Anyone else find Spain and Italy's coin fetish as annoying as I do?
Jul 13th, 2003, 11:12 AM
#22
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I encountered the same thing in Greece, complete with one salesman rolling his eyes as he went to his safe to get change. When I was unable to give them small amounts, I just stood there with my larger bill and looked helpless. It's not all bad being small, blonde, and old. (er).
Jul 13th, 2003, 11:55 AM
#23
OK dln, ya got me 
seriously i love this board and find it endlessly entertaining, not to mention helpful when i actually have a trip to plan. and like to think sometimes my observations might be useful to others.
but i admit i do wonder about questions like i don't want to eat rice in rome, what do i do? they don't have change in spain, why not?
seriously i love this board and find it endlessly entertaining, not to mention helpful when i actually have a trip to plan. and like to think sometimes my observations might be useful to others.
but i admit i do wonder about questions like i don't want to eat rice in rome, what do i do? they don't have change in spain, why not?
Jul 13th, 2003, 12:50 PM
#24
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Did I once ask why they dont have change? No. I made a statement that it annoys me their attitudes about making change for customers. Many times they can be rude about it and make it feel like it is your fault, when the true story is that they simply dont want to go to the bank and make sure they have change on hand.
Jul 13th, 2003, 04:36 PM
#25
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Siena_us, you wrote: "The reason is quite simply and purely lazy on the shop keepers end. They do not get coins at the bank unless they run out. They pay to get coins so they try to save a few here and there by asking for them from the shoppers."
Merchants and shopkeepers in Italy have to pay to change bills into coins at their bank?
RAR, I have to admit that this is one of those things I didn't get, for a while anyway. I've had people at registers get uppity, as you put it, over having to make change in France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico. Not all the time, but it certainly has happened enough to stand out.
Anyway, I may be wrong but the way I see it is that a number of merchants and shopkeepers in those countries -- and perhaps other countries as well -- simply don't follow the "customer is king" and/or "we'll do anything to make a sale" philosophy that we've become so used to in the U.S., and I see this unwillingness to make change as just one reflection of that.
Here's another example: I recall a time when I arrived at a shop in France just when it was closing for midday. Now, in the U.S., the shopkeeper probably would've remained open for a few more minutes if he thought he was going to make a sale. But to this French shopkeeper, who did not remain open for me (and I was OK with that, by the way) making a sale undoubtedly wasn't his top priority.
Anyway, the no change thing really hasn
't annoyed me in quite some time now since I understand that it exists and, as Suze alluded to, take steps (like having small bills and/or change on hand) to address it.
Merchants and shopkeepers in Italy have to pay to change bills into coins at their bank?
RAR, I have to admit that this is one of those things I didn't get, for a while anyway. I've had people at registers get uppity, as you put it, over having to make change in France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico. Not all the time, but it certainly has happened enough to stand out.
Anyway, I may be wrong but the way I see it is that a number of merchants and shopkeepers in those countries -- and perhaps other countries as well -- simply don't follow the "customer is king" and/or "we'll do anything to make a sale" philosophy that we've become so used to in the U.S., and I see this unwillingness to make change as just one reflection of that.
Here's another example: I recall a time when I arrived at a shop in France just when it was closing for midday. Now, in the U.S., the shopkeeper probably would've remained open for a few more minutes if he thought he was going to make a sale. But to this French shopkeeper, who did not remain open for me (and I was OK with that, by the way) making a sale undoubtedly wasn't his top priority.
Anyway, the no change thing really hasn
't annoyed me in quite some time now since I understand that it exists and, as Suze alluded to, take steps (like having small bills and/or change on hand) to address it.
