I've noticed a rather sneaky sales technique that I call Service By Stealth.

The most common form seems to be Guiding By Stealth. Guiding By Stealth works like this. You visit some monument or temple of interest, and a man wanders up to you very casually, starts a very normal conversation, and then starts telling you a little about the sight in question. Once in full flow, he's difficult to interrupt or escape and by the time you've worked out that he's a guide by trade, rather than just a particularly well-informed and obliging local, you've already had half a tour and feel obliged to either finish it or pay something for what you've already had.

A similar technique is employed by the masseurs in Varanasi. Massage By Stealth is slightly more invasive. A man will approach you with a big smile and extend a hand in greeting. You shake it, but once a grip has been established the man won't let go but instead will start massaging it, working his way up your arm, and chatting all the while, with no mention of what he's doing to your arm. By the time you've persuaded him that you really don't want a massage, you've already kind of had one.

One practice common to many of the stealth operators – and it really, really frustrates me – is the "as you like" approach to pricing. It's particularly annoying when you've already had whatever product or service you're trying to pay for (by stealth or otherwise), but is still pretty annoying beforehand.

I had it today in a barber's shop in Diu after a shave (of both head and face). It goes something like this:

"As You Like" It

– Thanks. That's great. How much do I owe you?
– As you like sir.
– I'd prefer if you just give me a price.
– No, no, sir. It's up to you. Pay as you think.
– But you don't really mean that. Just tell me how much. Please?
– As you like sir.
– Okay. Eighty rupees. I know that's more than fair.
– Eighty rupees not enough sir. One hundred minimum.
– So you really mean: as you like, as long as what you like is at least one hundred rupees then?
– Sorry sir?
– Forget it...