If you have been to any of the Indian grocery stores in the bay area, you must have come out with one distressing question. “Why does the salesperson hate me?” Before you tear yourself apart with that question, let me tell you that you are not unique. I know. You said “thank you” and you got a frown back. You smiled at the girl and she looked at you like you are some kind of poisonous invertebrate. Don’t take it to heart. It is standard practice at India grocery stores. From their point of view they are doing humongous favor to you and the humanity by serving you at the store. Digesting this fact is the key to a not-so-tormenting grocery experience.
What makes me wonder is, how these stores manage to hire only such fine specimens of barbarians as salespeople. How is it possible that every salesperson at every Indian grocery store in bay area has never heard the phrase, “thank you”?
In search of answers, I uncovered a job application for Sukdeep Groceries. It will help you understand how these salespeople are hired.
Job Application for Sukdeep Groceries
LOL. Sad for u indians living there.
BTW, does the sitting on the jellyfish include the consequent application of suggested medicinal recipe?
That bad, huh?
It is even true in some of the groceries way back in India!
so they r only giving u a piece of life back in India!
isn’t that soo thoughtful of them!!!
they know the sufferings of ppl. who have fled from the dear own mother land for greener pastures in life!
so they r doing the lil they can to compensate the loss *wink*
never should u get into eye contact with the sales person! it seems more dangerous!
They may scream red if u linger in the billing counter for too long!
sukdeep groceries… sreesanth is a better candidate
Think again TD, were you looking at her face??? or ???
Wow, Sukdeep groceries seems to have very strict rules for hiring bad people!!
This is ROFL stuff! I can totally relate to how this happens at the grocery store here in KC area. Thank you is a very difficult word for them. I usually get “I-ate-too-much-jelabi-so-I-am-constipated” look whenever I say thank you at the counter. This is a Gujarati bhai, but I guess it is same everywhere.
Incidentally, I was going to write about the shopping experience at the Indian store here in my blog. I had already written 2 posts on shopping experience in US Grocery stores and was going to add another one as a Trilogy. Do you mind if I go ahead and write it, I will make sure I touch upon other aspects?
When it comes to implementing the post I was no where near what you have come up with. This is simply brilliant. The last part of the application the Having sex thought is wicked funny! Enjoyed the post!
Heh heh…
That’s quite funny!
ROFL…that was hilarious!!
At least the Indian groceries in TX are not that bad. Thank God!!
LMAO. Thats Indians for you in a different country….
ROFL@”Where’s the restroom?” “Next aisle top shelf” =))
You hit a raw nerve there by bringing this up. I boycotted all Indian grocery stores because I could not take this “From their point of view they are doing humongous favor to you and the humanity by serving you at the store. Digesting this fact is the key to a not-so-tormenting grocery experience” attitude anymore. And the one odd time a cashier actually grimaced at me, I nearly died of immense happiness.
I know that doesn’t solve anything. But at least it is better than going there and getting uncontrollably pissed off. I don’t really miss going to the Indian store anyhow.
Seriously, what IS up with the sales people @ Indian grocery stores?
And your questionnaire is painfully real
LMAO on the apllication! Gender: Other, Thrifty bastard look and Jelly fish…Just awesome. I can still hear the “Naxssht parshon in laaine” ringing in my ears.
Cashiers at Bharat Bazaars of Bay area are a crazy lot. These ones have to be sent as exhibits to the Smithsonian. 
Sukdeep? HAHAHA, I’m positive you wanted to us to read it the “Russel Peters” way.
*application.
Wait. The application is in Inglis. Please tell me you translate.
Thats odd! I thought only the Indian grocery stores in Jersey City (Journal Square) had that problem. now bay area as well!
Very true, Twisted-guy! and very funny! as always!
Aaah yes! The ever-hostile Indian grocery salesperson! Well, hostility is innate in any commercial desi establishment. I live in a reclusive hamlet in the pine jungles of Northern Florida, which ironically is the capital of the goddamn state! We have one, just one, Indian restaurant, which turns out to be unworthy of mention. We dread going to the place, coz as Indians, we are second-grade customers. Sycophancy rules, when it comes to serving non-desi crowds. Ordering food is indeed an ordeal. The waiter gives you a what-the-f***-are-you-doing-here-haven’t-you-ever-eaten-Indian-food-you-desi-dog kinda look as he takes your order, after having made you wait for half-an-hr. You shoud be prepared for a deep guttaral spit on your face. Hence, you would be better advised to shield yourself with the menu card and address the waiter with an honorific after every sentence. If the place doesn’t have a card menu, then God save you!
ROFL…hilarious!
Well if they do happen to thank you in error, you know the polite protocol then - just glare back at them and shout “Thank *YOU*!”
Just hilarious but true.I have encountered a few people like that in grocery stores in southern california also.they indeed do think they are doing you a favor.
ROFLMAO..
Definitive expression that customer wants to have sex?
his mere presence in the store
u r wat..Katrina Kaif
Manish Krishnan :
does the sitting on the jellyfish include the consequent application of suggested medicinal recipe?
Lol. Judging purely by their faces, and with my limited experience of application of medicine in the crevices of human body, I would say no relief has been offered for the jellyfish sting
D:
That bad, huh?
I actually toned down the article to save the face of the salespeople
zanychild:
so they r only giving u a piece of life back in India!
Lol. That may be true. I should tell them I have better ways of connecting back to my motherland
They may scream red if u linger in the billing counter for too long!
scream red? They will sue me for attempted rape
chriz:
sukdeep groceries… sreesanth is a better candidate
To bowl people over?
Aparna:
Think again TD, were you looking at her face
I have a quite a reputation, I guess. No use pretending. I give up. I was looking at her cell phone.
Sheba Kunhimohammed:
Wow, Sukdeep groceries seems to have very strict rules for hiring bad people
Yes, they also have strict rules about what the customer is allowed to say in the store
Dinesh:
This is ROFL stuff!
Thanks bro
I usually get “I-ate-too-much-jelabi-so-I-am-constipated” look
Lol. That is worse than I-have-sand-in-my-underwear look?
Incidentally, I was going to write about the shopping experience at the Indian store
You should totally do that again. How many ever volumes are written about them, there is more to write
When it comes to implementing the post I was no where near what you have come up with.
I guess I had too much time on my hands
Kokonad:
Thank you
Jira:
At least the Indian groceries in TX are not that bad. Thank God!
La Vida Loca:
That is true, Indians in general have a different attitude
LMAO. That’s Indians for you in a different country….
Hi stranger
Karthik:
“Where’s the restroom?” “Next aisle top shelf”
Ya, such response would delight my son though. He will take it literally.
Mythili:
I boycotted all Indian grocery stores
ROFL! You know, I came close to doing it some time ago. But had to go to the store for something or the other.
And the one odd time a cashier actually grimaced at me, I nearly died of immense happiness.
Lol. Nah, his nose was itching and his hands were busy.
Seriously, what IS up with the sales people @ Indian grocery stores?
I don’t think they are genuinely rude people. Most of them just don’t understand the norms of this country. That doesn’t exactly explain the horrible treatment I get, but it’s kind of comforting to think that way
clueless:
Cashiers at Bharat Bazaars of Bay area are a crazy lot.
Lol@bharat bazars. In fact there are more than one “bharat bazar”s!
I’m positive you wanted to us to read it the “Russel Peters” way.
He he, right on
*application.
I was this close to deleting your comment because of spelling mistakes. Now that you added this correction, it can stay.
RukmaniRam:
Wait. The application is in Inglis. Please tell me you translate.
Lol. If you can’t understand a word of the application, you will automatically qualify
Anon Again:
now bay area as well!
Ya, it’s spreading fast!
very funny! as always!
Thank you
sthitapragnya:
which ironically is the capital of the goddamn state!
ROFL!
Indian restaurant,
Don’t even get me started, I do a weekathon on Indian restaurants!
Sycophancy rules, when it comes to serving non-desi crowds.
Well put!
You should seriously take this comment and turn it into a post!
gauri:
Well if they do happen to thank you in error,
If they do, I will drop on my knees with tears of joy flooding from my eyes. I will buy everybody around me coffees. I should buy you one just for mentioning it!
starry nights:
they indeed do think they are doing you a favor.
We stopped at a Subway in the Watsonville area on the way to LA. It was run by desis. Even they, gave us “be thankful we are serving” attitude! Jeez.
rahul:
ROFLMAO.
Thanks
u r wat..Katrina Kaif
Lol. Actually one of the guys does look like her.
The bakery guy near my house always frown. I have been smiling at him each time I buy something. I am still trying.
U stared at her cellphone???? How cheap of you man! And you still expect that girl to smile and direct you the loo (actual location)????
LMAO..I almost threw up some coffee onto my computer screen.! If you are doing anything other than comedy script writing for a living you are wasting your time.
Co-incidentally, I recommended to my indian store manager yesterday to put aisle signs at the store, to borrow a wise mans words, he looked at me as if he sat on a jelly fish on a nude beach. His explanation was that a guy coming for Sona Masoori rice will go around the store looking for it and buy some other items too, if he can only afford buy sona masoori then he will find some help and ask him. DUH!
Sanjay.
wo gaad ganesha! all the patel brothers stores need to print this out!
It’s like this, they feel that they are doing a great service by selling you this stuff which is essential for your survival. How ever walmart employees get treated better and probably even paid higher for doing much less work.
I remm an incident where the wife of a so-called software guy was working part tme in a desi store. She took offense whn a frnd smiled at her and threatened to call her hubby!
we stuck to walmart and sent others to get masala, dal etc…
On what visa category are these ppl brought into the US?
Lemme Tell you Something.
It isnt any different in any other part of the states either.
Why do u only talk about bay area and indian grocery stores.,
talk about sales people of indian origin in general
Lets talk of Washington DC~~
Students, a girl and a guy, at the subway outlet , making me subways…….
I was at a subway close to a famous university in DC
A general thank you and a how r u doing ‘dilated her eyes into a ‘r u trying to get fresh with me ‘ look and i had to do nothing but walk out wondering what i had done wrong there!!
wouldnt cost them much to reciprocate now would it!!
arunima:
I am still trying.
You might want to explain to him that you are smiling. He might have thought you had some weird face twitch
Aparna:
U stared at her cellphone???? How cheap of you man!
LOL. Well, you know me
Sanjay:
If you are doing anything other than comedy script writing for a living you are wasting your time.
Lol. Thanks for the support
I recommended to my indian store manager yesterday to put aisle signs at the store
Didn’t he tell you that you should be glad that there aisles and the products are not thrown in a heap and that itself is a big favor to you!
will go around the store looking for it and buy some other items too
LOL. I hope somebody breaks it to him that Indians and “impulse buy” don’t really go well together
maxdavinci:
all the patel brothers stores need to print this out!
I am sure they already have similar applications
How ever walmart employees get treated better and probably even paid higher for doing much less work.
I don’t believe either wal-mart employees are paid better or they work less. In fact, if you look at some of the illegal Mexicans working there, you feel really sad. In any case, overworking or not being paid well should be an excuse to be rude.
She took offense whn a frnd smiled at her and threatened to call her hubby!
Really!? I thought I was exaggerating!
we stuck to walmart and sent others to get masala, dal etc…
Will those “others” help people like me too
Ranga:
On what visa category are these ppl brought into the US?
AFAIK: Some of them are on H4, dependent Visa. Some are actually brought in on H1, under false claims.
Arvind:
It isnt any different in any other part of the states either.
I have no intention of undermining your difficulties
Why do u only talk about bay area and indian grocery stores.,
Because I am not generally considered an authority on world-wide grocery store workers. So I stick to the area I live in
A general thank you and a how r u doing ‘dilated her eyes into a ‘r u trying to get fresh with me ‘
A grave mistake… be glad that she didn’t use pepper spray or the handy “farm fresh Jalapeño peppers”
Seriously too much TD! Too much this is.
Bleddy whatay creativity!
And some effort you made in getting the application form.
-Nikhil
Totally loved this - so very true.
“Sycophancy rules, when it comes to serving non-desi crowds”
Am afraid its the same with some Indians living out there well. They are ultra polite with the non-desis and see right thru the desi brethren.
Ok, that application? That’s funny! But to my recollection I have experienced the opposite of what you describe of Indian grocers here. And I’m Indian! Perhaps the location counts? Canadians are known to be oh so nice. Or maybe it’s because I’m female, a smile always helps. Regardless, come to Toronto, where the Indian grocers are nothing like the ones from where you live.
Or this could be your experiment - start visiting Indian grocers in every city that you happen to be in to see whether this behaviour is standard across the board.
LOL@deleting comment.
Been to two BB’s, one in Fremont and the other at Sunnyvale…there’s more than two?:-O
They better change El Camino into El Indiano real.;-)
After I am done ROFLing…
Seems to be a North American Desi Store phenomena…happens here in Toronto too.
On another note: there is a convenience store run by a Korean couple - the guy is okay - but the female is worse than the Terminatrix in T3 - her look would not only freeze hell over but leave it in permanent ice age!!! I am sure our desi stores would love to hire her!!!
I always get smiles from the Desi girls at the grocery store. It’s not a Sukdeep however.
This is sad. The fact that you have noted it, is also strange. Because for most of us here it is the daily occurance that need not be complained about. It will be too insignificant a matter when you will actually be provided expired or even damaged stuff and when you go to replace it, you have to argue incessantly.
I know for sure some Chinese business use the same application!
Great Post. I can almost visualize the entire grocery store picture. I might land up in the states on an H1 soon (if the situation does not free-fall). Will have to be careful.
btw, pl check out to see if sales people are from kerala.
There is one store in Foster City where I was shocked to hear the words “sir,” “please,” “thank you” and “have a nice day!” Needless to say the cashier (who probably was a moonlighting college student) was promptly replaced in a couple of months.
Ah yes - the comparison is stark when you go to places like Trader Joe’s where they inflate balloons for toddlers and the cashiers are mostly chirpy
lol…absolutely hilarious…u r the king!
It’s been ages. Come on, update it now.
well, got directed here by a friend. and guess what… this syndrome has spread to london as well.
SIGH!
That’s really sad!
Sadly, customer Service is not very well known to some desis. But somehow remembered these two posts of yours.
http://www.twisted-dna.com/2007/02/05/brown-men-can’t-smile
http://www.twisted-dna.com/2006/11/15/pyramid-of-friendship/
Hmm not sure if I can totally attribute the behaviour of sales people to those reasons though
Funny post as usual and I must say you have a lot of time,patience and passion (atleast ..for the blog )
Sadly, Customer Service is not known to desis, but I actually remembered a couple of these posts of yours http://www.twisted-dna.com/2007/02/05/brown-men-can’t-smile
http://www.twisted-dna.com/2006/11/15/pyramid-of-friendship/
Not sure if I can attribute the behaviour of salespersonell to those reasons though
Funny post as usual and I must say you have a lot of time and passion for your blog
Phew…re-trying to post the comment…my browser doesn’t show the captcha image but asks me to type it….grrrrrrrrrrr…
Sadly, Customer Service is not known to desis, but I actually remembered a couple of these posts of yours http://www.twisted-dna.com/2007/02/05/brown-men-can’t-smile
http://www.twisted-dna.com/2006/11/15/pyramid-of-friendship/
Not sure if I can attribute the behaviour of salespersonnel to those reasons though
Funny post as usual and I must say you have a lot of time and passion for your blog
too bad.. but thats india for you.
Nikhil Narayanan :
I am writing so many documents these days, I don’t even think while making documents 
Bleddy whatay creativity!
He he. Thank you!
And some effort you made in getting the application form.
Not really
Anon Again:
They are ultra polite with the non-desis and see right thru the desi brethren
This, indeed, is very sad. I am seeing several instances of such sycophancy too!
MS CUTE PANTS:
Canadians are known to be oh so nice
I heard Canadians are very nice. Never been there though. I can’t seem to locate it in the map
Or maybe it’s because I’m female
One thing the employees of Sukdeep groceries are not, is sexixt. They are equally rude to every customer.
come to Toronto
I have cousins who gave up on me, asking me to come to Toronto
I really should
start visiting Indian grocers in every city that you happen to be in
Lol. I could even write a book!
clueless:
For people in Southbay/Peninsula, Fremont and everything to it’s East belongs to East coast 
Been to two BB’s, one in Fremont and the other at Sunnyvale
There are two in Sunnyvale. One at the intersection of Lawrence and Reed. By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice your quietly sneaking in “Fremont” as a part of bay area. It is not
They better change El Camino into El Indiano real
We keep calling it M.G.Road
Anu:
Seems to be a North American Desi Store phenomena…happens here in Toronto too.
AHA! Tell that to Ms. Cute Pants! (see comment above).
there is a convenience store run by a Korean couple
I must admit my experience with Korean couples and stores run by them is insignificant
but the female is worse than the Terminatrix in T3
ROFL
I am sure our desi stores would love to hire her
LOL! I am sure. We must hide her in a bunker or something before our desi stores get hold of her!
Alan:
I always get smiles from the Desi girls at the grocery store
The frowns are reserved for desis
Dipu Shaw:
for most of us here it is the daily occurance
That could be true Dipu. I remember, back when I was living in India, I didn’t expect them to smile at me. I guess, the general level of courtesy in the USA is higher and you start expecting courtesy in every store.
Zhu:
I know for sure some Chinese business use the same application!
Ya, I’ve been to some “Dollar stores” that have very unconventional view of customer service. But I still think Indian stores take the cake.
Mitesh:
I might land up in the states on an H1 soon
Good luck
Will have to be careful.
Ya, be very careful. You might forget and smile at somebody!
kochuthresiamma p j:
btw, pl check out to see if sales people are from kerala.
The way to identify Kerala people is not by seeing. It’s by smelling coconut
Idling in Top Gear:
promptly replaced in a couple of months.
ROFL! I am sure the owner of the stroe thought the employee was cursing in some strange language
GG:
comparison is stark when you go to places like Trader Joe’s
Ya, they spoil us. We should request Trader Joe’s to start acting rude too so that our experience is uniform
buddy:
(California King is a size of bed)
lol…absolutely hilarious…u r the king!
Yes, California King. I am at least as big as that
phoenix:
It’s been ages. Come on, update it now.
What? Already? I am not even done biting all my nails
rayshma:
this syndrome has spread to london as well.
It will spread whereever desis spread to
Manasa:
That’s really sad!
Nah, you get used to it
Sravya:
But somehow remembered these two posts of yours.
You have a point. I did comment before on inability of Indians to exert a smile.
Hmm not sure if I can totally attribute the behaviour of sales people to those reasons though
Lol, it may be exaggeration, but not too much
Funny post as usual and I must say you have a lot of time,patience and passion (atleast ..for the blog )
Lol. I have a lot of patience for sure. You seem to be having more patience to read all this
Thank you again for your comments.
Karthik B.s.:
too bad.. but thats india for you.
True. If all these grocery store people start being nice, we will miss India too much
The last few months I had been too caught up with a new job and work and missed on a lot of your posts. Just read through all of them. Loved it.