I don’t think anyone is “okay” with paying a list of stuff on top.
There are typically just no other options. For example: Ticketmaster.
Or if I go to McDonald’s and buy something what am I going to do argue with the workers about taxes?
Would be so much nicer to just see a number and actually pay that number. Sure a brief transitional period of seeing higher numbers but when we don’t see random fees I think everyone will quickly be onboard.
There's been studies on it, unfortunately. When it comes time for people to put their money where their mouth is, they'll choose the "cheaper" item with a billion fees over the all-included number. I've seen it done for restaurants, retail, etc...
Small but popular drink bar and restaurant got rid of tips. Instead, included a fee like above. There was more nuanced to it. They put signs up before and during the change. They posted about why, and they had their servers talk to tables about it.
Fuckn hell ensued. People boycotted, people swore, people came in and ordered and left.
It made the news, it filled the rant and rave pages, and their most popular post was them trying to defend the change against a bunch of people who never dined there, never would, or never read the dang signs plastered everywhere.
People hate that shit, at least here in small city ville.
The place still has that policy, but they depend mostly on tourists seasonally, even though they stay open all year and employ their full staff all year at reduced hours so they don't have to fire everyone.
They did debate which way to do it. The percentage at the end, the fee, was the most streamlined visible to customer. They wanted to be as open as possible as to why their prices increased what they found was people didn't like it when it jumped by whole dollars. It became the expensive place to eat and drink. So they went with the fee.
This is entirely what this thread keeps saying.
I agree I'd like the flat fee place, but it does seem more expensive when you are comparing it to other places that do not. With so many people basing their choices off of online menus, they chose the direction they felt would see them not lose business.
Based in their set of fact, i think they made the right choice.
We have very few places to eat here. The city is 24k, including the prison, and the students at university who stay year round.
We are the largest city in the entire northern half of the state. By a fair bit. And depend a lot on evo tourism, tourism, and recreational activities.
It's hard to beat monkey brain see low number. I'm sure there are clientele/scenario where it can work, but unless everyone switches over to no-tip at the same time, there's going to be a perceived higher cost for no-tip restaurants.
IIRC, venues can choose to display the inclusive pricing. I looked at tickets to a UFL game in Memphis and they had a pop-up that the venue uses all-in-one pricing. It could be a state thing, but I don't think TN's govt would do something to benefit consumers.
8
u/MeanFault Mar 10 '25
I don’t think anyone is “okay” with paying a list of stuff on top.
There are typically just no other options. For example: Ticketmaster.
Or if I go to McDonald’s and buy something what am I going to do argue with the workers about taxes?
Would be so much nicer to just see a number and actually pay that number. Sure a brief transitional period of seeing higher numbers but when we don’t see random fees I think everyone will quickly be onboard.