{"id":4515,"date":"2019-06-07T11:20:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T16:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/?p=4515"},"modified":"2019-06-07T11:20:36","modified_gmt":"2019-06-07T16:20:36","slug":"bungle-in-the-bundle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2019\/06\/07\/bungle-in-the-bundle\/","title":{"rendered":"Bungle in the Bundle"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nIt’s not all right with me.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nEvery now\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0then I’ll indulge myself and dip into the McDonald’s across from our office for a breakfast snack.\u00a0 I can’t be the only one out there\u00a0jonesing\u00a0for a hash brown patty!\u00a0 A funny thing happens each time I order: the sausage biscuit with egg is my jam and, of course, I like it with hash browns.\u00a0 I have amazing coffee from home in a super insulated Yeti mug, so I don’t need a drink.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nThe individual price of the sandwich plus hash brown exceeds the meal price which includes a drink.\u00a0 The drink options are coffee, soda, orange juice, or milk, and the non-soda options add small increments to the price, none of which add up to more than the combination of a sandwich and browns a la carte.\u00a0 Sometimes I’ll get coffee and spill it into my travel mug, which results in undermining the last few sips I take while finishing my snack.\u00a0 Other times I’ll get chocolate milk, and slam that down, mainly as a nod to my youthful self who would have never let an opportunity for\u00a0choco\u00a0milk pass by.\u00a0 Twice I’ve forgotten that I don’t really like their orange juice, or don\u2019t like it trying to overpower the savory notes of the biscuit.\u00a0 Yes, I have tried to substitute an additional ‘brown for the drink, to no avail.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nLast week I ordered the number 4 with “the least expensive drink option”.\u00a0 I received a small Dr. Pepper and tossed it out six feet later in the next waste receptacle.\u00a0 The immediate disposal, though equal waste to if I’d consumed it, felt ridiculous.\u00a0 I’m resigned to order “Number 4 meal, no drink” from now on.\u00a0 It’s the closest I can get to the ideal terms of the deal as presented by this merchant.\u00a0 Am I thrilled about it?\u00a0 No, it’s silly and a wee bit frustrating.\u00a0 This is a painless\u00a0<\/span>junk food indulgence\u00a0<\/span>example.\u00a0 What about on your cable bill though, still painless?\u00a0 Really, so if I add home phone, a service I have no interest in, I qualify for a\u00a0superfecta\u00a0bundle promo and pay less?!\u00a0 What if you want a volume price break on some pop tarts but\u00a0<\/span>really\u00a0<\/span>only want the brown sugar cinnamon and get stuck with the three other berry flavors that are just ok?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nNobody wants a bad bundle.\u00a0 The examples I’ve laid out are the result of macro-analytics dictating pricing and strategy logic that breaks down under my transactional experience.\u00a0 Why didn’t they consider the guy without the drink?\u00a0 Don’t I save the cost of beverage, container, and handling? Shouldn\u2019t this cost less?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nI understand that I may be a market exception in these cases, and there is not sufficient awareness or incentive for the merchant to make any changes in my favor.\u00a0 Regardless, if my buying needs fit outside their business logic, I still have an awkward experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nI’ve been on the other end of the bad\u00a0bundle, too.\u00a0 At my first estimating\/sales position, I was with a large painting company in San Francisco, and I’d make the mistake of including a small item on a large job, such as the small shed on an entire house repaint.\u00a0 Customers that didn\u2019t see value in the shed painting may ask, please remove the shed from the quote, and then I’m in the awkward position of either taking a hit to my potential gross profit should I get the job, or pushing the bundle on the customer to keep my price point.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nBad bundling, confusing terms, unbalanced component pricing, and more are all enemies of value exchange.\u00a0 The best transaction are those where the maximum of value created is consumed.\u00a0 Waste on either end erodes the potential value for both the merchant and customer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nTime to pretend you are your customer:<\/span><\/p>\n