Hey look, it's tough for small businesses right now . . . especially for restaurants. Most of them have operated on tight margins, but now there are challenges with staffing . . . pandemic-related curveballs . . . inflation . . . and supply-chain shortages.
So now, some of them feel forced to pass those costs on to YOU. And one way they're doing it is by adding various surcharges that pop up at the bottom of your check, rather than raising prices.
According to the "Wall Street Journal", 36% of restaurants have added service fees over the past year. The idea is that this keeps their prices competitive . . . but it's actually SNEAKIER because customers don't realize how much they're paying until AFTER they receive the bill.
They found these extra charges listed as things like: "Temporary inflation fee" . . . "supply chain surcharge" . . . "wellness fee" . . . "kitchen appreciation fee" . . . "non-cash adjustment" . . . and "fuel surcharge."
There are a lot of ways for businesses to spin these charges, but the bottom line is that by making it a surcharge and NOT building it into menu prices, you're DUPING your own customers by burying it in the fine print . . . and that's risky business.
(The Wall Street Journal / Inc.com) Image © 2022 Getty Images