HANOI, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- "They believed that my idea was crazy and impossible and simply would not work in Vietnam, but I made up my mind and went ahead anyway believing that my customers would trust me and that I could help change self-awareness of people in Vietnam."
So said Dao Khanh Hiep, the owner of Vietnam's first-ever keeper-less store, where the youth of the capital are astounded at being fully entrusted to serve and pay for coffee and snacks by themselves.
Located in a busy street in downtown Hanoi, the little coffee shop looks quite eye-catching with a diverse menu offering snacks, raw chocolate, ice-cream, and drinks.
On entering the store customers ring a bell which opens an automatic gate and are welcomed into a tiny yet cozy space with mellow music playing. Once inside they can select their own food and beverages, pay for them, and clean their tables, all by themselves.
"There are no assistants, waiters or waitresses in the shop. The customers do everything by themselves and then leave," Hiep told Xinhua in a recent interview, adding that when deciding to open the shop, he faced drastic opposition from his family and friends.
But it's not all simply down to trust, customers are closely monitored on entering the shop and until they leave by a system of cameras which record all day and night. Those who do not pay, or pay an inadequate amount of money will be blacklisted by the system and the shop's gate will no longer open for them to enter.
Hiep told Xinhua however that in the past five months since his shop's debut, he has never experienced anyone who did not pay or paid less than their due amount.
"When the shop first opened, I was a bit nervous about the business and its unique concept. However, now, things have become quite easy for me," Hiep said.
"I'm a shop owner but I come here just twice in the morning and in the afternoon to restock goods in the fridge and clean up. In the future, I plan to open more shops with a wider selection of food," the shop owner said proudly.
The distinctive shop attracts curiosity, surprise and excitement from local customers. There's a space in the shop for customers' reviews and almost all of the customers said they came not only to experience freedom of shopping but also enjoyed learning about "self-awareness."
Le Dinh Anh, a student, told Xinhua, "I like the shop's space. Coming here, I can do everything on my own, without having to bother anyone. The drinks here are also great and suit young people's tastes.
Nguyen Nhu Quynh, 20, agreed with Anh. "Despite it being only a tiny space, I love this shop so much and hope there will be more and more shops like it the future to raise awareness of 'Do-It-Yourself' among the young in particular and among Vietnamese people in general."
Pham Hung Thang, a communications expert, said that by having no shopkeeper, the shop is intentionally being different to grab the spotlight while penetrating an increasingly demanding market in Vietnam. The expert thought the new business model is feasible, with the availability of technical solutions.
"An automatic shop like this also helps save costs. Normally, to open a shop, people need at least two or three shop assistants. However, in this instance, only one is needed and even one can manage three to four shops at the same time," Thang said, encouraging other local firms in Vietnam to follow suit.
"In addition to solving economic problems, the shop is also meaningful as it provokes a revolution' in behavior among Vietnamese people. There may not be any cheating, theft or fraud while shopping," Thang said.
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TEHRAN Wholesale C.J. Wilcox Jersey , Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran will attend the upcoming international talks on the future of Syria to be held in the Austrian capital of Vienna on November 12, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special representative for the Middle East and Africa Wholesale Jodie Meeks Jersey , Press TV reported.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry official asked the participants in the talks to adopt a ""realistic"" approach to help resolve the Syrian crisis.
Political means and national dialogue will help the people of Syria to decide their own future democratically, he said.
On Nov. 2, Amir-Abdollahian criticized what he called Saudi Arabia's ""unconstructive"" role in October international talks on Syria Wholesale Terrence Ross Jersey , threatening to walk out of the talks should the next meeting be ""unproductive.""
In the meeting in Vienna, ""some countries, particularly Saudi Arabia Wholesale D.J. Augustin Jersey , played negative and unconstructive roles, as they could not provide a logic for their positions vis-a-vis Syria's conflicts,"" Amir-Abdollahian said.
""If our assessment of the next talks is positive Wholesale Bismack Biyombo Jersey , we will continue to attend the next meetings,"" he said. Otherwise, if the negotiations will be ""a show"" and if the rights of the Syrian people to decide on the future of their own country are ignored Wholesale Evan Fournier Jersey , Iran would pull out of the talks, he added.
Following the international talks on the future of Syria in Vienna on Oct. 30, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the talks should entail a decision on a date and means for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from the power Wholesale Nikola Vucevic Jersey , as well as the withdrawal of foreign forces, ""especially Iran,"" from Syria.
Iran Wholesale Mario Hezonja Jersey , who participated for the first time in the talks on Syria, said that it would not accept pressure for the ouster of al-Assad under the pretext of solving the Syria crisis.
On Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif Wholesale Marreese Speights Jersey , said that the international community should unite against terrorism in the region, particularly in Syria.