While on our latest cruise I thought of this analogy to represent both sides of the pricing debate.
This is an example of a made up restaurant that a family initially loves.
A family goes to a restaurant that allows you to bring in your own wine because they don't carry wine and will uncork and pour it for free. You get free breadsticks and they bring out a selection of veggies, dips, cottage cheese etc for free. The service and food are incredible and the prices are reasonable. For regulars the will sometimes throw in a drink or a free entree for you. This is the best place ever and you continue to visit them regularly.
Well over time, they start to carry wine, so they no longer allow you to not bring in your own, not a deal breaker but you notice.
Next the breadsticks and the veggie spread are still available but no longer free, still not a deal breaker but they have your attention now.
To increase profits they cut back on staff so the service level declines and no longer give regulars freebies. At this point some regulars make stick it out and others will come less often.
Well now that they have gotten rid of the freebies and the service isn't as good as it was before, they decide to almost double the price for the same menu items as before without raising the service level or adding any of the freebies back. While the food still tastes great, at this point many regulars will leave and complain about the decline in service and the diminishing value in what they receive. This is a valid argument.
Now someone who has never been to the restaurant comes in and tries it, and thinks it is the best place ever. Also a valid argument.
So who is right, both! I guess this stems from reading the pricing threads and seeing people trash each other, it truly is possible for everyone to be right
This is an example of a made up restaurant that a family initially loves.
A family goes to a restaurant that allows you to bring in your own wine because they don't carry wine and will uncork and pour it for free. You get free breadsticks and they bring out a selection of veggies, dips, cottage cheese etc for free. The service and food are incredible and the prices are reasonable. For regulars the will sometimes throw in a drink or a free entree for you. This is the best place ever and you continue to visit them regularly.
Well over time, they start to carry wine, so they no longer allow you to not bring in your own, not a deal breaker but you notice.
Next the breadsticks and the veggie spread are still available but no longer free, still not a deal breaker but they have your attention now.
To increase profits they cut back on staff so the service level declines and no longer give regulars freebies. At this point some regulars make stick it out and others will come less often.
Well now that they have gotten rid of the freebies and the service isn't as good as it was before, they decide to almost double the price for the same menu items as before without raising the service level or adding any of the freebies back. While the food still tastes great, at this point many regulars will leave and complain about the decline in service and the diminishing value in what they receive. This is a valid argument.
Now someone who has never been to the restaurant comes in and tries it, and thinks it is the best place ever. Also a valid argument.
So who is right, both! I guess this stems from reading the pricing threads and seeing people trash each other, it truly is possible for everyone to be right