It turns out South Africans aren't too keen on negotiating for discounts compared with other countries, at least this is what one survey suggests. Those who do try, on average, receive a 15 percent discount.
This has come out of a survey by discount website Picodi, which questioned 1,700 people from countries including South Africa, India, Germany and the Phillippines to better understand what it takes to be a good negotiator, aka haggler.
Key findings
1. Men enjoy the process of negotiating for a better price more than women, but they might not be as skilled in the art of the deal.
2. According to some countries, such as Mexico, France and India, it might actually be easier for women to haggle over the cost of things, even if they aren't inclined to do so.
3. Men and women had different opinions on the role a person's appearance played in their ability to negotiate, but Western countries such as Canada and the United States said good looks had a significant impact on how well a person might be able to score a better bargain. In the Philippines and India, however, people were less likely to submit to the power of appearance.
4. South Africa is most likely to haggle for antiques compared with most countries surveyed, and is third on the list to negotiate for furniture.
5. Car and home repairs are services men are more likely to haggle for than women, while home bills and cleaning are services women haggle for more.
6. Across all countries, clothes, cars and antiques are the items everyone is willing to negotiate for the most.