Do you have company policies or practices that are literally a slap in your customers’ face?
Many businesses spend significant resources in marketing and recruiting customers to turn around and take advantage of these very customers.
On a recent family vacation to San Diego, we visited both the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Both had pricey admission fees which were to be expected. One difference between them was what they charged for parking.
Naturally if you’re going to visit one of these large attractions, you’ll have to park on their lots. Sea World charged us $10 for parking. The San Diego Zoo parking was free.
Either of these parks could forgo admission fees and still make money off of all the food and souvenirs you buy inside. However, unlike food and t-shirts, you usually don’t have a choice with parking. You have to park, and thus you have to pay.
Is your business like Sea World in this example, trying to squeeze every last penny out of customers? Or are you more like the San Diego Zoo, welcoming all with open arms and hoping that generosity encourages you to spend more later?
Tread carefully when you force fees and expenses on customers.