In business, we need to add value not fees. We have to have the customer think they are getting alot for their money especially when the fees are high and not nickel and dime them. This is not the case at my son’s summer camp.

My son is at Interlochen Arts Camp this summer for 3 weeks to study theatre. It is a world renowned music and theatre camp and big investment to send him. I did not mind paying the fee or the fact that we had to buy him a uniform to wear to the camp everyday from their store, but paid email breaks the bank. Many camps will allow you to send one way emails to your children (some just stick with letter writing which is fine by me). But, Interlochen uses an outside service called Bunknotes. You need to buy 10 credits at a time which cost $10 ($1 per email). What is worse, they charge $1 handing fee for each order of credits and 7.5% service charge. Last time I checked, there was no handling involved in electronic requests and the highest rate for credit cards is usually 3%. This is all absurd it leaves a bad taste for me which colors my experience of Interlochen. When it costs thousands of dollars to send your child to camp, should I spend $1 plus more a day to send him email?

I have not problem if the camp has no one way email. My other son is at a camp without it. Letter writing is fun and just fine. But don’t charge me additional for email if the camp makes it available. It’s like lawyers charging for photocopying (another practice I dislike).