Midweek rant: Hey Mister Salesman - stop stalking me!

[Bluespunk]

I just walk round the shelves of whatever I'm looking for in a circle until they get bored and wander off to "stalk" someone else.

[louse1953]

If you know Thai,you should also know how to drop them off,non abusive.

[louse1953]

18 hours ago, Thechook said:

I hate it as it makes me feel uneasy

I love it cos it makes me feel importantAfter being ignored for decades in Oz,i thought you would understand this Chook.

[louse1953]

17 hours ago, steven100 said:

I just say  '  mai pen rai '    and they walk away  ..... 

Doo choi choi.

[louse1953]

17 hours ago, Canceraid said:

The problem with most of these buffoons working as sales in Thailand  is that they have no product knowledge of the products they are selling. Ask them questions and they do not know! I speak fluent thai when asking them mind you and not even English! Normally I when they cannot answer, I will rudely tell them to bugger off and go read the product manuals of the items they are trying to sell. Worst are the sales girls at  dept stores....do you ahve this size....no have(they did not even check!)

They don't have to check,they know already.Hours upon hours staring at the product,you don't think they know what they have.They don't get paid enough to learn anything.And wouldn't get more if they did.

[louse1953]

15 hours ago, electric said:

Up here in M.Buriram, we have IQ, Thai Watsadu, Global, Home Pro, Homemaker, and many others that I cannot remember. Too many stores all flogging the same stuff. How the hell any of them make a profit is unknown. At most of them, the sales stalkers outnumber the customers by a long way.

 

Anyway ..... we also have one very large independently owned non aligned hardware store that totally outshines all the biggies. To compete with the bigger franchise opposition, this store has several fantastic aces up their sleeve.

 

1 - The owner is very hands on in the store. He has endless product promotions with scantily clad lasses, workshop demos,  free car washes, family days etc etc, all very well advertised in the community. These events are a lot of fun and draw big crowds of locals and expats.

 

2 - He's also a very savvy owner. To tap into the large expat English speaking customer base, he has permanently employed an American as a floor walker. All legit. As soon as a farang walks through the door, the American guy magically appears and offers his assistance. His product knowledge is superb, and you never leave the store without your intended purchase. It's brilliant in every way. Only store I've ever experienced this.

 

For many of us farangs in Buriram, this independent store is our first and only stop when sourcing anything hardware related.

Many stores have the dedicated English speaker who is reasonably knowledgable.I usually buy them coffee and have a chat.Gives them a break.Just tell the boss we were talking shop.

[ChakaKhan]

I have nothing but free time and i never buy anything so if they follow

 me i may speed up or walk very slow..eye up a product and pretend i like it

 

Oooh this looks nice--too bad my fake gf gets all my money--mai pen rai!

 

Or ask for something they would never have..do u have any fresh cauliflower???

just to see how long they will follow me until they figure it out or just get lazy....

[louse1953]

13 hours ago, realenglish1 said:

So true When they start to stalk me even if I am interested in something I just walk away and leave the area

 

Stalking turns me right off I dont want to ask any question because I feel I am committed to buying it 

 

This should not be the case and as far as knowledge is concerned I wanted to buy a microwave and started to look at the different ones

 

GUess what They know nothing about them other then turn on and off  I speak Thai and asked about the power rating on one of them

 

They did not know 

 

If you are going to have sales people train them to know the produces 

You are only hurting yourself.Why would you do that?

[louse1953]

13 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

More often than not just 1 menu for 4 people! And still they stand and expect an immediate order.

I tell em go get me a coupla beers.

[louse1953]

13 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

No, a minor inconvenience and cutting down on the pilfering helps keep prices low, hence worth it.

 

 

Which is just awfully childish, reinforcing negative stereotypes Thais have about farangs.

 

 

But they aren't treating you like a shoplifter; you're simply choosing to think they are in pursuit of victimism. (Not to say that farang don't shoplift.) They check everyone, not just you, and besides the other ways this is an additional way that also offers some efficacy. Me, I might joke w/ the checker and get a smile--which is a real challenge at Makro. WHAT a boring job that is.

 

Some of the poor buggers even have back braces from bending over so much.I get in the dedicated Cambo line and speak a bit of local Khymer,that always gets a laugh.

[louse1953]

12 hours ago, CantSpell said:

Don't be afraid of your shadow.

 

Take them up and down the isle and then to the other side 5-6 times, it is good for them to exercise: keeps them fit and away from the phone for 10-15 minutes  

When i am a playful mood i will move a few pvc fittings around,maybe lay one over.Circle around and come back and they are always straightened,always.This is at Global House.Lovely long rows of inline fittings.

[louse1953]

12 hours ago, dbrenn said:

Agree with the OP - hovering sales people are a complete pest. The most annoying part is when they state the obvious, like telling you that "these are air conditioners" when you are looking at air conditioners. Most of the advice they give you is plain wrong, and they'll tell you any lie they can think of if they believe it will con you into buying from them.

 

I just tell them that I want to be left alone to choose for myself, and if they refuse to go away I walk out.

And who do you hurt by doing that,Thai staff couldn't care less.You have lost the game my friend,not them.

[JSixpack]

4 hours ago, Khon Kaen Dave said:

I always get it ia builders merchants. I know what i am looking for, but i get some kid, who has no idea, and his boss has just told him to follow us around. I can usually manage to get out with the least amount of hassle from the kid. I usually tell him that when/if i see what i want, he will be the first to know and i will call him.But I'm sure the manager tells him to follow me about, because "all felangs are  thieves. But Saturday was the last straw.

I wanted to change one of our shower heads into a drench head' its simply a shower head but its like a big disc, that literally drenches you in water.

I found the one i wanted, and my wife told him to get one from the store, as we wanted to buy it.He was gone 15 minutes and came back and said that it wasnt in stock and they weren't getting any more, as they were not making them.I said "ok, i will buy the demonstration model"

"cant sell you that one, its for show"

 

So you had your answer, and your answer then is "OK, krab. Kob khun krab." It's done; you move on. Instead, you became a pest, got your knickers in a twist, wasted everyone's time, finally demonstrated bad manners, and STILL didn't get the shower head. Yet nevertheless feel justified, proud, and quite superior.

 

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by JSixpack

[louse1953]

11 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

Not clear what goes exactly, but after all the Indian tailor salesforce is in a whole different category, comparable to the itinerant watch/sunglass/kamagra street vendors. Feeling annoyed w/ them is a newbie reaction, I'd say. After a while, they're just part of the scenery. A polite but firm "No" or "No, have already" with absolutely no interest shown quickly brushes away those pests.

The ones that get up my nose are the watchsellers trying to sell me one,when i clearly have one on my wrist and this is whilst eating a meal.These ignorant pricks get the full on louse tirade.The people that know me on Sukhumvit are shocked,never ever seen me like that.Needless to say the watchsellers give me a wide berth,these days.I always dress the same,so i am easily pointed out by others,knowing Induans,they would know where i come from also,a fellow Commonwealth country.

[JSixpack]

22 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

The ones that get up my nose are the watchsellers trying to sell me one,when i clearly have one on my wrist and this is whilst eating a meal.These ignorant pricks get the full on louse tirade.The people that know me on Sukhumvit are shocked,never ever seen me like that.Needless to say the watchsellers give me a wide berth,these days.I always dress the same,so i am easily pointed out by others,knowing Induans,they would know where i come from also,a fellow Commonwealth country.

 

If you have one, you simply point to it and politely, firmly note you have one already, so you don't want another one. It's a good excuse. 'Course you might have to do this a couple of times but you've gotta be careful not to show the slightest interest in his wares.

 

Sellers can vary. One sunglass street vendor on Beach Rd. (Pattaya) always recognizes me because--to his credit--he can tell that my sunglasses aren't fake like all those he sells. So then he always exclaims, "Genuine!!!" and asks me how much I paid. Then he wants me to take them off so he can try them out. I refuse and keep walking. It was kinda funny the first time but got old, and I suspect a scam in there somewhere. But I really liked a street vendor in Vietnam and bought a few things from him. He worked really hard, riding his bike in the hot sun all day.

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by JSixpack

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, Khon Kaen Dave said:

I always get it ia builders merchants. I know what i am looking for, but i get some kid, who has no idea, and his boss has just told him to follow us around. I can usually manage to get out with the least amount of hassle from the kid. I usually tell him that when/if i see what i want, he will be the first to know and i will call him.But I'm sure the manager tells him to follow me about, because "all felangs are  thieves. But Saturday was the last straw.

I wanted to change one of our shower heads into a drench head' its simply a shower head but its like a big disc, that literally drenches you in water.

I found the one i wanted, and my wife told him to get one from the store, as we wanted to buy it.He was gone 15 minutes and came back and said that it wasnt in stock and they weren't getting any more, as they were not making them.I said "ok, i will buy the demonstration model"

"cant sell you that one, its for show"

Ok, why do you have something on show that cant be bought?"

"its for show"

Yes, i know, but if some one wants to buy one, you cant sell them one because you haven't got any"

"its for show"

I understand that, but if you haven't got any, and you cant get any, why do....oh never mind i will go to Home mart"

Went to speak to the boss.

"its for show"

"have you never heard of false representation?"

'Its for  show"

"oh, stick it up your......"

These kids become good carriers when you are buying multiple items,nothing fazes them,they only want to help.Some of you grumpys should think about this and they do 12 hour shifts for little reward.

[JSixpack]

17 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

I always dress the same,so i am easily pointed out by others,knowing Induans,they would know where i come from also,a fellow Commonwealth country.

 

Some years ago a Brit was ranting on the forum about an Indian tailor tout faking a Cockney accent with him and calling him "geezer." Thought it pretty funny myself, guess you need to be Brit to see why that's annoying.

[louse1953]

12 minutes ago, JSixpack said:

 

If you have one, you simply point to it and politely, firmly note you have one already, so you don't want another one. It's a good excuse. 'Course you might have to do this a couple of times but you've gotta be careful not to show the slightest interest his.

 

Sellers can vary. One sunglass street vendor on Beach Rd. (Pattaya) always recognizes me because--to his credit--he can tell that my sunglasses aren't fake like all those he sells. So then he always exclaims, "Genuine!!!" and asks me how much I paid. Then he wants me to take them off so he can try them out. I refuse and keep walking. It was kinda funny the first time but got old, and I suspect a scam in there somewhere. But I really liked a street vendor in Vietnam and bought a few things from him. He worked really hard, riding his bike in the hot sun all day.

 

Not while i am eating,mate.I stuck my arm right under his nose,he must have seen it.Your Pattaya mate was gunna try the ol switcharoo.

[kannot]

18 hours ago, electric said:

Up here in M.Buriram, we have IQ, Thai Watsadu, Global, Home Pro, Homemaker, and many others that I cannot remember. Too many stores all flogging the same stuff. How the hell any of them make a profit is unknown. At most of them, the sales stalkers outnumber the customers by a long way.

 

Anyway ..... we also have one very large independently owned non aligned hardware store that totally outshines all the biggies. To compete with the bigger franchise opposition, this store has several fantastic aces up their sleeve.

 

1 - The owner is very hands on in the store. He has endless product promotions with scantily clad lasses, workshop demos,  free car washes, family days etc etc, all very well advertised in the community. These events are a lot of fun and draw big crowds of locals and expats.

 

2 - He's also a very savvy owner. To tap into the large expat English speaking customer base, he has permanently employed an American as a floor walker. All legit. As soon as a farang walks through the door, the American guy magically appears and offers his assistance. His product knowledge is superb, and you never leave the store without your intended purchase. It's brilliant in every way. Only store I've ever experienced this.

 

For many of us farangs in Buriram, this independent store is our first and only stop when sourcing anything hardware related.

if its the one Im thinking of in Buriram, I found the American totally useless, couldnt answer a straight question, told me they had stock then didnt, bought off a Thai shop 1000 baht cheaper, deep  well pump it also included 60metres of cable and delivery

[kannot]

2 hours ago, louse1953 said:

These kids become good carriers when you are buying multiple items,nothing fazes them,they only want to help.Some of you grumpys should think about this and they do 12 hour shifts for little reward.

and that 12  hour shift work could be done in 6  hours by a normal person who doesnt spend 6  hours  looking at their phone, squeezing spots, preening hair  etc

[kannot]

2 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

So you had your answer, and your answer then is "OK, krab. Kob khun krab." It's done; you move on. Instead, you became a pest, got your knickers in a twist, wasted everyone's time, finally demonstrated bad manners, and STILL didn't get the shower head. Yet nevertheless feel justified, proud, and quite superior.

 

 

No what it shows is a clueless shop owner with a moronic idea of customer service and zero business sense

[dbrenn]

3 hours ago, louse1953 said:

And who do you hurt by doing that,Thai staff couldn't care less.You have lost the game my friend,not them.

Plenty of shops around so all is not lost. 

[fruitman]

I always wondered who would buy the demo-houses in a moobaan. Those sell very well and are fully furnished.

 

After being to homepro a few times and having to deal with contractors i fully understand why Thai love to buy them.

[realenglish1]

8 hours ago, louse1953 said:

You are only hurting yourself.Why would you do that?

I do not like being stalked and pressured like they do Just let me look and If I want their help I will ask SImple

[Khon Kaen Dave]

10 hours ago, louse1953 said:

These kids become good carriers when you are buying multiple items,nothing fazes them,they only want to help.Some of you grumpys should think about this and they do 12 hour shifts for little reward.

Grumpy? I have a lot of patience. But maybe if these kids got a reasonable amount of training, concerning what the store sold and what the items actually did, then it would be a lot easier. Have you ever been in the building game? because if you had,you would know how easy it is to learn stock. I have patience because i used to lecture/and teach in a technical college. I had to teach kids that started out knowing nothing, but they wanted to learn. As you say,they work, sometimes 12 hour shifts. They dont learn because they dont want to. Its called Thai disinterest. They cant wait to get off their shift and do what teenagers do best.

I had one kid in a home mart store who didnt know what paint was.One kid could tell the difference between 60 cm and 20 cm tiles.And when my wife explained to him that we wanted a 15 mm outside male threaded tap, he came back with a 100mm gate valve. I usually.And when it comes to buying timber or breeze blocks, i have to go into the warehouse and show them.Now Home mart is more like a merchants than home pro or home do, so you should know the difference, unless you have no knowledge of the building game, then you would be like a babe in the woods.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

11 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

Some years ago a Brit was ranting on the forum about an Indian tailor tout faking a Cockney accent with him and calling him "geezer." Thought it pretty funny myself, guess you need to be Brit to see why that's annoying.

Ha ha, it always unnerves me, when one of the tailors in the arcade between soi Diana and second road, smiles and calls me "friend"

The best tailor i went to here, were Thais on second road opposite the rear side of the ' hard Rock' he made me three of pairs of trousers, wool and silk, And three 'Tab' collar shirts, that i needed for my job, very neat and well made.

[JSixpack]

51 minutes ago, Khon Kaen Dave said:

Grumpy? I have a lot of patience. But maybe if these kids got a reasonable amount of training, concerning what the store sold and what the items actually did, then it would be a lot easier.

 

Not when the grumpy insists on making it difficult. In the "last straw" case, the kid, after spending 15 min in a fruitless search, had enough reasonable training to know that the store wasn't selling the demo shower head. He told you straight up, yet the grumpy starts an useless argument, trying to make everybody look stupid, and eventually needs to chop logic with the manager, who merely confirms the policy; whereupon the manager gets a very rude & childish response from the grumpy. Maybe it's the farang customers who need a reasonable amount of training concerning the legitimate rights of a retail establishment to sell only what it wants to sell and decorate as it pleases--and training in understanding cultural differences, using those differences to maximize the probability of getting what you want, and in good manners.

 

O wad some Power the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!

     --Robert Burns

 

Cf. a Thai restaurant menu. Try ordering everything on that menu and see how many dishes the resto can actually prepare. :)

 

Edited April 20, 2017 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

14 hours ago, louse1953 said:

Not while i am eating,mate.

 

Friend o' mine's dog thinks the same way. Normally very nice until you try to pet him while he's chowing down at his food bowl. Maybe make a placard in Thai and set it in front of you?

[JSixpack]

12 hours ago, kannot said:

No what it shows is a clueless shop owner with a moronic idea of customer service and zero business sense

 

Or maybe a clueless poster merely thinks so. In fact Kon Kaen Dave got good service. Sales ass't spent 15 min looking for the shower head and finding out it'd been discontinued. Then told Dave the news, and, politely, in response to Dave's query, replied that they wouldn't sell the demo, which is perfectly within their rights. By getting his knickers in a twist over an issue that's not his business at all, Dave merely wasted his time and theirs and created bad feelings all around. Meanwhile, the shop keeps the demo for its own purposes and poor Dave's still trying to get his knickers untwisted. As that childish, unThai behavior makes it more likely he really will get bad service next time (one way or the other), it's Dave's ability successfully to adapt to the realities of his environment that has to be questioned in this case. 

[pentap]

On numerous occasions, many vendors have lost my business simply because of the way the floor-staff conduct themselves by making me feel uneasy and not forgetting their very poor knowledge of, products.

It's become a some what unpleasant experience, venturing out to such places as, Tesco, Big C etc...

Falang! Falang! Also springs to mind, which personally, I find a rude form of salutation.




Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect