Many businesses try to get that little extra from a customer by adding charges for small and sometimes unexpected “services”. I was recently staying at a Fairfield Inn in suburban LA when on my bill a charged appeared for parking. This was unusual since the lot was ungated and empty. I saw no sign saying there was a charge to park. To me, this reflects badly on the brand. What is the point of giving a free breakfast and Internet if they charge for parking?
I am not alone. Businessweek lists other outrageous upcharges:
- $1 for leaving cheese off a burger- Outpost American Tavern in Dallas
- $1 for no commercials before a movie- Sundance Cinemas in Seattle
- $25 for visiting a relative in prison- Arizona Dept of Corrections
- 49 cents for a bill ending in less than 50 cents…they round up! – Dutch Boy burger in Brooklyn
Upcharges are done by companies that have poor vision of their business. Look at the entire customer experience and the value they get. Adding surcharges never make a good lasting impression on the customer.
Nickeling and diming people to death seems to be so that the company doesn’t have to take responsibility for itself. The Fairfield Inn might be independently-owned and think if they raise their rates, you won’t stay there. Or, that it will take them out of a price category on Expedia. Instead of knowing your options upfront, you find out when it’s too late. Ultimately, deceptiveness is corrosive. The airlines are the kings of it, in my opinion.
Thanks- I think its just the greed of the owner who owns the hotel and the lot!