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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:09 pm Post subject: Costco Korea - a Korean store |
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As I was shopping in a Seoul Costco, and passing Korean saleswomen offering samples of this and that, a good question came into my mind. Why is it that an American-based business has employees that don't say a word of English to the foreign customers? If Costco Korea were really serious about selling, why don't they have their saleswomen saying at least one simple English phrase like "Sir / Miss, please try this. It's delicious!" That surely would grab my attention and maybe even win a sale.
I know that we're in Korea, but don't you think it's funny that employees working for an American company are so unwilling to give English a try?
It's also funny how that even in a Costco, I can still feel like a foreigner.  |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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So I guess by your logic, all Toyota and Honda salesmen in America should be able to speak at least a few Japanese phrases just in case a person with an Asian face stops by?
You've really bested yourself in numbskullery this time, Dev. |
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tsgarp
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Some folks just can't get enough of the Western privilege. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Qinella wrote: |
So I guess by your logic, all Toyota and Honda salesmen in America should be able to speak at least a few Japanese phrases just in case a person with an Asian face stops by?
You've really bested yourself in numbskullery this time, Dev. |
If enough of my customers were Japanese, I'll bet my American / Canadian branch manager of Honda would insist that I learn some greetings in Japanese.
If I owned a coffee shop like Dunkin Donuts / Tim Hortons and it were in the middle of a Koreatown in LA or Toronto, I'd make sure all of the sales people could say hello / goodbye / thank you in Korean.
You, Qinella, know nothing about business. You'd better stick to teaching English or whatever you do here. |
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animalbirdfish
Joined: 04 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| Qinella wrote: |
So I guess by your logic, all Toyota and Honda salesmen in America should be able to speak at least a few Japanese phrases just in case a person with an Asian face stops by?
You've really bested yourself in numbskullery this time, Dev. |
If enough of my customers were Japanese, I'll bet my American / Canadian branch manager of Honda would insist that I learn some greetings in Japanese.
If I owned a coffee shop like Dunkin Donuts / Tim Hortons and it were in the middle of a Koreatown in LA or Toronto, I'd make sure all of the sales people could say hello / goodbye / thank you in Korean.
You, Qinella, know nothing about business. You'd better stick to teaching English or whatever you do here. |
(Bold type mine)
When did "English Teacher" become the biggest insult one could toss out on this board?
Sure glad, by the way, that I'm not an English teacher. |
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SarcasmKills
Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject: Re: Costco Korea - a Korean store |
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| Dev wrote: |
As I was shopping in a Seoul Costco, and passing Korean saleswomen offering samples of this and that, a good question came into my mind. Why is it that an American-based business has employees that don't say a word of English to the foreign customers? If Costco Korea were really serious about selling, why don't they have their saleswomen saying at least one simple English phrase like "Sir / Miss, please try this. It's delicious!" That surely would grab my attention and maybe even win a sale.
I know that we're in Korea, but don't you think it's funny that employees working for an American company are so unwilling to give English a try?
It's also funny how that even in a Costco, I can still feel like a foreigner. |
It's in Korea for predominantly Korean customers.. Non-issue in my book.
You want to train them just so they can saw hi to the odd foreigner who walks in?
Foreigners know that they're in Korea and expect Korean.. rather than bitch about language problems, they should probably try to learn some Korean..
Western countries don't go out of their way to say hi in native tongues to other nationalities, why should Korea be any different? |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:26 pm Post subject: Re: Costco Korea - a Korean store |
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| Dev wrote: |
As I was shopping in a Seoul Costco, and passing Korean saleswomen offering samples of this and that, a good question came into my mind. Why is it that an American-based business has employees that don't say a word of English to the foreign customers? If Costco Korea were really serious about selling, why don't they have their saleswomen saying at least one simple English phrase like "Sir / Miss, please try this. It's delicious!" That surely would grab my attention and maybe even win a sale.
I know that we're in Korea, but don't you think it's funny that employees working for an American company are so unwilling to give English a try?
It's also funny how that even in a Costco, I can still feel like a foreigner. |
actually I like it like that. As long as they speak to me, whether in English or korean, I don't care. I do prefer Korean over English but it doesn't matter. |
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riley
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: where creditors can find me
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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What a stupid topic. On any given day, what percentage of foriegners are in Costco? Does it even reach 10%? How much money do we spend compared to the average Korean? I doubt there's a comparison, so why should they have to know any English?
Costco came to Korea to sell to Koreans, not dumb Canadians/Americans. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| Qinella wrote: |
So I guess by your logic, all Toyota and Honda salesmen in America should be able to speak at least a few Japanese phrases just in case a person with an Asian face stops by?
You've really bested yourself in numbskullery this time, Dev. |
If enough of my customers were Japanese, I'll bet my American / Canadian branch manager of Honda would insist that I learn some greetings in Japanese.
If I owned a coffee shop like Dunkin Donuts / Tim Hortons and it were in the middle of a Koreatown in LA or Toronto, I'd make sure all of the sales people could say hello / goodbye / thank you in Korean.
You, Qinella, know nothing about business. You'd better stick to teaching English or whatever you do here. |
Let's pick out the implications of this idiotic post:
- Costco is in the middle of foreigner town
- A substantial portion of Costco customers are English speakers
- (from the OP as well) It should be assumed that white people speak English
- You know something about business that Costco doesn't know, and you could make a more successful entry into Asian markets with your American business
- Costco is somehow losing business from this
Jeez dude, what you don't say is even stupider than what you do.
Nothing against you, but you really post some off the wall, hysterically stupid stuff, man. You need to quit with the princess complex and realize that you are entitled to exactly jack siht for being a whitey/westerner. Lose the arrogance, dude. |
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Bondrock
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Location: ^_^
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:46 pm Post subject: oh, the shame of it... or "I thought i saw a puddy-tat& |
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in my time here i have been to costco, KFC (once) Micky D's and Outback and so on, i have also been in hundreds of Korean restaurants and in the street market hundreds of times...
in all cases, sometimes the sellers speak English, but usually they speak Korean. In either language they have one priority.... make the sale...
insisting that foreign franchises should cater to English speakers is ludicrous. also, check who owns Costco, Korea... i think it is not 100% american owned here.... |
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rocklee
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:21 am Post subject: Re: Costco Korea - a Korean store |
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| Dev wrote: |
I know that we're in Korea, but don't you think it's funny that employees working for an American company are so unwilling to give English a try?
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No.
We're in Korea. I thought you knew that? |
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sock
Joined: 07 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:37 am Post subject: |
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My own experiences at Costco in Korea have included many helpful sales staff members who did in fact speak English, some of them very, very well. I've had English-speaking customer service staff at the membership desk, at the returns counter, many times on the general sales floor, and even at the food court. I've had staff go the extra mile making sure that I was assisted as much as I needed. In fact, if anything, I'd say that I've had better service in Korea than at home, regardless of English ability.
In fact, near the entrance of the Yangjae Costco, there is a suggestion box. Occasionally there will be customer suggestions and mannagement's responses in English, indicating that they *are* aware of their foreign customers and attempting to cater to them as well.
Just because the sample ladies aren't yelling at you in English, well, is that really such a bad thing? I always ignore them anyway. |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:39 am Post subject: Re: Costco Korea - a Korean store |
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| Dev wrote: |
| I know that we're in Korea, but don't you think it's funny that employees working for an American company are so unwilling to give English a try? |
You expect the clerks to speak English or the sample ajummas? They have no need to speak English. It's not like they have to deal with communication with head office in the U.S.
I was at Costco today and I heard 3 guys speaking french. Should the clerks now know french as well? What about when the Germans come visiting or the Japanese? So the clerks should clearly be fluent in multiple languages... |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:40 am Post subject: Re: Costco Korea - a Korean store |
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| SuperHero wrote: |
| Dev wrote: |
| I know that we're in Korea, but don't you think it's funny that employees working for an American company are so unwilling to give English a try? |
You expect the clerks to speak English or the sample ajummas? They have no need to speak English. It's not like they have to deal with communication with head office in the U.S.
I was at Costco today and I heard 3 guys speaking french. Should the clerks now know french as well? What about when the Germans come visiting or the Japanese? So the clerks should clearly be fluent in multiple languages... |
And at a rate of 5000won per hour to boot.  |
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HapKi
Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:41 am Post subject: |
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I don't want the sample ladies to be asking me to try anything, whether it be in English or Korean. I can see well enough what they're offering. I have more of a probem with the housewives huddled around the sample tables scarfing freebies rapid fire. I'm always a little guilty when I have to join the fracus to get my fair share.  |
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