Jul 26, 2010

Taking advantage of tourists

|
I went to ABC Mall Achrafieh this morning to have breakfast with my cousin. After breakfast, we decided to hit the shops.

While browsing inside one of the shops, a Saudi women walked into the store. Naturally, the saleswoman ignored my cousin and I to attend to the ‘khaliji’ lady.

Items in the store had no price tags for some reason.

“How much is this piece?” asked the lady. Saleswoman replied without checking the pricelist:
“$600.”

Shocked, the Saudi lady put the piece back.

“And how much is this one? Saudi lady asked again.

Lowering her price, and again without checking the pricelist, the saleswoman replied “$500.”
Saudi woman looked at us, smiled, and put the piece back on the rack.
Right then, she decided to give the saleswoman a piece of her mind.

Imagine a Saudi Julia Roberts in that infamous Pretty Woman scene…

“You just lost a customer.”

“We have the same collection back home and it’s half the price. You still have this notion that because I’m from Saudi, it’s ok to rip me off. When will you learn not to take advantage of tourists? It’s my fault I chose to spend my shopping money in Lebanon. Let your items collect dust on your rack.”

Kudos to the Saudi woman. Other retailers, take note. 

6 comments:

KJ said...

Good going! Last time I was in Lebanon the sales woman was offended when she found out I was Syrian, claiming that my good English "deluded" her! And yes she was also giving prices left and right.

However, here in Dubai, I went to buy a filter for my camera. I had my cam with cam gear with me and I asked for the price of the filter. He said 180 or 140 AED, I can't remember. A week later, I went back to the same shop, looking like a non-tourist. I asked for the same filter, his first price was 80 AED.

Same thing happens in Syria, if I go to Old Damascus to get some gifts, and I dare ask how much, I am a tourist, even if I am Syrian. Otherwise I should know the price beforehand!

Mich said...

Good for her! Would have loved to see the Saudi woman give the salesgirl a piece of her mind. I did a stint in a shop once and we used to wait for such clients. They used to empty half the shelves when they knew they weren't being taken for a ride :-))

Anonymous said...

You have mentioned ABC mall and this mall is so respectful and there is not pricing games in this mall, but there is only Arab stingy tourists! why they are here shopping if there is everything in Saudi Arabia! We have the best expensive shop in Lebanon that attract the Arabs women and we have a normal shopping for normal and stingy people as well.

Arabianism said...

@ Anonymous 6:05 - I know ABC is a pretty good mall. I did not talk about ABC. I talked about 'one' shop in the store and I presume this shop has nothing to do with ABC except renting a space in the mall.

Tourists do a lot of shopping when on vacation, no? Lebanon is known as a shopping destination. But nowadays, all brands and styles are available in all countries.

When I mentioned what happened today to few Lebanese people, they agreed that shops hike their prices when they spot a 'khaliji'.

Let's be honest here.

Anonymous said...

I am Very Honest dear and i am not hiding this fact in a restaurant or in a one dollar shop this happens but not in a respectful place where all the prices are computerized and no one can change it depending on the mood of the sales person or the costumer let us be objective, i know that all the good brands all over the world as i am a brand manager but no one can compete the Lebanese sales man/women because we have great taste and we know how to sell in a delicate professional way because we know very well our products and we can help every client to chose what it fits his need and his taste and that what make us the best shopping place in the MENA...But as i told you before The Arab clients are so stingy and hard to satisfy not because they have great taste or they are educated but because they have a prejudgment that Lebanese wants to steal our money...Maybe it is happening in a uptown restaurant or in Souk El ahad but pardon me and your friends that will never happens in a luxury place. Enjoy your stay.

Fahed Bizzari said...

You go girl!

Post a Comment

 
Arabianism © 2010 | Back to top