The art of bargaining: A survival skill in Dhaka

One of the basic traits of any metropolitan city is that it calls for a specific set of skills from its residents. Dhaka is no different. Out of all the specific skills it takes to cruise through Dhaka, bargaining is one of the most elemental ones.

Learning the hard way

You might be wondering what is so special about Dhaka that it needs a special bargaining skill? After all, you have bargained all your life -- how different can it be?

Dhaka demands determination in its everyday function, and that includes bargaining too. Everywhere else, you can bargain following a rule of thumb. Unfortunately, Dhaka has no such rule of thumb. You have to know your way around to bargain successfully in this city. And the only way to do that is to learn through experience.

Which means you will need a few months' worth of experience, and a few bitter ones at that, to learn bargaining the Dhaka way. Take me for example; I once bought a pair of jeans for Tk 1,500 only to later find out that you can get those for Tk 400 if you play your cards right.

Know your audience

Perhaps the most important skill in bargaining is knowing your audience. You will have to adopt different approaches for different types of bargaining.

When talking to a rickshaw puller, you will need to be calm and consistent. The louder you are on the road dealing with the transports, the lesser chance you have of striking a deal with them. Rickshaws will try to take advantage of the fact that you might not know your route. Successfully bargaining with them requires prior knowledge of the road.

Clothing stores, on the other hand, need a very different approach. Based on the location of the shopping mall, their asking prices will vary. And your bargaining offer needs to take that into account. It sure helps if you know your fabrics and their price range beforehand.

The trick here is that you have to be calm. It can be a challenge to hold your composure after hearing their asking price, but do not let it influence you and be ready to walk out of the store, on to the next one when needed.

Bargaining at the wet market depends on the time of the day and the weather. On the other hand, you will have very limited chance of bargaining at a grocery.

Accept that it is trivial

A lot of people get enraged when bargaining. If you plan on living in Dhaka, then it is better if you accept that bargaining everywhere is a trivial part of everyday life in this city. The sooner you accept this the less you will be bothered by it.

When I first came to Dhaka, I met with my uncle. I remember him calling for a rickshaw who asked for double the usual fare. Instead of losing his cool, he offered half the usual fare. This invoked a reaction from the rickshaw puller. "That's not the usual fare," he had said, and my uncle retorted coolly, "Neither is what you are asking. Now you want to go at the usual fare or keep playing this game? I have time."

Surprisingly, this had worked at that time. It also taught me a valuable lesson that has helped me ever since -- always keep your cool when bargaining.

Bargaining is nothing fun. It's tedious and often annoying. But it is a part of everyday life in Dhaka. Just like waiting in line, the inevitable signal at Bijay Sarani, and a number of other things. I have accepted it. Have you?