You
experience in Khan Al Khalili the way of dealing with money that is so typical
for Egypt: the haggle. The energetic haggle is a way of negotiating the
price. A westerner must adapt some way of responding to this custom.For
some tourists it is a curiosity of a strange culture and they amuse themselves
always trying to beat down the price. But you won't be popular if you do
not have an honest wish to buy the goods. Like everywhere else in the world,
it is not a good idea to amuse you on another person's account. Some
westerners consider the bargain painful and try to avoid it by going into
fancy shops at the centre of the city. But they miss the beauty and charm
of Khan Al Khalili and its people.The
best way to bargain is to conduct a negotiation that gives both the salesman
and the buyer a feeling of success. The wealthy westerner is satisfied with
having paid less than half of the claimed amount and he does not notice
that he is still paying a price that pleases the Egyptian. Do not try though,
to conclude the business without accepting the offer of mint tea or Turkish
coffee.
First published: Monday 20th May, 1996.
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