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Do you bargain with your sabziwalla


It must be embedded in my dna - the instinct to bargain for anything I buy from a vendor. It's as though I think he has no right to earn any profits!

I go vegetable shopping and I ask the sabziwalla - how much for the onions? He says, "20 rupees a kilo." And I go - "I'll give you 15".

Or he says, "madam your bill is 138 rupees" and I say, "here's 130".

I don't bother about his working conditions, I don't worry that he may not have money to pay his children's school fees. I saunter away feeling very pleased. I saved 8 rupees.

Then, on another day when I walk into a Reliance Store to buy rations a reverse action happens. And it has happened often - My bill is 2154.55 rupees and I walk out paying 2155. I gave 45 paise extra and I am still not thinking about the owner of this retail chain.

Surely - Just the electricity used to keep his multi story eyesore home in Mumbai running could light up the lives of all the vegetable vendors in our city.

Comments

Anonymous said…
noteworthy Alpna... and there are millions who do pay an extra 30 or 45paise at the retail store... just adding to his profits. while we keep bargaining 20-50 rs with our local sabziwala. Watta shame
June 15, 2011 at 3:57 AM
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