I shop almost entirely online in Thailand and here's why
I think that an awful lot of people do a lot of shopping online but I have gotten to the point where I do almost all of mine online despite the fact that I really would much rather support local businesses. There is a really good reason why this is the case though: The sales people in most shops in Thailand are entirely too aggressive.
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My day began at homepro which is kind of like Lowes or Home Depot in the USA. I was there to pick up some cleaning products and check out their office chairs. This is not my first time to this store but the first time anyone goes there the first thing you will notice is that there is an absurd amount of staff there. At any given time they outnumber the customers 2 or 3 to 1.
If you look around you will see the customers are hurrying around everywhere and there is a very good reason for that: If you stop moving, even briefly, you will be accosted by a helper - whether or not you actually want or need help is irrelevant. They do this even if they don't know how to speak to you - they become your shadow and follow you. God help you if you actually touch something.
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I just wanted to check the prices on some office chairs but because of this harassment I just left. I even told them politely in Thai that "I don't need any help, thank you." But the 2 people just stood there behind me, making me nervous about everything until i simply decided to get out of there because they were making me uneasy.
This is not a cultural thing. I have talked to many Thai people about this and they hate it too and normally have the same reaction as I do and simply leave the store. I have seen some foreigners who do not speak Thai completely lose their S**T and loudly tell them to go away or rudely "shoo" them off.
One time in a Home Pro, I actually did need some help with some paint and the person didn't even know the answers anyway. So I have to ask: Why are they even bothering doing this?
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My next stop was at a local furniture store because I could see through the window that they had a bunch of office chairs all around and with price tags on them too (I am price sensitive for sure) and I didn't see an army of apron wearing staff wandering around ready to accost anyone who came through the door.
I didn't even get to the first chair before I turned around and again, I had a shadow. I don't even know where she came from. It kinda freaked me out a little bit.
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I decided to make a game of it and always stayed about 15 paces ahead of her, very quickly looking at price tags and then moving on - she was never able to catch up with me and yet again... i left without purchasing a chair..
I am now at home sitting in my about-to-fall-apart office chair that I was trying to replace looking at the Thai equivalent of Amazon ordering an office chair and taking my time to spend as much time as I want looking at the pros and cons of hundreds of chairs without being pestered by anyone.
TL;DR
The sales techniques of the representatives in these stores are actually counter-productive to their own bottom line. I have seen many people flee from purchases they were prepared to make simply because the sales staff are too invasive. (Thai's hate this too so again, it is not me being culturally insensitive.)
I think a team meeting would be in order. When a customer is browsing, simply say something along the lines of "if you need some help, I'm right over here - and then get the hell out of the way.
Sorry if this sounds like a rant but that is only because that is precisely what I am doing. The shop missed out on an all-but-guaranteed $100 sale to me today simply because they annoyed me. Time to buy a chair in peace and without interruption / annoyance (free delivery too!)
That is horrible. I can't imagine being in that situation. I was going to say, you should have just pretended that you didn't speak Thai and didn't understand what they were saying :) It may not be the culture of the country, but it is probably the culture of the store that they have to be that aggressive. I know when I worked in sales my boss was constantly riding me because I wasn't being as aggressive as he wanted me to be. I have a hard time pestering people into buying something they don't need though.
i'm incapable of bothering people too. I have entirely too much empathy. The people who are likely sociopaths in sales make a lot of money in the west though.
They call it a spiv. They get a percentage of the sale and have to be around you so they can add their name to the commission sheet. I chase them away as well and it is off putting. They are normally ignorant and haven't any clue about the item you want. When you want help you normally can't find it. Online is the way to go and haven't bought anything in a store for years.
for the expat community in Thailand the stores that are most popular are the ones where no one would help you even if you needed it like Tesco and Makro (a cash and carry, not sure if it is global or not.) I suppose one benefit for me is that since I now live in a relatively huge city I can get everything delivered to my house, even groceries (but i'm not that lazy, I'll still go shopping for that)
Greetings, friend @gooddream. Time without reading you, well I'm just trying to have a bit of everyday life in the midst of the chaos that we Venezuelans are living :( I totally agree with you on how annoying it is to have some salesmen chasing you around the store... it's been a long time since I've visited stores, but when I used to do so, I also left the store overwhelmed by the chase and empty-handed because it no longer caused anything to be bought. Greetings my friend.
yeah i hear it is pretty bad over there. I read something about not having electric and internet for a day or two
Yeah, man. These have been very difficult days, four days without electricity, internet or water. Gradually overcoming the difficulties. A hug
Dude, this sounds so familiar. I haven't done much shopping in Thailand so I can't comment, but I can compare to China... and I really dislike shopping sometimes. I have been to look around the Jade markets (it was a huge mall) and I wasn't ever left alone. I had them almost forcing me to follow them around and show me their stuff and want me to buy etc... as I am a westerner they assume I am loaded. Even having me sit down in the back, drink tea and go through their prices, after me saying no over and over. Well, having the tea was a good experience. But I prefer to be let alone, or asked, and then left alone if I do not want help.
Then I step outside and am ambushed by Chinese men trying to sell me watches, shoes, suits etc. This is NOT in all of the areas, just the busy market/mall district, which I can understand in some ways. But sometimes it makes me a bit uncomfortable
Can confirm. Bring white in China puts a big bullseye on your back for hucksters.
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It sure does!
Lol! This looks like a worldwide phenomenon. No wonder people buy more online year after year.
Exactly!
This story is very funny and a bit sad at the same time. I love the fact that you made a game out of it.
I just wonder why the hell do they expect us to do, buy, no way? Like you said I shop online and here is why. They must be so desperate. And at some point they won't survive.
Hahaha! I guess this Isn't big problem only in Thailand, but Its almost everywhere, I too have faced much situations like me, For these reason most of the times I quit going to some stores.
You have put a seriously true but ignored subject into lime light.
Thank goodness most retail establishments here in the U.S. aren't that bad. There is one shopping experience I despise and that is purchasing a vehicle. Fortunately, that is something very rarely done (at least by me). However, I did buy a car recently and I did it online.
I quite like that company called Car Max, the prices are on the car and that is the price. no upgrades, no freebies, no discounts, no high-pressure sales. I bought stock in this company after purchasing a car at it because of exactly what you are describing.
I don't have a Car Max near me but the online options I explored (Carvana and Vroom whom I ultimately bought from) work on basically the same principal plus the car is delivered to you and you can return within 7 days with no questions asked (though I didn't test this).
I wondered why there were so many of them around when we bought a new bed, they must get a nice commission for it.
But they are like a pack of lions, waiting for their prey...
A pack of lions, well said.
I also noticed, that my reaction doesn't matter to them. Happy, or unhappy, they keep following us. ;)
I think the vendor who has a buyer or bought something is paid an additional percentage to the salary, otherwise how to explain their obsession. It is better to ask them of course :)
Lol I always thought business aggression was a good thing