself and return to his home country if not happy here, and all the staff

heard me and smiled

Absolute loosers no matter where they are

[NamKangMan]

"At this point I have been waiting for almost 10 minutes." and "How do you survive in Thailand with no patience?"

May I ask, how many minutes were you prepared to "wait" before your "patience" would have been tested?

I mean, what is accectable? When does poor customer service by TESCO become TIT (This Is Thailand) and when does TIT become unacceptable to you? After how many minutes?

Edited March 30, 2014 by NamKangMan

[NamKangMan]

For these moments of facing the great grumpy it's good to be prepared with few lines.

With leader's voice "If this should happen in your corporation, how would you handle the situation as a manager? As we now know, there was a great possibility to get both queues working and therefore get all of us processed faster, but at this time it failed. At what point you would have given up trying to get the second cash machine to work?"

Story teller: "I used to be like you. I got angry when things did not happen the exact way and moment I wanted. Few people were couple of minutes late from the meeting and I was furious - they were wasting my precious time! Then I had epiphany and realized my values were all wrong. I went to travel and learned what 'mañana' really means. It's not a definition of time, but how and why.. "

Nerdy way: "According to the studies, it's well known that 87% of the cash machine crash problems are solved within 42 seconds when senior staff is addressing the problem. Therefore it's logical to try to get the second cach machine to work as fast as possible to provide the best average service satisfaction on this first in first out queue problem. This time however, the optimal solution time would have been 3 minutes 42 seconds and therefore the senior member of the crew waited too long to get back to her normal duties. I might be obligated to make a complaint to the company's head of educational division of the company to correct the way they use statistical analysis."

None of these make any sense, but all of them will make the Grumpy one to think - and best of all, makes him to stop complaining. What happens next is important.

I guess we all have had our bad days and have been publicly morons every now and then. If the Grumpy one have balls and humor enough to smile and laugh to his mistakes, then he is probably going to make it here. If not.. well the last thing he'll hear is "Final call for flight 42 back home at gate 7 for Mr Grumpy"

"If not.. well the last thing he'll hear is "Final call for flight 42 back home at gate 7 for Mr Grumpy" - Phuket is all about gaining the maximum baht from the minimum outlay of baht. That minimum outlay also extends to staff recruitment, induction and training.

This is probably the TESCO manager's mentality as well.

Why should "Mr. Grumpy" go "back home" when he could/would get the service he is accustoms to, elsewhere in Thailand, or the region?

Sure, sh*te happens, and no need to ridicule a young Thai girl over it, but on Phuket, you can go back to the same TESCO, over and over, and have the same thing happen, over and over.

In many cases, it the management's mentality here of spend no baht to make the maximum baht, that causes the issues. This is particularly noticable in construction, health and safety and customer service.

It really is TIP (This Is Phuket) rather than TIT (This Is Thailand)

Edited March 30, 2014 by NamKangMan

[NamKangMan]

sounds like you are making a big deal out of nothing.

Some might say that about a few baht difference on price stickers, as well.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/714487-tesco-price-stickers-are-fiction/

[grumpyoldman]

I'm with Steve on this one.

Who cares? I would've ignored the guy to the point of not even hearing his comments.

[JesseFrank]

Do you think I am going to agree with you?

No it is clear from your OP that you agree only with yourself

Do I look like someone who points at people and uses bad language (only when I am watching football or rugby )

You clearly pointed at people by starting this thread, and the <deleted> makes clear you indeed use bad language

Do you just want to vent in English and we understand you?

One would think that a country that calls itself the hub of everything would understand an international accepted communication language

[nedkellylives]

Try shopping in WA on thursday night when they have late night shopping

you would be lucky to get thru the checkout in 10 minutes even in the 8 items or less checkouts

Its no different here than anywhere else,go shopping early when the shops are not busy

Sunday is the worse day to shop here and we never go on sunday

[NomadJoe]

sounds like you are making a big deal out of nothing.

Some might say that about a few baht difference on price stickers, as well.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/714487-tesco-price-stickers-are-fiction/

Nice one IceMan. +1

[fiddlehead]

You never know what kind of day the guy had or what set him off.
Maybe his kid was in the car or, waiting in the hot sun outside???
Maybe not.

I try not to judge.
I've been in both situations.

[grumpyoldman]

What I find more irritating are people who don't know how to load minutes into the phone they own, and have the cashier do it for them. Meanwhile everyone waits.

[Old Croc]

Try shopping in WA on thursday night when they have late night shopping

you would be lucky to get thru the checkout in 10 minutes even in the 8 items or less checkouts

Its no different here than anywhere else,go shopping early when the shops are not busy

Sunday is the worse day to shop here and we never go on sunday

In Perth, supermarket chains are now open until 9 pm every week night, and they also open on Sundays. That was the best day to shop when I was last there.

[Blindside]

"At this point I have been waiting for almost 10 minutes." and "How do you survive in Thailand with no patience?"

May I ask, how many minutes were you prepared to "wait" before your "patience" would have been tested?

I mean, what is accectable? When does poor customer service by TESCO become TIT (This Is Thailand) and when does TIT become unacceptable to you? After how many minutes?

Well it was plainly obvious why I was waiting. Cash register down and two ladies doing their best to rectify the situation. As long as I can see some effort to move forward and there is at least one working register I would be willing to wait as long as I have to.

I have left places before when people were too busy having a conversation, having their lunch, playing with their iPad or whatever to acknowledge my existence. I would also comment to them as I left. I did not use bad language and expect all the farang around to rally with me and listen to my "sad" tale!!

edit: I also leave all the stuff on their counter when I walk away, so they get some karma!

Edited March 30, 2014 by Blindside

[Blindside]

Do you think I am going to agree with you?

No it is clear from your OP that you agree only with yourself

Do I look like someone who points at people and uses bad language (only when I am watching football or rugby )

You clearly pointed at people by starting this thread, and the <deleted> makes clear you indeed use bad language

Do you just want to vent in English and we understand you?

One would think that a country that calls itself the hub of everything would understand an international accepted communication language

These are rhetorical questions aimed at trying to elicidate on why the Grumpy farang would be dragging me into his rant.

Some people here think I am denying him his right to be upset by "bad service". Absolutely not. As I said - I understand he was frustrated, but that is his problem.

Bad language, see me at some of the Kathu watering holes watching sport! As I said.

My point really to everyone is don't drag others into it. Express your displeasure by all means, but it really has nothing to do with me!! (unless you bring me into - as he did)

edit: And the <deleted> part is the actual word he used - I actully used F and symbols - TV software is pretty sharp.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Blindside

[phuketsub]

Yet another good reasons to wear headphones and/or industrial earplugs when going out...

[arminbkk]

What I would have said to the farang? Depends on my mood, but probably nothing....because I just want to get out of there...

going into a discussion would just waste more time....and he was complaining about wasting time.

What I don't like is: on the rare occassion that I go to a McDonald's, you will always see people waiting in line a long time,

and when it is finally their turn.....only then do start thinking about what to order! That's wasting time, meanwhile the queue

gets longer. Then, when it is finally my turn, I will immediately tell my small order and have my cash ready in hand to pay.

Not that that gets me any appreciation from the cashier by the way.

There are may things that I see here that I don't like or disagree with or think could be done more efficiently, but if I would

confront someone about it every time...........I would not have much time to do anything else.

I could complain to the Big C cashier for waiing everybody before me but not me....but I'd rather just get my change and not say anything.....

that way the cashier gets a bit of what she gave....or in this case what she did not give.....a bit of common courtesy

(especially since I unloaded the basket for her and put it away myself, less work for her...or him).

Ok, my rant over.

[Minnehaha]

In a similar situation, when I have felt as the OP does, I engage the Thais in conversation (in Thai) about the weather or some inane stuff. Always easy to do - Thais love to chat about anything, especially if you are on some island or village. And if the farang calls me on ignoring him I say, I was just chatting about the weather - how hot it is and when will the rain come...

In general, I am embarrassed when I see foreigners shouting or insulting or rude to Thais. Partly cause I just want to be loved, but partly because I know this will never forward their agenda no matter what it is - even if it is to vent and feel better. It will only make others feel awkward.

It is human nature. If I can make you 'wrong' or stupid or _________ (fill in the blank), then I get to be right. Very fundamental concept in Buddhism, though (admittedly) not fundamental enough in any culture - Thai or otherwise.

[BudRight]

I do agree the reaction by the westerner was inappropriate.

It's TESCO. Write to their corporate office if you have a problem.

Edited March 30, 2014 by BudRight

[HeavyDrinker]

I suppose the OP never gets wound up by anything ever....barring the odd 'rude' foreigner

Edited March 30, 2014 by HeavyDrinker

[vahack]

yea you have 3 choices really:

- say "relax bro, TIT"

- pretend you don't understand him (use a shrug)

- agree with him and get everyone hating you too

i usually go with the first. sometimes the 2nd.

i was like him when i first got off the boat. it only took me a few weeks to start going with the flow of Thailand - which is really slow and usually flowing backwards.

[DeeMockMark]

Sorry repeat post.

Edited March 30, 2014 by DeeMockMark

[DeeMockMark]

I'm with Steve on this one.

Who cares? I would've ignored the guy to the point of not even hearing his comments.

And you are a grumpy old man! My! My! My! Will wonders never cease.

[captspectre]

Try shopping in WA on thursday night when they have late night shopping

you would be lucky to get thru the checkout in 10 minutes even in the 8 items or less checkouts

Its no different here than anywhere else,go shopping early when the shops are not busy

Sunday is the worse day to shop here and we never go on sunday

In Perth, supermarket chains are now open until 9 pm every week night, and they also open on Sundays. That was the best day to shop when I was last there.

what does that have to do with tesco? you are a few thousand miles off! I don't think that anyone in the line even cared about the hours in perth! stick to the topic! believe it or not, not everyone wants to go to perth to shop!

[Gillyflower]

I was walking up Thai Phae Road in Chiang Mai a couple of days ago. In front of me were a couple of middle aged , very well colonial style dressed. We passed a little coffee shop or something and suddenly the woman stood still and shouted a whole lot of stuff at the lady sitting inside. I thought she knew the woman, but soon discovered that it was abuse because a motor bike was parked in front and her husband who doesn't see well might have walked into it. They were upper class Brits. I was embarrassed . Mind you, I get annoyed by the cars, bikes etc that are parked on the footpath and I have to walk in the street. But you know, I have to put up with the same thing here in Europe..........people!

[smileydude]

I understand what the OP is trying to point out is that the disgruntled customer was a bit of a racist for expecting him to automatically concur. I actually had a similar experience at B2S at Central World Pattaya where I was at the cash register and using some gift coupons + cash to pay which caught the inexperienced cashier off guard and caused a line to form behind me.

She seemed honestly flustered but trying her best to do her job as quickly as possible but a very large westerner with a heavy Eastern European accent behind me started to berate her by saying " you make us wait 30 minutes whats wrong with you?

I turned around and politely told him that she had taken no more then 5 minutes and was trying her best.

He was rather startled that I came at her defense and stammered "I meant comment for her not your fault".

He thought I would concur when I did not. I think the mentality that infers thai's or any specific race being incompetent is racist and ignorant and being rude to cashiers, waiters or just about anyone who makes minor mistakes that hardly inconveniences us is being a jerk.

Edited March 30, 2014 by smileydude