*A lesson in customer perception and pricing integrity*
My wife and I went out to breakfast last week. Like many of you, we’ve been feeling the gut punch that comes with dining out these days. What used to be a $25 casual outing can now easily top $50 without much effort. And while inflation has touched every corner of our economy, there’s a deeper issue that businesses — especially restaurants — need to consider: the customer’s sense of fairness.
We were at a smaller breakfast chain. Not one of the national giants, but also not a cozy mom-and-pop. Something in the middle. The kind of place that lives or dies based on local loyalty.
She ordered a classic breakfast — eggs, sausage, and toast. But in the fine print, the menu offered an option: swap your toast for a single pancake… for an additional $6.50.
Wait. What?
Six dollars and fifty cents. For a single pancake. Just a swap. Not an extra item. Not a deluxe version with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Just replacing a piece of toast with a pancake.
Now, I understand upcharges. I understand margins. And I believe that every business has the right — and need — to make a profit. But this wasn’t a fair trade. This felt like a message:
“If you want a little extra comfort, you’ll pay for it. A lot.”
The Business Cost of a Bad Feeling
This wasn’t about whether we could afford the $6.50. We could. It was about how it felt. And feelings, especially in customer service, matter more than ever.
That pancake represented something bigger:
– A perceived gouge during a time of inflation fatigue.
– A mismatch in value — it wasn’t artisanal or special.
– A lack of trust — that maybe other items had similar hidden traps.
– A bad taste before the food even arrived.
That single decision — likely made to squeeze a few more dollars from each ticket — may be costing them far more in lost return visits, poor reviews, or negative word-of-mouth.
What’s the Lesson?
The lesson isn’t “don’t charge more.” It’s this:
Be transparent. Be fair. And above all — see it through the customer’s eyes.
If a pancake really does cost more to produce and plate than toast, then explain why. Make it feel like an upgrade, not a penalty.
If margins are tight (and they are), get creative — not sneaky. Customers will pay more when the value is clear. But they’ll walk away when they feel taken advantage of.
The goal is to help you keep your customers — not push them away with poor perception or lazy pricing strategies.
Can Your Business Justify Its Pancake?
This isn’t just about breakfast. Every business has its version of the $6.50 pancake — a charge, policy, or practice that makes sense internally, but feels unfair or tone-deaf externally.
Your job is to find it. Question it. Fix it.
Before your customer posts about it.
