photo credit: europealacarteI am going to a trade fair in Harrogate, it is actually a trade fair where we exhibited last year but decided not to this year. I just decided to go and have a look and checkout the competition. All hotels in Harrogate were booked so I had to find an alternative somewhere on the way. I chose to stop at a Travelodge, not the most glamorous of hotels but very conveniently located on the M1 on the way to Harrogate. The booking process is quite easy on the website.
For £48 a night, I thought it was good value for money. Then you get offered a cancellation insurance for £1.50…. You can tick this off so it is not compulsory. And then you get to the payment page and if you pay by credit card you get charged. You also get a warning saying that they do not provide toiletries in the room as they find that most customers bring their own… Does this remind you of anybody? Who started this but our good friend Michael O’Leary from Ryanair. So again the price you see advertised is not the final price you are paying as you get add-ons. What next? A toilet paper dispenser with a coin slot next to it?
Can you imagine going to a shop in high street and being asked to pay extra for paying by credit card? Or if you want some advice and speak to somebody in the shop, you have to pay for their time? After all we are already being asked to pay for a bag by some supermarkets. Where is commerce going?
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