So in India if you want to purchase an item at a local market or small family owned store you have to learn to haggle...something I thought I wasn't good at doing but I guess all you need is practice.
Our friend's girlfriend (who is from Japan) happened to come into town this week to visit her man. She wanted to spruce up his flat a bit so she asked me to take her around to the local stores and purchase a "few" items for his house. Notice I said a few!
Anyways, so I pick her up around noon on Monday and for the next 5 hours we do nothing but shop non-stop for his house. Half way through the day we head to the carpet store to haggle for a rug she wanted to purchase for the living room. My friend had a specific amount of money she wanted to spend but she didn't want to haggle so she asked me to do this for her. She is very timid in true Japanese culture. Now, I hadn't haggled in India before but thought...hey you gotta learn sometime.
We arrived at the carpet store and the first thing I noticed was that the store had rugs from all over in all different shapes and sizes and colors. They put any US selection I have ever seen to shame!!!
So we approach the shop owner and I state very loudly, "My friend was in yesterday and looked at a rug. You gave her this card with the price of the rug on the back. It is too much. We want a better price."
The shop keeper looks shocked. I am sure he was thinking who is this pushy American!!! He looks at my Japanese friend and says, "You were in yesterday and I offered you the best price...8,500 rupees."
I respond, "Well it isn't good enough. 4,500 is closer to the amount we want to pay."
He steps back from me. He looks me up and down clearly sizing me up. I put on my best 'don't think you can push me around' face. We have a little stare off for a moment. Then he laughs and declares "4,500 is stealing from me. Need 7,000 to get this carpet."
I say back, "4,900."
He says, "6,700."
I pause to consider and then turn to my friend and say "Let's go." She looks from him to me and we start to walk out. She whispers to me in a desperate tone, "but I really want that carpet."
The shop keeper pipes up, "You have come in twice to look at this carpet. I will take 6,300 for it!"
My friend spins on her heals and declares "Sold" with a truimphant wave. My friend and I are smiling ear to ear. The shop keeper is grumbling under this breath. I am sure he grumbles every time a carpet is sold in his store. He probably uses the same words to grumble at everyone.
I start to congratulate myself on being a good haggler. I begin to think about all the great deals I will get in the future. I realize that I should have haggled earlier in my first days in India. I think back to the plants I bought for the back yard and probably overpaid for. I think about the wooden statue I just purchased for the living room and think ' good grief, I probably overpaid on that too.'
And just as I am feeling bad about not haggling for better discounts in the past....the rug comes out....and DEAR GOD WAS IT UGLY. It was a good thing I hadn't seen the rug before I started the haggling or I might have started at like 5 rupees. :) It was brown and hairy. I mean really hairy!!! Like don't touch me or I will growl at you hairy. Anyways, I hide my distaste and smile at my friend. She is smiling broudly while admiring her purchase. She is very happy with the carpet and so I am very happy for her. We head to the next shop to haggle some more.
I vow to practice the art of haggling as often as possible during my time in India even if it is to purchase a rug that growls. The haggle is definetly part of the culture here.
Our friend's girlfriend (who is from Japan) happened to come into town this week to visit her man. She wanted to spruce up his flat a bit so she asked me to take her around to the local stores and purchase a "few" items for his house. Notice I said a few!
Anyways, so I pick her up around noon on Monday and for the next 5 hours we do nothing but shop non-stop for his house. Half way through the day we head to the carpet store to haggle for a rug she wanted to purchase for the living room. My friend had a specific amount of money she wanted to spend but she didn't want to haggle so she asked me to do this for her. She is very timid in true Japanese culture. Now, I hadn't haggled in India before but thought...hey you gotta learn sometime.
We arrived at the carpet store and the first thing I noticed was that the store had rugs from all over in all different shapes and sizes and colors. They put any US selection I have ever seen to shame!!!
So we approach the shop owner and I state very loudly, "My friend was in yesterday and looked at a rug. You gave her this card with the price of the rug on the back. It is too much. We want a better price."
The shop keeper looks shocked. I am sure he was thinking who is this pushy American!!! He looks at my Japanese friend and says, "You were in yesterday and I offered you the best price...8,500 rupees."
I respond, "Well it isn't good enough. 4,500 is closer to the amount we want to pay."
He steps back from me. He looks me up and down clearly sizing me up. I put on my best 'don't think you can push me around' face. We have a little stare off for a moment. Then he laughs and declares "4,500 is stealing from me. Need 7,000 to get this carpet."
I say back, "4,900."
He says, "6,700."
I pause to consider and then turn to my friend and say "Let's go." She looks from him to me and we start to walk out. She whispers to me in a desperate tone, "but I really want that carpet."
The shop keeper pipes up, "You have come in twice to look at this carpet. I will take 6,300 for it!"
My friend spins on her heals and declares "Sold" with a truimphant wave. My friend and I are smiling ear to ear. The shop keeper is grumbling under this breath. I am sure he grumbles every time a carpet is sold in his store. He probably uses the same words to grumble at everyone.
I start to congratulate myself on being a good haggler. I begin to think about all the great deals I will get in the future. I realize that I should have haggled earlier in my first days in India. I think back to the plants I bought for the back yard and probably overpaid for. I think about the wooden statue I just purchased for the living room and think ' good grief, I probably overpaid on that too.'
And just as I am feeling bad about not haggling for better discounts in the past....the rug comes out....and DEAR GOD WAS IT UGLY. It was a good thing I hadn't seen the rug before I started the haggling or I might have started at like 5 rupees. :) It was brown and hairy. I mean really hairy!!! Like don't touch me or I will growl at you hairy. Anyways, I hide my distaste and smile at my friend. She is smiling broudly while admiring her purchase. She is very happy with the carpet and so I am very happy for her. We head to the next shop to haggle some more.
I vow to practice the art of haggling as often as possible during my time in India even if it is to purchase a rug that growls. The haggle is definetly part of the culture here.
Dude, as the baby of the family, you are a BORN haggler. ;) Seriously though, in my wildest dreams, I cannot fathom that you would struggle with it at all (ahem: Mama Bear?). Maybe a sense/perception that you are not paying someone who is economically disadvantaged what is due them/what is fair would be the only mitigating factor. I can see you - any compassionate person - struggling in that sense.
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