BETTER DEALS AND BARGAINING: In Shops, Taxis, Restaurants, Cafés

Problem
Can I bargain?

Singapore and China
The Chinese like to bargain. If you don't like bargaining, or being ripped off, in China, and Singapore, most Department stores and large supermarkets have fixed prices.

When it comes to electrical shops and other places you may find staff on commission. If in doubt, get pally and ask. They might say, as I have been told:

Credit Cards
In Singapore and the UK some small shops won't take credit cards for small items.

In some countries you set the fee before you get in. If the meter is not running, that would be wise.

Even if the meter is running, sometimes you think that it's set to the double time. This could be legitimate.

But watch out for the 'stealth tax'. It is raining. You phone at 11.30 for a ten minute ride, which is only five minutes if they take the short cut. Taxis are not available. A taxi sets off at 11.45 and reaches you at 11.50. The driver avoids the short cut and takes you the long way round. You reach your designation at 12.05 and get charged the after midnight official surcharge.

Taxis
You might need change for a taxi. The taxi can't give you change because he has just started work.

The taxi has a machine but they claim it's not working or you decide it's quicker to pay cash. Then they have added the dollar or so for the call out fee, the central business district charge, the charge for a second passenger, the charge for transporting a suitcase. Suddenly you are out of cash.

But most of the big taxi companies and uber now take credit cards. Some airport, you pre-pay by credit card and no tip expected - but they don't get out of the taxi to help with the luggage, or it's a woman who is pregnant or an older man with a bad back.

Pharmacies
The same minimum spend for using credit cards applies to a few of the Singapore chain pharmacies. Buy another item for a dollar and suddenly you can spend all on a credit card, no need to worry about prices, buy three for the price of two and you are stocked with bargains.

Souvenir Shops and Mobile Phone Accessories
I asked staff if they were on commission.
"No, unfortunately I'm not on commission. If I were I'd have made a fortune by now!"

"Next door, staff are on commission. I won't say the prices are higher - I have friends and family who work there. But you can check for yourself. I worked there last year. Everybody is so stressed out! I came back to work here. Cheap prices. Low wages. Happy customers and happy staff."

"No, because I'm only a temporary worker. I go back to college next week."

"I get a set commission for every sale, so it doesn't make any difference to me which model you buy."

"I like practise English with customer. Boss call me, say more five minute each customer. I must go now. So ok you go away lunch. You come back - I give five minute more."

Looking at large white goods, washing machines, and table top goods, rice cookers:
"Frankly, I get ten per cent per sale so I'd make more now if I sold you that model. But we get so many complaints, taking time, and have to give commission money back, because so many times we have faults, in the end I make nothing. So I prefer you to buy the cheaper one, better for me, better for you, more reliable."

In family-run stores dealing with Chinese customers, they bargain. Take a Chinese friend to speak in Chinese and bargain on your behalf.

Remember to check the prices and sales and loss leaders in local newspapers. If it's your paper, take it with you. I've seen ads in newspapers and the staff know nothing about it. But show the waiter an ad in today's paper and they call the boss. I remember:

The boss frowns, "Head office didn't tell me!" He reflects.

I reflect. Maybe he is a franchise. If so, there's another branch down the road, which might be company owned.

He realises that the ad has brought him a customer, and a customer already on the seat is worth two potentials in the street. He says, with a smile, "But if it's in today's paper, we have to honour it! What would you like to order, Madam?"

Free papers will be on the floor outside flats. Don't take the paper. Just photograph the ads. Look for more free papers at underground railway (MRT) stations or in hotels and restaurants and cafes.

Now you know. Knowledge is power.

You can't win them all, but you can win some. Life has ups and downs. Maybe today will be your lucky day.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.