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Author Topic: First Shopping trip in America  (Read 4828 times)

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Offline DonA

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First Shopping trip in America
« on: May 14, 2007, 01:35:31 AM »
In the beginning when Yulia first came here we needed to purchase some things for the kitchen that we didn’t have. I didn’t need them in my bachelor days

So Yulia wants a new blender. So we go to Sears to get one. I forget about her miserliness and how she will tortue anyone trying to sell her anything.

She can take 30 minutes picking out one pair of pants... :o

So we go to the house ware department. They have several different makes and models of blender. We get the attention of a sales guy. Then Yulia goes to work on this poor guy she wants to see every single one and how every single feature works on every single one... She did everything but take a blood test of those machines.

So now I remember what’s up, so while she’s making this guys life miserable I beat feet to the tool department. I told her to call me from her cell when she was done

Thirty minutes or so later I get a call from Yulia. She’s pissed off because the Sears guy won’t go down in price and wants me to come back and take her someplace else.  I go get her and there are blenders strewn around all over the place. The poor sales guy was bedraggled

I had to sit her down in Starbucks for about an hour trying to explain how things work here and that you can’t haggle in department stores ... She understood but she sure didn’t like it

Any of you who are Married ,engaged or dating have any experiences similar to this?

DonAz

Offline Turboguy

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2007, 05:31:19 AM »
I am surprised the Sears guy would not come down in price.  Had it been me, I would have given her a $ 5.00 discount and taken the 5 bucks out of my wallet and put with her payment just to get it over.    :-*

I bet the sales guy talks about that experience more than you do.   :o

Offline jlogajan

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2007, 08:03:30 AM »
Unless sales guys see other customers waiting (especially if they are getting commissions on sales) they are going to be there all day anyhow, so taking time with a customer is no big deal.

For myself, with the internet these days and reviews of most products, I already know the model number I want before I walk into the store.

It'll be interesting to see what my RW thinks of all this when and if she comes to America.


Offline KenC

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2007, 06:13:16 PM »
Don,
I have similar stories with Lena here too, but what I find interesting now is her take on Russian "customer service."  :o :o :o  The last time Lena went to visit her folks, she took her mom to buy some small appliance.  Now we had two opposing forces ready to clash: An Americanized RW that knows good customer service and a "I could care less" RW store employee.  All I know is there was no blood shed during the altercation.  Russians tend to accept sh!tty customer service in their stores because they have never experienced better.  I know Lena had the store owner or manager out from his office explaining the appliance to her Mom.  I am just glad I wasn't there. 

Which brings up another subject that you and I have talked about.  With our sharp and aggressive wives around, we can now step back and let them handle things on their own.  We don't need to be so aggressive because we can just let our Russian wives straighten people out! :-* :-*
KenC

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2007, 06:36:09 PM »
During my fiance's first visit here, after she found her feet within a few days, her "I is very economic" claim was effectually bestowed on a number unsuspecting shop assistants across the city here.

I remember laughing hugely whilst sitting in my office during her first "Solo" shopping venture.  I received an SMS thus..."What means $8 or 3 for $19?".  I exited my office in great haste and drove to the inevitable rescue of the sorry looking shop assistant.  I just "Knew".   ;D ;D ;D She could see no reason why she shouldn't have one for $6.33. Go figure

They might speak with an accent, but they sure as hell don't count with an accent. ;D ;D

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Offline dwfunk

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2007, 03:31:38 PM »
Any of you who are Married ,engaged or dating have any experiences similar to this?

"Hello.  My name is David.  My wife is a Russian shopper"   

Oh, man o man, do I know what you mean!!

Shopping for cars . . .  She found  AutoGuide.com and figures out that cars 'located' more than 25 miles away are too problematic to go see.  So, every Saturday, we had a list of cars, all 20 miles away or less.  Now envision a wheel, with us at the center, and every one of these car lots or private cars is on a spoke 20 miles away.  Yup, this is north west of the greater Houston area.  The first one is 20 miles away on Hwy 6.  The next is 20 miles from the flat in Humble.  Problem is that it is 40+ miles from Hwy 6 to Humble!!!!!  Then there are cars in The Woodlands, in Spring, in Conroe . . . .    AND

She has to look at every single one, pick them, poke them, sit in them, turn EVERYTHING on, touch all the scratches, touch all the dents, and then I have to drive it, (She got her drivers license at 22 and hasn't driven once in the 10 years she's had it!) and she has a million questions, most of which I can not answer.  :(    THEN we go home and she wants to look at some more and THEN go back and buy one. 



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Offline dwfunk

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2007, 03:39:25 PM »
Russians tend to accept sh!tty customer service in their stores because they have never experienced better. 

Actually this has more to do with the cultural attitude that the clerk has a job to do, do it, I have a product or service to buy from you, sell it to me. Period. No nonsense, no bull.  BUT, soviet style rules, human nature, you get what you have over there now.

Natalia HATES >:( the US post office.  We stand in long queues that move very slowly, one or two clerks are handling mail duties 4 others are doing passport applications.  Natalia sees the clerks chitchat with each customer and gets livid.  When I explain to her that the clerk doesn't want to be rude to the customer, and so does the chitchat, Natalia instantaneously responds that they are actually being rude to everyone ELSE in line!!  Sometimes it's hard to argue with their logic!!   :'(



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Offline Chris

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2007, 02:44:54 AM »

Natalia HATES >:( the US post office.  We stand in long queues that move very slowly, one or two clerks are handling mail duties 4 others are doing passport applications.  Natalia sees the clerks chitchat with each customer and gets livid.  When I explain to her that the clerk doesn't want to be rude to the customer, and so does the chitchat, Natalia instantaneously responds that they are actually being rude to everyone ELSE in line!!  Sometimes it's hard to argue with their logic!!   :'(


;) ;)  Hey David she would love it here then, we have exactly the same postal workers, must be in all PO workers job description ;D The PO is probably my most hated shop they just seem to take soooooo loooonnng to do anything. :) I try and avoid Post Office like the plague! ......Oh yes I agree with Natalie ;) her logic sounds OK to me :)
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Offline windchimes

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2007, 05:24:19 PM »
No particular story here, but one observation: Her first two years here she was very thrifty, except for jewelry. Then suddenly she takes to discount clothing stores and clearance sales. As she explains it, there are no "sales" or "clearance sales" in Russia.  After price conversion, she is very impressed with the cost of clothing here.  There is something about "70% off marked price" that makes a woman think that she is earning money by purchasing it.  The closets are full. The bath towels are now stored on a shelf in the bathroom because her clothing has taken up space in the linen closet.

Offline Qi Peng

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2007, 12:37:18 PM »
I am surprised the Sears guy would not come down in price.  Had it been me, I would have given her a $ 5.00 discount and taken the 5 bucks out of my wallet and put with her payment just to get it over.    :-*

I bet the sales guy talks about that experience more than you do.   :o

That's why I frequent IKEA over Sears... no need to haggle there :)
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Offline MaxxumUSA

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2007, 06:59:38 PM »

She can take 30 minutes picking out one pair of pants... :o

Any of you who are Married ,engaged or dating have any experiences similar to this?

DonAz


We have not shopped in USA yet...  but when in Russia we went shopping for clothes for me.  Of course I offered to get her a pair of pants and a shirt.  Same things I was shopping for.  We were engaged at this point.

In any case...   we took at least 30 minutes shopping for a shirt for her.  A new pair of jeans?  Oh my...  Took about an hour and a half.  But DAMN!  It was worth it!  She picked a pair that were...  HOT!  Damn!

Hehe.

Good things come to those that wait?

BTW we got our NOA2 today!  So a couple more months if all goes well and she will be shopping here.  ;)

Coming soon.  ;)

Offline KenC

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2007, 09:03:36 AM »
Maxxum,
With only an hour and a half to find jeans, you got off very lucky!  You do have to give them credit for the final results of all their efforts though.  When my wife buys something, it fits perfectly and looks great on her!

Like most men (except Don) I dislike shopping as a sport.  When Lena first arrived I wanted to buy her a 3/4 length leather coat.  I made the mistake of taking her to a huge regional mall.  My concept of shopping for this was to go to the store that specializes in leather coats, find one, buy it and go home.  Not quite the same thing Lena had in mind! :o  It was important to her to make sure we got the best coat at the best price in the entire mall.  Of course you cannot be sure of this unless you check every store in the mall!  About a half a day later the coat was purchased at the original store I suggested too!

Another thing I have to give Lena credit for is that she does recognize quality goods.  She inspects the stitching of the clothing and can tell quality goods from "rags" (her expression for low quality clothes).
KenC

Offline dwfunk

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2007, 07:22:05 PM »
I made the mistake of taking her to a huge regional mall. 

I had (still have actually) gift cards for Bed Bath and Beyond. So on Day 2, when we HAD to find a "machine makes coffee, has lever" I take her to BB&B  thinking we'll find something she likes. (The fancy "Mr Coffee" with clock, timer, and grinder was labeled "rubbish" on Night 1 and deemed not suitable.)  ???

2 hours later, only a "French Coffee Press" has met the description of a coffee machine with a lever, but she was not happy with the price.  Where is other shop?  and out the door we go.  This BB&B is in the Willowbrook Commons shopping center and I'm thinking, oh boy, where's the next closest BB&B, but no!  Across the highway is: The MALL!!  arrggggghhhhhhhh.  Well, the mall closes at 9 pm and we don't even get through Sears before they start shutting down the lights, and bam! I hear the first of many outbursts about not like home, stupid, and some things I've yet to translate.   

Shortened story, we bought the French Coffee Press 3 days later     :'(




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Offline KenC

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2007, 09:23:22 AM »
David,
I got busted by Lena some years ago.  She asked me why I always took her to the mall a 1/2 hour before it closed?! ;D ;D
KenC

Offline Manny

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #14 on: June 07, 2007, 01:46:38 PM »
Quote from: DWFunk
Natalia sees the clerks chitchat with each customer and gets livid.  When I explain to her that the clerk doesn't want to be rude to the customer, and so does the chitchat, Natalia instantaneously responds that they are actually being rude to everyone ELSE in line!!  Sometimes it's hard to argue with their logic!!

I agree with Natalia here. Always in UK Post Offices the woman behind the counter will be discussing her cousins bunions or some such rivetting topic whilst the ever building queue (Even bigger since Bliar closed half the Post Offices), polite as ever being English, quietly tuts and sighs in silent dissaproval. I have been known to shout "Excuse me! As interesting as Ethels bunions are, could you maybe have your personal conversation some other time? Maybe exchange phone numbers and lets all get on with our day" - naturally the people previously engrossed in conversation scowl, fellow queuers grin and we all make progress.

I thought it a tad funny as opposed to Wifeys hands on hips, and loud proclamation of "Whats this? Terrible service!" she has grown fond if using in such circumstances.

Both approaches have the same effect though.  ;D
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Look what the American media makes some people believe:
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Offline Wiz

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2007, 02:22:18 PM »
OH I think I got it right when my last RW GF was here for two months.

She refused to go shopping any other time except when the SALES were on….. I used to drop her on the shopping centre and find a coffee place to sit and wait, till I got my message to collect her, few hours later.

As about her ability to save money and find all the bargains…. Nobody can beat her. She bought one day 2 pair of trousers for £4.99…($10) and 2 jumpers for me for £7 ($14). The grand total of a full case of clothes, during the sales, came to just 200 dollars! After the end of sales she refused going shopping and discovered the charity shops……….:)

The supermarket bill was reduced by 50%, because I was buying the brand names and she bought the store products at half price (same quality of course!). When she arrived here the first week she was lost from the selection she had to choose but after that she became an expert picking up the cheaper food.

…….so even a pensioner like me could afford to look after a Russian woman… or was the other way around?

I don’t know…. :) LOL
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Offline windchimes

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #16 on: June 09, 2007, 11:37:48 AM »
The supermarket bill was reduced by 50%, because I was buying the brand names and she bought the store products at half price (same quality of course!). When she arrived here the first week she was lost from the selection she had to choose but after that she became an expert picking up the cheaper food.


I don’t know…. :) LOL


I am in the opposite situation. Every person has their faults, and my wife's deficiency seems to be in this area.  At any given moment, she has no idea of what is in the refrigerator. She buys expensive organic products, which I would tolerate if only they did not go to waste.  She will purchase  new products at the supermarket in the belief that there is none at home, when in fact something similar has simply been pushed back from the front row toward one of the  second or third rows of rotting food in the refrigerator.  >:(  Overall, I estimate that we save perhaps only 25% to 50% by not eating out for every meal.   ::)  She promises that with her new work schdule, that she will have more time to pay attention to such matters.   In terms of actually preparing food, at some points in time I have been the primary cook.

Offline Manny

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #17 on: June 09, 2007, 04:20:02 PM »
We seem to have switched to mosty Organic now  :o - But she buys what we will eat today today - from the discount shelf  ;D

It gives her an excuse to go driving - every day - We have now 15 litres of Organic Skimmed Milk that was $1 on markdown!  ;D

I have never ate as much fish and salad in my life - especially Organic! (at last minute markdown) She manages to dig out all manner of obscure Organic stuff that was $10 that is today $1 - we eat like Lords for $3  ;D

When her Parents were here they went back laden down with 30p (60c) Organic Green Tea (marked down of course) - They now tell their friends how cheap England is (Only the Morrisons and Sainsburys discount shelf she let them near)
Read a trip report from North Korea >>here<< - Read a trip report from South Korea, China and Hong Kong >>here<<

Look what the American media makes some people believe:
Putin often threatens to strike US with nuclear weapons.

Offline windchimes

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #18 on: June 10, 2007, 12:28:50 PM »
Oh, lucky you.  My wife hates to drive. With time she is getting better, however.

Fish? For the first couple of years, there was a lot of it. Her tastes are gradually changing.  She does still purchase the salted fish, imported from Russia, when she can.

She likes to purchase discount things also. Sometimes we eat it and we feel good about the purchase. Other times...well, she either gets tired of it, changes her mind on what to have for dinner, or she is too tired and we eat out.

This green tea thing: She likes it. I don't know if that is an individual taste or a Russian thing.  I think it is okay if it is sat before me, but I would never go out of my way to purchase it or even prepare it for myself.  I like standard orange pekoe.

Offline Manny

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #19 on: June 10, 2007, 02:54:09 PM »
The Green Tea is a Russian and Chinese thing.

I am leaning toward lemon (Black) tea now though.  ;D
Read a trip report from North Korea >>here<< - Read a trip report from South Korea, China and Hong Kong >>here<<

Look what the American media makes some people believe:
Putin often threatens to strike US with nuclear weapons.

Offline dwfunk

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #20 on: June 13, 2007, 05:44:14 PM »
The Green Tea is a Russian and Chinese thing.

I am leaning toward lemon (Black) tea now though.  ;D

I drink green tea all the time, correction, I used to drink green tea all the time.  Now it's about 50/50 green with some kind of black tea, that was packed in England.  When I make tea for me, or she makes it just for me, it will be green, otherwise if we have tea "together," it's the black . . .

My wife will not touch green tea, says it's a Chinese thing . . .   ???



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Offline Wild Orchid

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Re: First Shopping trip in America
« Reply #21 on: June 14, 2007, 04:59:03 AM »
i don't like green and black tea. I like all others - mint, ginger and lemon, etc


 

 

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