Bargaining my way through Sierra Leone
By David Krueger
Let’s make a deal.
The popular American phrase seems to be much more appropriate here in Sierra Leone. While bargaining is not out of the question in the United States, it is the way of life here, and it takes some getting used to.
There are some goods with a fixed price. The bread and cheese for instance that I buy around lunchtime costs the exact same amount of Leones every day. However, many more goods and services have prices that fluctuate.
Thankfully, I have friends at work that go around with me whenever I go to purchase something. They’ve expressed concern that I will get ripped off because I’m a foreigner, and vendors will (incorrectly) assume I have a lot of money.
My friends are expert negotiators. It’s fun to watch the brokering back and forth. From what I’ve witnessed and gathered talking to my friends, here’s how the exchange occurs.
The customer arrives at the stand and looks over the merchandise. If he or she so much as touches anything, the negotiation begins, even if they had no intention of it occurring so quickly. The seller begins with a fairly high price, hoping that maybe the person either doesn’t know how to negotiate or is in too big of a hurry to have time.
Quickly, the buyer refutes that price, and offers one of its own. This is where the first problem for me occurs.
I don’t know how much most goods cost. I’m pretty sure a single mango shouldn’t cost Le10,000, but I’m also pretty sure it costs more than Le1,000. Somewhere in between lies the correct cost of the mango, and I’m a little embarrassed to say I don’t know it yet.
Other things that I buy for the first time, such as my beautiful Sierra Leone football jersey, really have me lost. Fortunately, friends can help. Then, when I go to buy other items, like an authentic African shirt to wear to work today, I feel more confident in my ability to talk to the shopkeepers. Plus, I like to think wearing the local football jersey helps lower the prices.
So, the shopper lays down his or her offer, and the store owner, realizing that this is not the customer’s first time dealing with this particular situation, lowers the price a little bit. If the consumer is happy, the exchange is complete. Although, usually it lasts a little bit longer as the two sides discuss back and forth trying to land somewhere in the middle.
This is where the second problem comes in. I don’t speak Krio. I’m trying very hard (you’ll see in a future column), and I can say “ohmohs” to inquire about the cost of something, but I don’t yet know the Krio for “I’m sorry, that seems very expensive. Is there any way we can lower the price a little bit?”
Finally, a price is agreed upon and money is exchanged. In my experience, the final cost is usually closer to the buyer’s initial goal than the seller’s. But not always. Sometimes they have a price they’re not willing to go below, and you just have to walk away, which, it turns out, is another useful bargaining tool.
As the would-be purchaser begins to turn, the vendor sees a sale walking away with it. The price mysteriously takes a drastic tumble, and a deal is completed.
Back home when you go buy something it has a price tag attached to it. You don’t even have to ask how much something costs. I’m not sure which is better or worse, but personally I like bargaining (or at least I will when I take care of those two glaring issues). There’s a feeling after a successful accord is made that I think is great for everybody.
One person walks away with something they didn’t have before, at a price at or near what they were willing to pay for it. They feel a sense of accomplishment because they were able to talk the retailer down.
On the flip side, the seller is still satisfied because they made a sale, and probably sold the good near what they were actually hoping to get for the product. They make money, and build a relationship with the consumer so that they may come back again the next time they need to make another purchase.
It’s not that I’m uncomfortable negotiating a price, I just don’t know how to do it. Those two major problems prevent me from feeling confident in my ability to bargain. The longer I stay here, the more I’ll learn about prices, and the better I’ll feel about discussing those prices at local stands.
Despite the unease, I’ve still been able to haggle for everything from pants to a room to sleep in. Just imagine the bargaining power I’ll have by the end of my trip!
It’s an interesting system. It’s different from what I’m used to, but I like how it works. I’m not an economist, so I don’t know if this is good or bad. However, I do know that it’s the way my life is going to be for the next two months, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
No comments:
Post a Comment