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Q: Do they realize that they no one like them?
Those sales people hanging outside subway stations, usually young girls and guys from smaller towns trying their luck in the big city. Do they realize that their lack of proper social skills and sales experience make them annoying as fuck and that 99.99% of the people usually just shove them aside when they stand in the way.
Do they realize that, with politeness and proper social skills they would probably double or triple their sales. That yelling at people, standing in their way and basically force selling doesn't work well at all compared to other sales methods.
Voila, I needed to rant about this because I see them (working for one company or another) at most stations when I enter/exit the subway in GZ and they have to be the worst sales people ever in the entire world.
The central feature of this culture/ country is rudeness. People here are rude in every possible single way. They bump into each other, they yell into their phones, yell at each other when they're sitting right next to each other, when someone asks a bus driver or a sales assistant a question they'll just ignore them. 'Nationals' are taught and encouraged to get their way by being annoying as humanly possible. Watch children with their parents.
RandomGuy:
I agree, it's a rude culture and I seriously regret learning the language because the way people speak here is massacring it and there is nothing culturally interesting to access by learning Chinese.
Like I said to another user on this thread, I feel like everyone in China is increasingly aggressive, especially those sales people. They have targets that probably are increasingly difficult to meet in a slowing economy. Some 2 years ago I never saw any of them, now there is like a dozen of them at one station exit sometimes, jumping and yelling at people to buy their shit or buy a flat. Sounds more like desperation than anything to me. I have also seen local people losing it at them so it's not just me.
I hate being occosted by sales people in shopping centre pop ups in Australia.
and the so called charity ones are actually marketing company staff who take a big % of the money collected.
And they hate it when you ask which marketing company they work for ...because the jig is up and everybody in earshot now knows
It's probably one of the few jobs they can get as country people in the city.
Do they know people don't like them? Maybe, maybe not but I doubt they care. Their target market is the type of people who are impressionable enough to buy their stuff when they scream at them - there must be enough walk by to make it worth the effort - and everyone else is irrelevant to them.
RandomGuy:
They usually work for the local supermarket (wear the jacket with the logo on it) or restaurants, so yeah, their target is any potential customer, basically anyone. One has to be really weak minded to buy from these types.
The central feature of this culture/ country is rudeness. People here are rude in every possible single way. They bump into each other, they yell into their phones, yell at each other when they're sitting right next to each other, when someone asks a bus driver or a sales assistant a question they'll just ignore them. 'Nationals' are taught and encouraged to get their way by being annoying as humanly possible. Watch children with their parents.
RandomGuy:
I agree, it's a rude culture and I seriously regret learning the language because the way people speak here is massacring it and there is nothing culturally interesting to access by learning Chinese.
Like I said to another user on this thread, I feel like everyone in China is increasingly aggressive, especially those sales people. They have targets that probably are increasingly difficult to meet in a slowing economy. Some 2 years ago I never saw any of them, now there is like a dozen of them at one station exit sometimes, jumping and yelling at people to buy their shit or buy a flat. Sounds more like desperation than anything to me. I have also seen local people losing it at them so it's not just me.
One of CCP's basic tenet is, “Anything that's supported by the enemy, we have to oppose.” That is what they teach at school.
Who, for decades, are CCP's enemies? Western capitalists, local land owners, scholars, business owners, entrepreneurs.....etc. What do these enemies support (i.e. value)? Among them: are good services, good manners, individualism, independent thinking, goodness, civic duties, grace, peace, generosity, genuine relationship .......etc.
Look again at the basic tenet above, it says anything supported by its enemies are to be opposed.
These zombies aren't normal human beings......they do the opposite of good, in short, evil.
Do they realiase they are evil? No.
That is exactly where the problem is. If you scold those girls for their lack of manners they will retort, "we call that being strong". If you're driving a Mercede and scold them, they will put on a smiling face and pretend you are right, but inside the programming line is, "when the enemy is strong, we retreat" (guerilla warfare 101), and sleep with them so we can kill them while they are asleep".
This is what Red Semantics is about. They are brainwashed, the same way cult members and terrorists are brainwashed.
Englteachted:
Which makes the transition to a service economy a fun journey to watch
Actually, that technique is better. You will get fewer people if you are polite, Being brash and in your face won't work on you or I....but there is a segment of the population that is afraid of confrontation so they just go along with it.
RandomGuy:
I agree that there is a segment of the population with no backbone, many of the dudes play tough at first but we'll back off quickly when you face them with their bullshit.
Even if they do realize that you do not like them, I am sure they are not doing it for fun.
It gives them their bread and butter and its a job for them.
Give them a little space, if not respect.
RandomGuy:
I would definitely give them a little space if they gave me some too, instead of aggressively jumping onto me and yelling like piglets that they have a good deal for me whenever I happen to walk within 10 meters of any of them.
I understand that it's their bread and butter, that they earn peanuts even by China standards, that most of them come from the countryside with little to no education, but when things like that happen on a daily basis it gets onto anyone's nerves.
Especially now they are increasingly aggressive in their methods due to the slowing economy, they have targets that are increasingly difficult to meet. I remember some 2 years ago, I never used to see these sales people anywhere like that, now they are everywhere and harass people all the time. I have seen many other locals getting really angry at them.
Lets turn this around.
Lots of stuff in Chinese press about westerners coming to China because they can't get jobs back home that does not involve burgers.
Then westerners complain online about Chinese people trying to make a living. Possibly uneducated people from the country.
The westerners dismiss the background of poverty as pest. The westerners proclaim themselves superior.
The key for me, is that western "educated" people, did not work for their education. You were given it. Me included. My education in Scotland in the 70"s was world class at the time. I have benefited from it massively.
You too Random Guy. Why are you so superior now?
Do I like you?
Nope.
Not your online persona.
Are you OK as a person?
Most probably.
Englteachted:
Ahhhhhh, you're missing a huge point. According to China, there is compulsory education through high school and it's free. Soooooooo, they're educated too.
expatlife26:
Yeah I think everybody gets educated through high school that doesn't deliberately drop out.
But I basically agree with you scots. Those guys aren't really that big a problem. I know what he's talking about those groups pushing real estate or gym flyers. But are they really that much of a nuissance?
Having a dumb job is their cross to bear, not really worth getting worked up over I'm sure they'd change places with any of us 10/10 times
I keep seeing those guys advertising gyms. Seems like Gyms are the new hot thing to open. But honestly they aren't that bad can't you just raise a hand to say "no" say "bu yao" and keep walking?
I'm very much an "expat bubble is the only way to live" kinda guy so i'm not a bleeding heart cultural apologist. I just don't think it's something worth getting worked up over. Where do you live that it's such a problem?
Run into these people all the time, especially in the tourist traps in China or pretty much everywhere. It gets quite annoying when you are constantly harassed by every restaurant while walking down the street to eat there when you HAVE ALREADY EATEN.
Or the ones that used to try and sell flowers to make the guy feel guilty when he doesn't get one from a little girl in pigtails for his female companion... then they try to cling to your legs and squeal until you buy one. This is horrible because it is usually ran by nearby crime bosses.
No need to let them ruin your trip or night, simply ignore them and continue on like they aren't even there. They know nobody likes them but some are threatened while some are just trying ot make a living.
RandomGuy:
Personally I don't mind those handing out flyers, I grab it and be on my way, it doesn't waste my time and makes them happy.
The ones who annoy me are those who really aggressively want you to follow them to their workplace (be it a gym or else) so they can show you around and you can buy their stuff afterwards, which may take well over an hour.
Those are time wasters and very aggressive in their methods, sometimes even deliberately standing in your path so you can't ignore them, and you can't avoid them when there are a dozen of them near the subway exit.
As I said below, I believe they don't hand out flyers because they only get commission if they go in person with you to buy their stuff.
expatlife26:
The only time I get frustrated with locals is when I'm in an enclosed space and for whatever reason someone insists on engaging with me for whatever reason despite obvious disinterest. Like for example waiting for an elevator in an office building or travelling on a crowded metro car.
What's weird is sometimes the person won't even be selling anything. Just trying to get my wechat or something. And that I agree is very frustrating.
But as long as I'm mobile I can avoid entanglements with my superior athleticism/walking speed.
I practice different approaches.
Sympathy - I've know several college or Uni students who did this difficult work part time to make ends meet.
Respect - it's a tough job, but teaches perseverance, resilience, and the ability to handle rejection and disrespect. Quite a change from being a little emperor or empress.
Acceptance - Take the meaningless handout, recycle it by throwing it in the nearest trash can, where a usually very needy, but not taking a government handout, person collects and sells them to survive another day.
Everyone benefits - I smile and take the ad, The ad worker smiles because I didn't reject them and their boss will be happy, The street scavenger sells their pickups and eats another day.
Not a bad outcome for a moments understanding.
Social ecology 101
RandomGuy:
I know what you mean, I take the ad too, but am not talking about flyers handers here. I am talking about the ones who want to drag you to the nearby gym or realtor and want you to buy whatever they are selling (gym membership, flat, etc...) on the spot.
If they simply hand out flyers I will gladly take it and give it a thought for later, but these people don't even have flyers, they have a contract in their hands and are very insisting on you following them to buy their stuff now LMBO.
There is a massive difference between grabbing their flyer then going onto my way (which takes less than a second), and me following them to their office so they can show me this and that and get my money (which can take up to an hour).
And then there is standing in people's path and being overall unnecessarily very aggressive in their methods.
Why don't they hand out flyers like others? My guess, they only get sales commission if they go in person with the customer. Anyway, they are a pain in the ass.
retiredinchina:
i always tell them that i am late for work, even though i don't work anymore, they dont know me from anybody else, or turn it around on them and act like a tourist and ask them where a hotel is and take up their time. i have tried both and they usually get me out of the problem quickly.
They don't care whether people like them or not. They are there to do a job for which they were hired, even though they realize it is a shi**y job and they realize that they are annoying other people. Sometimes a bad job is better than none and often there is no choice in order to survive.
