Not only is my Mandarin improving but my bargaining skills are too; perhaps this is because my spoken Chinese is improving, so I have the vocabulary to ask for discounts, but part of it is also thinking in taibi (or NT dollars, the currency of Taiwan) rather than American dollars. The other exchange students and I constantly convert to meijin to get a “real sense” of what we’re spending, but it’s better to think relative to local budgets in the long run. I check with the Taiwanese cultural ambassadors all the time whether I’ve paid too much or not and am encouraged to find that I’ve been on point mostly the entire time.
Unlike Beijing (or most of China), Taiwanese vendors generally do not automatically hike up the price and expect you to bargain until the price is at least 30-40% of the asking price. Nor will they lower the price very much, if at all, in some cases – or they might deduct 5 or 10 NT as a small gesture of good will. Still, every bit counts!
I’ve heard that with so many coming over from Mainland China to Taiwan for vacation, Taiwanese shopkeepers will actually adjust their prices to compensate for the tourists’ aggressive bargaining habits. Department store shop assistants have learned to politely, but firmly insist that “the price is the price, and that’s as low as it can go.” Locals remind them that there are lines for the MRT (metro) for a reason. And hotel staff are more prepared to handle the boxes and boxes of souvenirs that Chinese tourists want loaded on their tour buses.
Taiwanese vendors and service are generally so helpful and polite; these situations I would find frustrating and irritating are handled quite gracefully most of the time. When I asked one vendor if she could “make it a little cheaper” she was extremely apologetic, kindly deducted 10 NT, and would not budge from there – so I sighed, “hao le” (okay), and paid up.
