Remember the outrage a decade ago when banks wanted to charge us extra for dealing with a human being?
We got over it.
So companies started charging us extra for dealing with a machine!
Which doesn't make one son-of-a-bitching bit of sense.
And which is why Chicago's electric company, to whom I just paid my bill by automated phone interface, called the $3 charge a "bill matrix convenience fee."
Oh, of course, they must expect me to think. Yes, I should have anticipated a bill matrix convenience fee. What, do I expect to be able to pay bills from the comfort of my own home? Do I think matrices grow on trees? Three dollars is a pittance to pay for the privilege of … paying.
This brings to mind the days when I had the privilege of paying a “convenience” fee to TicketMASTER whenever I wanted to attend an event on which they had the ticket monoply.
How convenient it was for me to have the opportunity to get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday, drive 30 miles into the city, stand in line in a downpour (in Seatte? go figure) awaiting my turn to hand over cash (since they wouldn’t take checks), to buy their overpriced tickets for nosebleed seats, sales tax, local taxes, venue fees, and the misnamed “convenience” fee.
David – you could always try this ‘Hunter S Thompson’ approach to dealing with customer service issues…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrOhvSvKIhc&feature=player_embedded#!
You made my morning with that one, Idc.