Bargaining - An interesting Insight
This is an incident which happened about 25 years back.
My wife was studying for her MD from a small town in Madhya Pradesh. The roads in that town are very narrow. Most people go from one place to another by walking or using their own transport - like a motorcycle or a scooter. If you did not have the luxury of owning either one of them and were not prepared to walk, then you had no option but to hire a cycle-rickshaw.
Cycle-rickshaw is nothing but a cycle with a carriage attached to it. So it’s a three-wheeler. Two persons can comfortably sit in the carriage while the cycle rickshaw driver (Called Rikshawala) pedals or pulls the rickshaw with all his might. Though a bit primitive, it is quite fun to ride in one of these rickshaws (provided that the roads are in good condition).
Bargaining was the order of the day – a ritual which had to be completed.
I was working in the Merchant Navy as an engineer on board. So it was six months ON and three months OFF for me. During my leave, I spent most of my time with my wife in that small town.
One day we made a plan to watch a movie. The cinema hall was at a distance of Rs. 8/- by rickshaw. (Don’t be surprised – in some towns the distance is also measured in rupees, just as it is measured in minutes in some places “xxx is just five minutes walk from here.”).
My wife asked the rickshawala: “What would you charge to take us to the Mayur Cinema Hall?”
Rickshawala replied, “10 rupees madam.”
Without bothering to bargain for such a trivial amount, I climbed onto the rickshaw. My wife was naturally perturbed over my spendthrift attitude.
She asked me, “Why didn’t you allow me to bargain? Do you know that the normal fare is only Rs. 8/-.”
Just then a thought occurred to me and I told her, “You know dear, had you bargained and got the ride for Rs. 8/- you would still be an unsatisfied customer as you still would have thought that if only you had tried hard enough, the rickshawala would have agreed to take us for Rs. 7/-.”
“But now imagine the condition of the rickshawala. Instead of being satisfied with getting Rs. 2 extra than the normal fare, he must be cursing himself for having asked for Rs. 10/- only. While strenuously cycling, he must be furiously thinking, ‘If only I had asked for Rs. 12/- or better still Rs.14/- …….. and perhaps these guys would not have bothered to bargain……..’ Isn’t that an interesting insight?”
I was working in the Merchant Navy as an engineer on board. So it was six months ON and three months OFF for me. During my leave, I spent most of my time with my wife in that small town.
One day we made a plan to watch a movie. The cinema hall was at a distance of Rs. 8/- by rickshaw. (Don’t be surprised – in some towns the distance is also measured in rupees, just as it is measured in minutes in some places “xxx is just five minutes walk from here.”).
My wife asked the rickshawala: “What would you charge to take us to the Mayur Cinema Hall?”
Rickshawala replied, “10 rupees madam.”
Without bothering to bargain for such a trivial amount, I climbed onto the rickshaw. My wife was naturally perturbed over my spendthrift attitude.
She asked me, “Why didn’t you allow me to bargain? Do you know that the normal fare is only Rs. 8/-.”
Just then a thought occurred to me and I told her, “You know dear, had you bargained and got the ride for Rs. 8/- you would still be an unsatisfied customer as you still would have thought that if only you had tried hard enough, the rickshawala would have agreed to take us for Rs. 7/-.”
“But now imagine the condition of the rickshawala. Instead of being satisfied with getting Rs. 2 extra than the normal fare, he must be cursing himself for having asked for Rs. 10/- only. While strenuously cycling, he must be furiously thinking, ‘If only I had asked for Rs. 12/- or better still Rs.14/- …….. and perhaps these guys would not have bothered to bargain……..’ Isn’t that an interesting insight?”
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