Posted by strikeeagle on April 11, 2001 at 11:16:31:
In Reply to: Fine line between between cheap and being taken advantage of posted by horndogg on April 10, 2001 at 20:12:02:
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Horndogg, You seem to be stuck with looking at the world from only your own cultural perspective, rather than attempting to understand life from the cultural perspective of those with whom you are dealing. Let's start with you personal opinions about Filipinos and East Indians. In both of these cultures, bargaining, is a cultural imperative, and a sign of strength, stature and status. For one not to bargain over price in those cultures is to show weakness and subservience. It is the equivalent of publicly saying, "you are strong, and I am weak. You are superior to me, and so I bow to your demands." For a moment, imagine if you had to say that every time you bought goods or services. Further, many people view the lack of 'tipping' by members of many Asian sub-cultures as another sign of being 'cheap' or rude. This, again, is a misinterpretation of culture. Tipping is NOT a part of most Eastern cultures. Only those countries held strongly under European colonial rule have 'adopted' some culture of tipping, even though it is counter to the indigenous cultural norm. (Hong Kong would be a good example of this) Now, this being said, let me voice my observations and understanding of Latin American culture in regards to bargaining. You admitted that you understand that bargaining is a 'normal' part of Mexican and Latin American culture, and then you further state that you are personally uncomfortable with this practice. But, have you asked yourself, or any of those with whom you may be close, what message you may be sending by NOT bargaining? Have you thought about what cultural messages you send by settling on the first price quoted? What would you say if you were told that, based on your behavior, you are sending a message that you are ignorant and foolish? Further, how would you feel if you knew that you are being viewed as a weak person for your unwillingness to show 'strength' by bargaining? And, what do you think about the concept that you are in a very small way insulting una chica by not negotiating with her? The 'standard' price is well known by both sides of this 'consumer transaction'. (las chicas & us) If you are first quoted a price that is higher than this 'standard' price, it is EXPECTED that you will counter. Let us say that the 'norm' is $40 at AB, and una chica quotes you $50. She expects that you will offer to pay $40, and by not doing so, you show a lack of understanding, a lack of education, and a lack of respect to la chica, and her culture. I'd suspect that none of these are messages that you want to send to una chica. Most of us make some effort to learn at least a little Spanish. WHY? It is for the most part so that we can more effectively communicate with las chicas. It is also so that we can communicate with them on more even ground. And, it is also because by speaking Spanish we communicate some message of respect for las chicas, their country and their culture. Similarly, many of las chicas make the effort to learn English. And, how do we view that?? Most of us believe that it is done simply to make 'doing business' easier. But, do we not also attach a modicum of additional respect to those chicas who make this effort? Las chicas KNOW this, and they KNOW that this means more, and better, business from Americans. I believe that we need to remember that when we go to TJ, we are entering a different country, and a different culture. By respecting this culture, we show MORE strength, MORE understanding, MORE education, and garner FAR MORE benefit than we can possibly purchase by paying additional money for services. Further, we also define ourselves as being 'different' from the mass of Americans who visit TJ and show little or no respect to las chicas or to Mexico. I would urge you to think about the following practice as a solution to your dilemma. If una chica quotes you a price higher than the 'standard' price for services in that establishment (say she quotes $50) you counter by asking, "cuarenta?" Probably 8 out of 10 times la chica will say, "okay", and off you go. If, after the session, you feel that she did a superb job, or in some way earned una propina (a tip), you may then elect to pay her the extra $10 that she originally requested. (this places you in control) Also, you've adhered to the 'cultural norm' expected in Mexico. You've shown respect and strength to la chica. And, you've shown yourself to be a generous man. In effect, you've shown yourself to be a customer worthy of quality long-term service, should you elect to become a repeat client. In no way does this scenario degrade you, or la chca, and it keeps the negotiations to a minimum so as to keep you from feeling discomfort by bargaining. Apologies to all for the long response. StrikeEagle |
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