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Many Swiss farmers use honor system to sell their products

businessfondue.com

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Re: Many Swiss farmers use honor system to sell their products

#31

Post by sunseb »

radiator wrote: post #17
sunseb wrote: post #8

As a Swiss guy, I must say I only see this in rural areas. It wouldn't work in big cities like Geneva I think (too many people living in urban areas who don't respect our wonderful country and that's a shame).

In Geneva thirty years ago there were newspapers for sale on the street using this system.

Yes, and the next logical question would be: what has changed in Geneva these past 30 years? Hints: individualism, globalization, multiculturalism.

My father told me that when he served for our national army back then, soldiers just left their weapons alone in front of the train station while they were having a coffee before going into the train.

Re: Many Swiss farmers use honor system to sell their products

#34

Post by gcb0 »

radiator wrote: post #17
sunseb wrote: post #8

As a Swiss guy, I must say I only see this in rural areas. It wouldn't work in big cities like Geneva I think (too many people living in urban areas who don't respect our wonderful country and that's a shame).

In Geneva thirty years ago there were newspapers for sale on the street using this system.

Print is weird.

For most print mediums, circulation is more important than sales. Because higher circulation generates more Advertising revenue, which is higher than sales.

But they can't give a newspaper/magazine away, because that would bump them to a lower category for which advertisers pay less.

The solution is to sell as cheap as your desired advertising demographic allows, and incurs lots and lots of "loss".

That is why even in the USA (land of the people-will-grab-anything-not-bolted-down) some newspapers still have that coin+trust box for newspapers.

Re: Many Swiss farmers use honor system to sell their products

#37

Post by hirundo »

I ran into this in California at a small farm along Highway 1 a few miles north of Santa Cruz. It's a scenic ocean side rural locale but near all the big Bay Area cities and frequented by day visitors from there. There was a shack with a good variety of their produce laid out, with price labels. Up front there was a cash box, with about $40 already in it, and a sign that said pay here. This was late '90s. I really hope that it continued to work for them for a long time after that. I haven't seen that elsewhere before or since. I overpaid as a tip. I hope that happens enough to offset cheats.

Re: Many Swiss farmers use honor system to sell their products

#38

Post by yborg »

BurningFrog wrote: post #11

This is a sign of a deeply trust based society. I don't think articles like these are good for the system's health :)

You really think a significant number of people are going to get on a plane to Switzerland and then drive to Vaud to steal pumpkins?

Re: Many Swiss farmers use honor system to sell their products

#39

Post by SomeOldThrow »

hirundo wrote: post #37

I ran into this in California at a small farm along Highway 1 a few miles north of Santa Cruz. It's a scenic ocean side rural locale but near all the big Bay Area cities and frequented by day visitors from there. There was a shack with a good variety of their produce laid out, with price labels. Up front there was a cash box, with about $40 already in it, and a sign that said pay here. This was late '90s. I really ho…

You can still see this in rural new england, at least, though I expect with far less non-local traffic than california 1.
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