Kenny Rogers had a hit song with a catchy tune calledThe Gambler. I was on a journey today that reminded me of his lyrics in this song, and the power of knowing when to hold and when to fold.
I am in Bangkok for a few days and, distracted, allowed my taxi journey to begin without the metre running. This is a big no-no for tourists but I wasn’t paying the attention I should’ve.
Consequently, I found myself in the back of a taxi on the highway with an angry taxi driver who was insisting we had agreed a price and that’s the only reason the metre wasn’t running. Naturally, it was about double the usual cost for this journey (a fact I only had after the event). He raised his voice, I raised mine. This was going to get ugly. But then I took a moment to step back and look at the situation critically, assessing the facts I had at my disposal:
- I was in the back of a taxi with my 70-something year old mother with both of our suitcases in the boot, barrelling along a motorway at 80km/h in a car we had no control over, in a city we did not know. We were probably quite dependent upon this fellow‘s good nature to not be thrown out of his cab on our ear on the overpass high above Bangkok. While he may not have planned to do that, the truth was that his power was greater than mine at that point because I didn’t know he wasn’t.
- In the relative scheme of things, I could afford what he was asking for, even if it was a blatant scam and double the normal cost of the service.
- I recalled from my guide books that Bangkok locals are fond of a good haggle and also not fond of losing face or aggressive encounters. Getting aggressive and not taking this as a bargaining opportunity were probably poor tactics, given the cultural context I had read about.
When I put those facts together, I reassessed my own conduct and, in doing so, put myself back in the driver’s seat (sorry).
I lowered my voice, put in a smile on my face, and told him I would sort it out. He then put on the meter and we carried on to the hotel where I paid him about a 20% premium over the normal rate and he thanked me for my “good heart”. It was a “nasty tourist” experience averted for both of us.
Often in negotiations, we can get too fixated on our own perspectives and fear that the other party wishes to exploit us. In doing so, we can carelessly fail to see all the options on the table. I am pleased I had this little moment of clarity to know that folding today was the better move to make when it came to enjoying my stay in Bangkok.