Customer is the King

Shopping is an important activity in life.  In this consumerist world we have to purchase everything except air to breathe in.  We can purchase things of different utilities in differently graded shops.  Every item is available in different grades or quality or sizes depending on the type of article.  With increasing connectivity across the world we can purchase items sitting in the comfort of home with a click from wide markets stretching across the world.  Choices are innumerable.  Costs are variable.  Discounts are attractive.

Purchase of things on the net provides the comfort of receiving articles at home and saves time and energy; the happiness we get by going out shopping and buying things after seeing and touching them directly and coming home with many, many bags is simply unforgettable.  Shopping with intimate family members, having discussions about the quality of the things, the need to buy, the differences of opinion, the sales persons baloney, haggling for discounts makes it all a memorable experience and sense of achievement.  Even after coming home for a few days we do not forget how wise we were in getting things of our choice at the price we thought was right.  Sometimes we may also be bothered that the salesman had cheated us when the article turns out be substandard than expected.

Now- a-days where we have malls everything is at fixed price and nothing can be bargained.  But still to please the customers they quote that original price and a discount price.  As customers we are happy that we are getting it at a lower price.  They can as well fix the price at so called discount price.  But when the price is fixed we feel it could have bargained for lower.  The discount price makes us happy and the seller wants us to buy more in that mood. 

Bargaining is most important in roadside shops and when purchasing from hawkers and at flea markets from here we can get variety of logistics.  Here if we do not bargain and careful about choosing we will be losers.  At these markets few people who are regular visitors know how to bargain and get best.  These people start bargaining from 30 to 40 percent of the quoted price.  Finally they get it around 50% of the price said by the vendor.  I am really poor at bargaining.  I can’t ask for less than 60%. Rarely do I get it at that price.  If ever the vendor gives me at the price after some haggling I wonder if I could have bargained a little more.  But then I feel if they get lot of profits why they live such road side lives.  So I don’t mind.  I think even these hawkers know to whom they can give maximum benefit and from whom they should have more profits. 

If ever anyone wants to shop at shops where bargaining is allowed, it is always good to take someone who frequents that shop and has acquaintance with shopkeeper or the employees there.  They help us to get things at reasonable prices.  If one dislikes haggling it is better to go to the shops where rates are fixed.

Unless there is a fixed price board, never forget to bargain.  Customer is the king and the shopkeeper always wants to please the Customer God.