Fast Food, Fast Fury: Customers Want Stable Prices
rub someone the wrong way: to annoy or irritate someone, often without intending to
Wendy’s, a popular fast-food chain, recently said they would experiment with dynamic pricing, and people were not happy. We are all used to airlines or Uber charging more or less depending on demand. We know that during busy times, like rush hour or holidays, prices can go up because there are more people wanting to use these services. But the idea of burger prices going up and down throughout the day has rubbed people the wrong way. The backlash was swift, with many saying it was unfair pricing.
Wendy’s quickly tried to control the damage to their reputation. They said they would not raise prices during busy times. Their dynamic pricing was simply a way to offer discounts during slow times.
Wendy’s is not the only company to try to squeeze every penny possible out of their customers. Stonegate Group owns 4,800 pubs in the UK. Last year, they began increasing the price of their beer during the busiest time of day. Both Wendy’s and Stonegate Group are testing the limits of customers’ goodwill and their wallets.
Sample sentences
1. Whenever someone talks in the cinema, it really rubs me the wrong way.
2. People who don’t say ‘thank you’ when you hold the door open for them really rub me the wrong way.
3. It rubs me the wrong way when someone is always on their phone during dinner.
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Wendy’s Immediately Promises No Burger ‘Surge Pricing’ After Online Backlash