Why Not Charge A Fee For The 'Privilege' Of Making A Reservation? - By Thomas Wahl
2011-04-14 Where does the 'add on' pricing end and the consumer backlash begin?
I am not usually a fan of videos that are forwarded to me from friends. We all know of the inherent security risks involved, however this one did catch my attention.
Why? Although it is a humorous presentation regarding buying ‘Cheap Flights', it clearly represents an overall consumer sentiment and it is not only limited to airlines. The same principal applies to hotels, cruises etc.
We cover many industries at Nevistas, including all segments of the hospitality and travel industries and as a result we actually receive a large number of emails and calls from ‘consumers' and many of them refer to this ‘add-on' pricing.
Why is a bottle of water in the mini-bar $4.00?
If I have to pay extra for an aisle seat, do I receive a discount for the center seat?
I paid $150 for my hotel room, why do I have to pay for a local call?
And the list goes on.
We recently stayed at the Wyndham Grand Bay hotel at Isla Navidad on the Pacific Coast in Mexico. It touts itself as Mexico's premier resort and I must say it is a great property, however, after they couldn't honor our reservation, they actually wanted to charge us an extra for a different room.
The artists in the video express their frustration with humor. We expressed ours by checking out and taking our business elsewhere.
In hospitality, Thomas
Enjoy the video!
Where does the 'add on' pricing end and the consumer backlash begin? An amusing look at pricing.
Where does the 'add on' pricing end and the consumer backlash begin?