The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret • Hacker News Board

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#31

Post by vorpalhex » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:34 PM UTC

save_ferris wrote: post #23

RandallBrown wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A park in Indiana, Holiday World, did something sorta the opposite. They figured out how much the average guest paid for drinks, then raised the ticket prices that much but made all drinks free in the park. It was a huge success. People expect ticket prices to go up occasionally and they expect to be gouged for drinks. By getting "free" drinks, it felt like a huge value. (At least for me when I visited.) I bet it mad…

Ive been saying for years that airlines should do this. Add the price of an alcoholic beverage to everyone's ticket and then give those who want one a "free" drink. I never understood why they opted to go with ruthless cuts and declining customer experience.

Many people want the absolute cheapest ticket because having an expensive ticket doesn't really improve your life at all, at least on domestic flights.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#32

Post by dependsontheq » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:35 PM UTC

blululu wrote: post #16

Interestingly enough I used to work at a company where the one any only benefit was occasional doughnuts on Friday (we did not get health insurance/dental/vision/retirement). And honestly we would all be pissed on the days when Doughnut Friday was cancelled.

The US is such a weird place.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#33

Post by ip26 » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:36 PM UTC

save_ferris wrote: post #23

RandallBrown wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A park in Indiana, Holiday World, did something sorta the opposite. They figured out how much the average guest paid for drinks, then raised the ticket prices that much but made all drinks free in the park. It was a huge success. People expect ticket prices to go up occasionally and they expect to be gouged for drinks. By getting "free" drinks, it felt like a huge value. (At least for me when I visited.) I bet it mad…

Ive been saying for years that airlines should do this. Add the price of an alcoholic beverage to everyone's ticket and then give those who want one a "free" drink. I never understood why they opted to go with ruthless cuts and declining customer experience.

Because they are competing against other airlines to show you the lowest ticket price. Price has been shown to be the only factor most people consider when buying airline tickets.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#34

Post by jt2190 » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:36 PM UTC

(2012)

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#35

Post by jonny_eh » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:37 PM UTC

save_ferris wrote: post #23

RandallBrown wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A park in Indiana, Holiday World, did something sorta the opposite. They figured out how much the average guest paid for drinks, then raised the ticket prices that much but made all drinks free in the park. It was a huge success. People expect ticket prices to go up occasionally and they expect to be gouged for drinks. By getting "free" drinks, it felt like a huge value. (At least for me when I visited.) I bet it mad…

Ive been saying for years that airlines should do this. Add the price of an alcoholic beverage to everyone's ticket and then give those who want one a "free" drink. I never understood why they opted to go with ruthless cuts and declining customer experience.

Amusement parks are less competitive for entry price. Most cities are lucky if they have one within driving distance. Flights on the other hand are very competitive on price.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#36

Post by ngold » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:37 PM UTC

save_ferris wrote: post #23

RandallBrown wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A park in Indiana, Holiday World, did something sorta the opposite. They figured out how much the average guest paid for drinks, then raised the ticket prices that much but made all drinks free in the park. It was a huge success. People expect ticket prices to go up occasionally and they expect to be gouged for drinks. By getting "free" drinks, it felt like a huge value. (At least for me when I visited.) I bet it mad…

Ive been saying for years that airlines should do this. Add the price of an alcoholic beverage to everyone's ticket and then give those who want one a "free" drink. I never understood why they opted to go with ruthless cuts and declining customer experience.

I've heard about people paying for booze on planes. But for some reason in all the dozens of times I've flown. Never paid to get drunk on a plane? Think the last flight I took was 3 years ago, so don't know what has changed. I do only fly on the west coast though.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#37

Post by thayne » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:37 PM UTC

save_ferris wrote: post #23

RandallBrown wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A park in Indiana, Holiday World, did something sorta the opposite. They figured out how much the average guest paid for drinks, then raised the ticket prices that much but made all drinks free in the park. It was a huge success. People expect ticket prices to go up occasionally and they expect to be gouged for drinks. By getting "free" drinks, it felt like a huge value. (At least for me when I visited.) I bet it mad…

Ive been saying for years that airlines should do this. Add the price of an alcoholic beverage to everyone's ticket and then give those who want one a "free" drink. I never understood why they opted to go with ruthless cuts and declining customer experience.

As someone who doesn't drink alcohol, I hate that idea.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#38

Post by jagged-chisel » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:39 PM UTC

Retric wrote: post #18

hammock wrote: post #12

Once you lower the price of a product, you can never raise it again. I heard that on/around HN at some point and I haven't seen it proven wrong yet. There's a reason why chip bags get smaller, why new versions that seem identical to the old come out, why Tommy Hilfiger will never be a prestige brand again. And it's because customers don't tolerate raising prices.

Cars are a major counter example. Over time the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, and Honda Fit all started at about the same size but the current Accord and Civic have grown significantly larger and thus more expensive. The idea is to let brands grow up with people, so someone who bought a civic at 30 can likely afford a slightly nicer civic at 35, and also needs an incentive to upgrade. A few well received wine brands for…

I don't think your car example holds up. Sure, Honda has brands they call "Accord" and "Civic", but a 2019 Accord is different from a 2014 Accord. I don't think anyone would tolerate a rise in prices on a 2014 Accord manufactured year after year: if Honda never changed the car and continued calling it "2014 Honda Accord", I don't think they could raise its price.

I'm a little closer to accepting your premise with Disney. However, it's not "parking" you're paying for; it's "parking at Disney" and Disney continually makes changes to its product offering. Further, neither "parking at Disney" nor "tickets for Disney" are a regular, periodic purchase.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#39

Post by Loughla » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:39 PM UTC

vmception wrote: post #5

Is there anybody alive that holds this grudge? Even with the article from 2012, I don't know Was this grudge instilled in children?

Grandpa is 97 this year. He still refuses to support the red cross, because they charged for coffee and donuts in WW2 Guam.

He still talks about it like it was a personal attack. I grew up thinking the Red Cross was a for-profit war-profiteering leach of an organization.

Re: The Cost of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years of Regret

#40

Post by itsajoke » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:42 PM UTC

This article rings very true to me. I once gave away a donut I had bought to a friend. I've regretted that mistake for almost 70 years now. Just think, I could be eating that donut right now.