Do you recall the time when to get people to use online services, merchants used to dangle plump, tempting carrots? Yes, free gifts included! (Refer previous post for detailed rant.)
Our phone service provider dutifully gave us a discount (of a negligible amount) - but it was a discount all the same. Why? On paying your bills on time and via the Internet. Worked for me. With or without the discount, really, but oh the convenience!
It's now the same word that's made it to My List of Irksome Things (and People). Especially when it has fee tagged to it.
So if I go book a movie ticket online, I'm shelling out an additional amount - a percentage of the ticket cost - towards convenience fee. Note that:
- Low to no cost involved for the theatre in terms of having people man ticketing counters
- Low infrastructure cost (no fancy counters/ signboards/ thingummies)
- The time people spend queuing up to buy tickets, they probably now spend at the food counters
- That translates to more revenue - because if you book online, you get food combos (which are not free, are they?)
I see theatres singing their way conveniently to the bank. As for me, yes, I didn't have to make a trip out to book my tickets. And yes, I didn't have to stand in line. But then, doesn't it work both ways? If it's oh-so-convenient for all concerned, split the goodies, I say!
Until then, is anyone headed to book tickets anyway, and can get mine too?
PS: Related airline rant coming up shortly.
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