Sales pressure - has this happened to you?

[PeterA]

Ive been doing some purchases at Global. Ive been doing some purchasing at
Global recently. My first buy was a set of gas burners for the wife's dad. I knew what I wanted, but the sales people
directed me to a bigger model, which I told them I knew what I wanted. They
gave their speech to the wife, but I
 basically ignore that. I later bought a
weed or brush eater, and had no issues. When I went back the next day to get
one that worked, I did have a lot of help, so that was nice. 

[bazza73]

17 minutes ago, PeterA said:

Ive been doing some purchases at Global. Ive been doing some purchasing at
Global recently. My first buy was a set of gas burners for the wife's dad. I knew what I wanted, but the sales people
directed me to a bigger model, which I told them I knew what I wanted. They
gave their speech to the wife, but I
 basically ignore that. I later bought a
weed or brush eater, and had no issues. When I went back the next day to get
one that worked, I did have a lot of help, so that was nice. 

Bought the aircon there........

[janclaes47]

Water heater promotion Sir

[Khon Kaen Dave]

7 hours ago, Minnehaha said:

It is rare to find a helpful person in shops - even Homepro where they get the sh*t trained out of them

Do they even know that BTU stands for British thermal unit?

[RocketDog]

6 hours ago, possum1931 said:

You may find dishonesty and corruption in some of the big sales stores here, but in small shops and market stalls up here in the sticks, all I have ever seen is honesty.

Maybe that is because up here in the sticks, you see the real Thailand.

Most of the big stores are owned and run by capitalists who are out to get as much money from you as possible, and are not interested in giving you a decent service. The staff are trained in capitalist ways to obtain as much money from you as they can get.

LIrving in Cha-am that has been my experience also. As an electronic design engineer I always had fun in the USA listening to audio sales people trying to sell me a more expensive sound system based on what they thought they knew. 55555

[Guy360]

The average Thai is below average.

 

[melvinmelvin]

33 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

LIrving in Cha-am that has been my experience also. As an electronic design engineer I always had fun in the USA listening to audio sales people trying to sell me a more expensive sound system based on what they thought they knew. 55555

 

Interesting that you mention US. (coming from Northern Europe myself)'

Have done a lot of shopping in both US and Thailand over the years, lots of costly stuff.

 

In my view the SS is equally bad in US and Thailand, equally clueless, and equally insistent on disturbing customers with their disinformation.

 

Easier to get rid of the SS in Thailand though, I just tell them to <deleted> off and leave me in piece and quiet and I point away where they should walk, and they do. Doesn't work in the US. Requires really hard medicine to get rid of the SS (sales sods) in the US, but I manage in the end and they bugger off in a bad mood.

 

Can't think, read brochures and evaluate products with clueless SS 2.5 feet away offering oral garbage continously.

 

[Rc2702]

2 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

Yes, I have found that buying in the local stores in the town  where I live is often best. In Australia, the big chain stores would always have the best price. Here, the local shops are often cheaper, the service is knowledgeable and, of course, they'll fix any problems straight away. 

 

I bought my new Honda Cub locally for the same price I would have paid in the nearby city, but they threw in free servicing (labour) for the life of the bike. When I bring it in they drop everything and it's ready to go within the hour. I needed a new back-pack pressure spray unit to replace the 1,500 Baht unit I bought from Home Pro. The local guy recommended a unit he had on sale for 350 Baht and it's been far superior to the Home Pro unit in every respect. Similarly with a brush cutter.

 

I must admit I'm talking about general construction, home improvement, transport and hobby farming type goods. If I want higher end electronic goods I have to go to the big stores.

You make a good point and I'm seeing something similar with food shopping goods costs in small crappy old shops are beating big c and tescos 

 

500 ml Listerine is 135 thb in big c I think.

500 ml + 250 ml strapped to bigger bottle is 115THB in crap shopping mall.

 

Water - 5 bottiles of 2l water 6pack cost 43 thb at crappy shop.

 

At big c I notice the price is normally 47-49 THB

 

Nivea 50 ml deodorant in big is 95 baht

 

Nivea 25 ml deodorant in big c is 45 baht

 

Worst one though was a 50ml Nivea for women 2 pack 170 thb same blinking single item was 75 thb same size same product.

 

Promotions seem to be BS and done for a joke to con the consumer.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Rc2702

[jacko45k]

I sadly have come to regard sales staff as idiots who I mostly ignore.

Errrr..perhaps that also applies to a lot of others.

 

[SweatySock]

Needed to purchase 5 metres of chain so proceeded to Global some 30 km from home. Chose the chain I wished to purchase and informed the sales assistant I wanted 5 metres please. We move over to the large ruler on the floor and he places one end of the chain at the 1 metre mark and the other at the 5 metre mark and prepares to cut the chain. I politely inform him that I wish to buy 5 metres and not 4. But he is adamant that 1 metre to 5 metres is 5 metres. After a long discussion with 4 different sales guys, they eventually move the chain to the 0 point on the ruler and cut at the 5 metre mark meaning I now have 5 metres...............hooray!!! But wait, when I ask how much is this, they answer 80 baht per metre so we move to the cash register where the chain is not measured but weighed and costs 40 baht per kilo. You couldn't make this stuff up.

[zoza]

11 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

Could not agree more. I was in the market for a brushcutter and chain saw, looked at the big stores and then went to a small family store in Lomsak. The fellow tried to sell me the cheaper models verses the name brands. The only chain saw brand I knew was Stihl, about 8000 baht. He suggested, without any pressure, a Robota for 2700 baht. Cannot even find it on the internet but it does a lot of hard work without any problems. A good cheap machine.

i think it all depends on the shop you go to not the general area (sticks) I can remember buying an iron in Robertson's in Udon Thani many years ago and my wife was badgered by

a young sales staff to buy the most expensive model with super steam and all the extras

and as usual she agreed with her fellow issanite. next day I sat sipping my coffee as her and her daughter started to iron some tops with the help of a water spray.... eleven years on

she buys the standard no steam iron as she has got the olly in the hole....well nearly 

[faraday]

8 hours ago, Khon Kaen Dave said:

Do they even know that BTU stands for British thermal unit?

Tried pointing this out once: I was ignored.

[bazza73]

After some discussion with my Thai GF,  I've come to the realisation Thai sales people don't discriminate - they bullshit Thais as well. Unlike falangs, they tend to accept the salesperson's word as gospel.

Quite weird - she will haggle ferociously in the local market over the price of a pineapple. When it comes to the big ticket items, she swallows the crap. Perhaps because I'm paying for it.

Update on the aircon. Installed ( 18000 BTU ) and running beautifully. A large carton of packaging rubbish left behind. I ask why. The installer says he needs the carton if the aircon gives problems over the next two weeks. Ah, but you could take the packaging rubbish and leave the carton by itself. Mai Dai. Yeah right. Of course you'll come back in two weeks and take the rubbish away. I have complete faith in you.

[Rc2702]

7 hours ago, bazza73 said:

After some discussion with my Thai GF,  I've come to the realisation Thai sales people don't discriminate - they bullshit Thais as well. Unlike falangs, they tend to accept the salesperson's word as gospel.

Quite weird - she will haggle ferociously in the local market over the price of a pineapple. When it comes to the big ticket items, she swallows the crap. Perhaps because I'm paying for it.

Update on the aircon. Installed ( 18000 BTU ) and running beautifully. A large carton of packaging rubbish left behind. I ask why. The installer says he needs the carton if the aircon gives problems over the next two weeks. Ah, but you could take the packaging rubbish and leave the carton by itself. Mai Dai. Yeah right. Of course you'll come back in two weeks and take the rubbish away. I have complete faith in you.

Yes sorry I overlooked that part of the conundrum. They do BS their own just as much, more. It is not the sales persons fault really. Their overlord taught them and they of course will not question their master. After all if you walk in the shop your likely in their minds to know what you want so your automatic buyer, next step is to teach the seller to be automatic up seller. 

[StevieAus]

From my experience and after having been " bitten" when we first moved here I now carry out my own research and if necesssary have my wife ring the manufacturer 

I have found that many retail outlets especially local places try to sell you the cheapest item as that is what many Thais seem to want not interested in quality

We have been dealing with Home Pro in Chiang Mai for over 6 years and have received excellent service and they seem quite knowledgeable in their own fields

I might add that when we lived in Australia there were occasions when we received poor service and due to high wages and on costs in the larger stores you were lucky to find someone to serve you

At least that's not a problem here on the contrary sometimes I wish they would let me browse

[Rc2702]

On 2017-5-17 at 4:56 PM, csabo said:

I went to a nearby barber shop I had never been to for a shave yesterday. Through the window I could see a Thai getting a shave. I waited outside until he was done and walked in on he and the barber finishing up business. I asked the barber for a shave. "NO SHAVE" was the answer I got.  Even the exiting customer looked puzzled. I said "But he just got..." Cut off midsentance with "NO SHAVE". I walked out figuring I didn't want a razor held to my throat by someone who was previosly shouting at me but to say my head is still spinning would be an under statememt.  General rule here is assume you are disliked and being lied too is what I took from that encounter.

Geezer done you a favour he might well have sliced you right open. Don't be a lazy sod shave yourself and if it's a big job to contend with, well; no shave.

[11223344]

On 17/05/2017 at 6:35 PM, Bangkok Barry said:

If you find someone in a place such as Powerbuy trying to point you to a 'better' product than you want it is often because they do not work for Powerbuy but the company they are trying to push you towards. Same uniform but fake staff. Nothing is ever as it seems in Thailand. Smoke and mirrors.

Could be... My gf used to work at Central Department but she was not Central's employee. She worked for a specific brand offering specific goods.

 

That meant she only knew info about "her" products (and received commission). Being the only English speaker she often got yelled at by foreign customers. Because while translating the other staff wouldn't have the knowledge to answer the questions and she just knew the products of her company.

 

She got bonuses per item sold so she would recommend the best, not necessarily the most expensive. But some other companies give bonuses based on $$ collected...