"Compliments. Give us some compliment"
This is the usual hullabaloo in any store after the final billing and packing of the things bought. Its the colloquial word for "complimentary gifts".
This concept might not be native to India, but the way the gifts are demanded is. :-) Generally, complimentary gifts and take-aways are given off in stores as a token of appreciation for the business and also that customer loyalty remains. But we here take it to a different level, anything FREE is not spared; even be it consuming acid if its available for free :-P
Its our constitutional right to demand 'compliments'; whether they are being given or not. And to think of the manner in which people demand it, its somehow incomprehensible to me. I mean, you shell out thousands of rupees to buy a diamond necklace; get some discount after much persistence and everything is done. Now after the billing, you fight with the sales person about the choice of your compliment.
"Such a small purse? I need that bag. Why dont you give? I bought a lakh worth of jewelry!!" - you can hear such grumble. At that precise moment, the diamond necklace is so trivial in value compared to that bag that the salesman is refusing to give as a compliment.
Buy a washing machine and fight for complimentary washing powder, buy a sleek smart phone and fight for complimentary free talk time.....
We fight tooth and nail unless we get the 'compliments' we want. We forget where we are, who is looking at us, whats the circumstances. Well, I just caught myself on time yesterday trying to fish for a compliment at a store. I paused, looked around and saw people staring at me; for the way I was close to fighting,
This post is the result of self-realization and got me thinking.
How about complimentary gift at a dentist - "Buy a service of filling one tooth and get a complimentary gift of getting a healthy tooth pulled out. Our complimentary package does not include anesthesia"
Complimentary gift in a salon - "Pay for trimming beard and get a complimentary gift of tonsuring head"
Complimentary gift at a cold storage store - "Buy 1 kg of chicken and get 1 egg free"
Complimentary package with a lawyer - "Take counseling service and get service for divorce as complimentary"
Complimentary with a software product - "Buy our latest technology and get bugs free"
All that we are concerned is the 'compliment'. But any takers for the above?
y not the other way round-Buy 1 egg and get 1 kg of chicken free..hehe u can imagine the crowd outside the shop...good one buddy..
ReplyDeleteanything for free is good right? it get embarrassing when ladies shopping with you hunts for products with such offers! ketch up bottle with a maggi free wala product, or buy one get one free soaps, and such things..they ask the store keepers about such products..they stand in a line at the gift counter..they even take part in lucky draws!! oh man! that's crazy!!
ReplyDeleteits true... people hardly appreciate that its a gift they are getting :D
ReplyDeletetotally loved the bugs one :D reminds me of my codes :P
YEah true this has started to happen here too quiet a lot.. you buy something they will have a person asking your details and then emails or phones start tocome along with the 0% credit or het the store credit card...
ReplyDeletei would not mind if they gave as you said buy this get another one free..
but a bottle of beer get another one free
but a new audi tt car and get another one free with it :) ooh i wish
but a house get another one free HOGA KABH TO sochne main kya harj hai...
buy a kg chicken and get eggs free HEY WE HAVE IT HERE.. :) i am sure i saw this one in asda or tesco
and for the hot shot girls here get one part done get the other free
But no one gives do they .. On my sisters wedding we went to the jewellers got all jewellery my mum asked comlimentary he says nothing samose and cold drink we got :)
I am culprit i guess i usually go for deal which have such things tagged along :)
excellent
ReplyDeletecompliment-
give me vote and i will give you corruption.
"Take counseling service and get service for divorce as complimentary"
ReplyDeleteI like that.
What starts off as a nice gesture ends up as a demand or right. Just like how "dowry" has become mandatory now, which was once a
ReplyDelete"gift" that the father willingly gave his daughter!
Complimentary Gift.
ReplyDeleteI cant stop laughing ...some times in stores when I see them haggling for a things having worth not more then 0.1-10% of their purchase.
Concept is not new to our society as well...just we dint say it that way.
e.g.:
1. Get married and lots of dowry gifted. (and they extract it like any thing)(generally its for boys only)
many more are there.. :)
Hi
ReplyDeleteWhat you say is absolutely true.People create a ruckus for their freebies.But there are also times when the gifts that are due for the customer is coolly 'forgotten' by the sales personnels.If you don't ask what is due, you don't get it.
Hahahaaa..Nice humorous way of making a point...I agree...Freebies count only when the purchase itself was judicious and the freebee adds value to it...Nice post :)
ReplyDeleteha! well written.Its all those despo breed who make such statements.Moreover,compliments are not something that can be demanded!
ReplyDeleteI saw one at my parlour which said,
with two full arm waxing,get ur under arm waxed for free..Gross!!
Ramesh,
ReplyDeleteHahahaha yes yes!! Wish that happens.
Crowd? there would be a stampede :-)
Neha,
ReplyDeleteOh yes!! As I said, people would consume even acid if given free :-P
Its fine when the gifts are given voluntarily, demanding it becomes so embarrassing for everyone!
I pity the salesman.
Rajlakshmi,
ReplyDeleteOh yes, and imagine when they ask for choices!!
The bug one is what I can relate with as well. Thats why put it there :-)
Glad you liked it,
Bik,
ReplyDeleteOh thats better than you asking for it!! They are behind you.
Aaawww arent you asking for too much? It will never happen :-P
Samosa and cold drink as complimentary? Thats better! Jewelry stores here dont even serve a glass of water!
Thanks for your views.
sm,
ReplyDeletethanks. Thats a good point :)
anil,
ReplyDelete:-) Thank you. Glad you liked it
RGB,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Why do people forget that its a token of appreciation and not mandatory. dowry as you said has become a nuisance now.
Makk,
ReplyDeleteTrue, you do feel funny when you witness such. Dowry as you quoted is an excellent example. Thank you
chitra,
ReplyDeleteOh yes, dont they. And its cheap sakes. Feels so awkward.
I agree with your point. I have noticed it. Thats bad. Give whats due to the customers. But demanding complimentary gifts looks awkward, added to that when they ask for 'varieties' to choose from!!
Choco,
ReplyDeleteThank you. True :-) Ask for complimentary but dont make it cheap!
Madhu,
ReplyDeleteTrue. If its there, fine, else dont create a scene demanding for one.
Eewww thats gross!! Maybe they are trying to improve their business!!
Oooppps!! :P
ReplyDeleteYeah, have seen a lot of people doing that!! I feel, it makes the whole shopping experience ugly.
Loved all your complimentary gifts!!
Good ones!! :)
mokai madam... how abt these
ReplyDeleteRead Bindu's blog and wonder for some time free
Read HaRy's blog and laugh for free
Read my comment and try to kick me for free? :)
i don't ask not because i don't want it but because i feel embarrassed asking for it, and hope the shop makes a note of the amount i have bought for and give me something..but of course they don't . and i do come out with a lousy feeling of having lost out, since i see others who ask get it.
ReplyDeletebut compared to me, i think the person who bargains is better.
we might buy jewellery in lakhs, but our brain gets exicted not by the price of the product but the suprise element in not knowing what you get and then the pleasure of doing something (bargaining arguing) for it.
a child wouldn't realise the difference between the price of stuff and gets equally excited by anything new.
and these compliment harrassers are just being a child.
i think instead of looking down on them, the stores should stop handing out compliments, that way people like me don't end up feeling lousy for being a wimp:)
I never fight for free gifts but have seen people do it and it's so embarrassing to shop with such people.
ReplyDeleteYes, we get irritated when some one ahead of us in the Q does this.In Delhi, there are stores which have now separated the counter of the complimentary from the main buys.
ReplyDeleteHaven't you heard the husband asking his wife as to what has been the complimentary today?
B
Some compliments are yet to cum..
ReplyDeleteRight now I can ask for a blog entry from u on my blog and I promise u a life long comment column from my side absolutely free...:)
Cheers
Nuts
Similar to discount upto 50%. No one reads the word upto and blindly goes to the shops and gets disappointed when the discount is only 10% or 5% (the word upto covers here). Finally, lands up in buying unwanted things. Now this is most common in all over.
ReplyDeleteI would like to add one Funniest complimentary gift from a weight loss Spa advt. Pay for 5 Kg weight loss and get 5 Kgs free. We don't know 5 Kg weight free or what?
Even in Chennai you can find people standing in big queues at Gold Shops, when they announce NO MAKING CHARGES/NO WASTAGE as compliment. All these includes in original price. Innocent people!!!!
Shilpa,
ReplyDeleteYeah!! :-) Thank you for the comments.
Hary,
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. Mokai ideas :-P
Kick you is for sure :-D
WD,
ReplyDeleteExactly. There are other dimensions as well. We dont ask because we feel embarrassed. If they dont give it voluntarily, its awkward to force them. Some people do it though. Its more embarrassing when they ask for choices in gifts and want to choose better.
Its a feeling of losing out, but the consolation that we werent a laughing stock wins over. I liked your comparison of gift harassers to a child. But a child doesnt realize, the elders do that it would turn awkward and they do get bullish sometimes.
Right said, better to stop handing gifts.
Nethra,
ReplyDelete:-) True, it is rather very embarrassing. Thanks for your comments.
Chowla sir,
ReplyDelete:-) that setup is actually fine. At least it saves the ruckus.
Oh I have heard such questions :-)
Nipun,
ReplyDeleteOh is that so? Hope it comes soon.
Blog entry from me on your blog? Are you serious?
Dont kid! :-)
Take care
Naidu sir,
ReplyDeleteOh yes!! They miss the UPTO which is written in a tiny font. Innocent people. And yeah I do remember seeing ads on paper about weight loss offer. Rather package. 5 kgs free...is that gain or lose is a question :-)
Free gifts are ploy to buy. Nothing more than that. And I don't like those useless free gifts.
ReplyDeleteI would like you give free compliment to my blog please...that I would like.
Where is the comment I posted a day ago? FREE just attracts us. Even if it is acid, we drink if it is free.
ReplyDeleteA,
ReplyDeleteYes they are. Free compliment to your blog? What does that mean now?
Holy Lama,
ReplyDeleteErrr..did you comment earlier? I never got them!! Wonder which ghost took it away. But thanks again for checking and posting a comment :-)
you said it just right. FREE is a nice devil that we get tormented by :-)
We can take and use anything if it is free..
ReplyDeleteGood post!!!
my friend asks and gets the gift even if others look down on it.
ReplyDeletebut whats the point of life, worrying about what everyone things of u or being happy?
Samvedna,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
WD,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you when you ask whats the point when you worry about what others think.
True, very true if it makes you happy. But not many feel happy. At least not me. I feel really embarrassed. I guess there are others like me.
and another important point here is choosing the gift. Asking for choices. Its cheap. And still if you are not worried about what others might opine about you, its fine :-) Who cares!
loved ur blog......:)
ReplyDeleten this post ....complimentary gifts...i hate ppl when they do such sort of weird things.a nice piece for them....:)
megha,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to B Log. Glad you liked my blog. It gets awkward sometimes.
Thank you. Keep visiting.
hahaha.. happens with most of us at some point of time on some or the other thing.. cool post :D
ReplyDeletehi its a friendly visit for a friendly blogger in a frienly manner, thus by dropping here from my blog
ReplyDeleteFollow my blog if you like it means
this is rasict..kosur vanguvadhu yengal pirapu urimai..adhai thatiparikereergal..free
ReplyDeleteShesha,
ReplyDeleteIt does :-) Thank you
Maubrey,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the friendly visit!
soin,
ReplyDeleteHahahahahaha. Neengal ennai thappa en ninaitheergal? Naanum adhai thaane solgiraen.. Its our constitutional right nu!! :-P
Nothing like a complimentary upgrade to business class..right ? ;-)
ReplyDeletescarlet,
ReplyDeleteYo!! You said it! Nothing beats it :-)
I think it is deeply rooted in our psyche. That's why not just ek ke saath free...u have 15% extra inscribed on the cover of parle G and other biscuits. Oh my sabjiwala gives free masala i.e. karipatta, coriander leaves and ginger with every 50 Rs sabji purchase :)
ReplyDeleteG3,
ReplyDeleteHahahaha I recall my mom getting free karipatha and chillies from sabziwala. Yes, its in our genes :-)
A saying goes 'there's no such thing as a free lunch'..nothing is complimentary. Someone is reaping benifits :) The lawyer's package is dangerous.
ReplyDeletelostworld,
ReplyDeleteTrue. We just dont realize the strategy behind these things. :-)