Wendy’s Vows No Burger ‘Surge Pricing’ After Online Fury
Wendy’s Vows No Burger ‘Surge Pricing’ After Online Fury
The fast-food chain’s “dynamic pricing” idea was seized upon and mocked by furious Baconator lovers and rival companies alike.
Wendy’s has spoken to its manager after suggestions that it plans to introduce “surge pricing” to its menu received a decidedly frosty response this week, with the company scrambling to clarify that it has no intention of making itself the Uber of fast-food chains.
So to clarify, they’re saying that they’ll roll it out in ‘25 or so. And that it will be only used for discounts.
What they’re not sayin, is that they’re going to take the year to jack prices to 3x normal- incrementally so people won’t notice all at once.
Then they will offer discounts- 50%, maybe.
So even the discounted price will still be 1.5x more costly, while the surge pricing is 3x.
Further, they’ll probably tie the discounts to app use; an app which invades your phone and gives them shitloads of data.
Tl:dr: Wendy’s CEO thinks we’re all dumb.
Tl:dr: Wendy’s CEO thinks we’re all dumb.
People still purchase Wendy's, he's got good reason to think that.
Welcome to the McDonalds app.
It will be the anti surge. Just charge prices 3x higher but if you own the app and come in between 1pm and 5pm you can get 50% off. I hate this "own the app for discounts" but this is 100% what will happen. Id be willing to wager my sons entire life on this.
I’ll take you up on that wager.
an app which invades your phone and gives them shitloads of data
Their app isn’t too bad (at least for now). It has enough data collection that I wouldn’t want to download it, but it isn’t just strait spyware like some fast food apps cough McDonald’s.
Speaking of things that the McDonald's app has access to, I just double checked mine on Android and it has permissions to access your pictures and files by default, I'm sure it was part of that thing that you just select through in order to access the app but that's kind of concerning can understand location, files is a little weird
I think all CEOs think their clientele are dumb. It's literally the only real requirement to be a CEO, besides already being rich and knowing the right people.
The CEO should be fired. Thousands of restaurants already have variable, demand based pricing, but no one cares because those restaurants call it “happy hour”.
I mean in the CEOs defense most people are fucking dumb. I mean just look what happened to jcpenney, their CEO decided let's stop with the bullshit no more fake sales no more fake prices everything is the real price on the sticker and it almost bankrupted them.
People were so stupid that they would go to the store across the mall to buy the exact same pair of pants that JCPenney was selling for $20 normal price at $40 "half off" because brain stupid likes the shiny discount sign
it doesn't help that they have an entire army of Doctorates specialized in the psychology of marketing just to bypass your reasoning for emotion.
our brains are designed to process emotion before reason on account of evolution so it's not as simple as to say "people are dumb".... even if... people are dumb.
This is exactly what Sonic does with drinks. They used to have a half price afternoon window, but now I believe you have to use the app to get it (not 100% sure, their food is garbage)
I haven't been to Sonic in ages.
there's an old not-chain drive-in diner near here that's a thousand times better. (and I mean, like it's been around long enough to have been one of the OG's.) IIRC, the only thing I really liked was their ice.
Tl:dr: Wendy’s CEO thinks we’re all dumb.
To be fair, most people are pretty dumb, or at least dumb enough to eat Wendy's regardless.
Fuck them for even suggesting it.
Boycott anyway. Show we can't be fucked with else next business will call our bluff.
I haven't eaten at Wendy's since they discontinued their "Pick 2" salad-and-side deal. I've been boycotting since before surge pricing was even announced!
They need to bring back salad bars and their original fries to win me back.
That would also teach them to not bother backing down if there's backlash in response to an announcement...
So you have a certain level of annual profit. You suggest something incredibly offensive that you believe will increase profits by say 10% with the idea you can roll it back if its a net negative. The response is so negative that you re-assess and believe you will actually LOSE 10%. You roll it back but people are still pissed so you end up losing 2% to decrease in goodwill.
Anyone whose take away is that they should just roll on and lose 10% would be a fucking idiot. The proper take away ought to be staff ideas like this with a disinterested third party before announcing to the world so you don't lose good will in the first place.
They didn't suggest it.
Probably a PR stunt. If heard more about Wendy’s the last 2 days than the last year.
Half of the people that read this will probably think it's far-fetched but it's more than likely spot-on, and we should expect to see more enragement engagement in the future.
I absolutely hate wrestling now because of their whole "there's no good or bad. There's only 'heat'" to talk about engagement. It's what musk does too.
And I have already said fuck that noise.
Engage or not, you're in my go fuck yourself list. And all I will do is shit on your brand. And no, shitting on your brand does not actually increase sales. Look at BP. Look at Kellogg. I will nuke your fucking brand.
Engragement
Oh god. It's like the stupid mobile game ads or tik tok ads. Please no.
Honestly Taco Bell and McDonald's are better. I'm sick of Wendy's. Fries suck, burger okay, always left full. McDonald's breakfast especially. It's still shitty food that's bad for you and overpriced, but it gives me the right feel. Wendy's kinda just sucks.
Wendys breakfast potatoes hit harder than any hashbrown but otherwise I agree.
Bullshit. They will roll it out in two years when everyone has forgotten. Just to be on the safe side I will probably never eat there again
Because corporations and politicians always keep their vows.
Exactly, I read in the news paper today that "the increase will be in cents, not dollars". My immediate reaction was to make the air jerking off motion.
Corporations will do what's profitable, that's our economic system, get used to it or get rid of it.
I vote we get rid of it, just to put that out there.
"the increase will be in cents, not dollars... yet"
the increase will be in increments of 100 cents or greater
Vow will be broken in 5...4...3...2...
They're not raising prices at peak times, just lowering prices at off peak times. (It's the same thing)
Nah, they will probably just raise the prices all the time and THEN make a big deal of the off peak time price savings.
Basically, what you said but with extra steps and hopefully (for them) people forget by then about it by then
Surge pricing is double on everything not a burger
Thank God because I'm in the market for a $23 fast food burger right now.
Can't wait for the 75% discounts for low priority times /s
"Online fury" is a most excellent expression.
Online furies have been awakened and now you can't stop them, Wendy's!
Edit: fixed grammar
I always assumed it was easier to awaken online furries
Better knot try
The working class economy: 💀
Wendy's: We're raising prices!
People: 😡
Wendy's: Wait, that makes you mad?
Don't worry, they're going to a subscription burger based model. You'll have to pay them each month to enter the restaurant.
I think this was a publicity stunt. We'd all just about completely forgot Wendy's exists... So they come out with this wild idea, let it float for a couple of days and then cancel it. Smooth PR move.
Bad pr is better than no pr?
Did people forget Wendys existed? They have one of the biggest brand engagements on social media of all time.
Totally agree. In what world would even the most out-of-touch executive think customers would be happy about this? Not to mention the logistical nightmare it would cause when the guy in front of you in line is paying a higher/lower price or the price changes halfway through waiting in line, or the price changes in the middle of your order.
It was a really dumb idea that couldn't have gone anywhere, but was useful to drum up a little controversy and publicity.
Yeah, surge pricing is meant to discourage usage as there is too much demand. Most restaurants will never have this problem. One exception I found was the unveiling of the new popular restaurant here in my area that had 24 hour service times. They eventually had to change it to close a few hours at night for staff to clean and restock. The change was 3 days after grand opening. Drive thru was so full it reached the big streets and the highways off ramp. It was dumb af. I liked the closing idea more than surge pricing.
In fact they could do a happy hour specials that mimic this surge pricing but the advertising will be to highlight lower price times. which theoretically should act the same as surge pricing by making times of high demand "normal"/higher prices.
That was my first thought after the reversal (probably slower than many, it seems like such a stupid idea) yup cheap publicity. Mean who would risk going to Wendys if the price could go up while in line?
In the end there'd probably be little surge pricing because people would avoid any hours it might hit. If I am hitting up Wendys I am not keen on paying more, especially since Taco Time is in the same parking lot, McDonald's across the street and a KFC within a block. To be fair I can't remember the last time I wanted to hit up a Wendys anyways, Taco Time is way better for the same trip.
Though I've thought about Wendys more, with these two articles and wrote a reply, than in years....so I guess marketing works.
I'm so jealous you have Taco Time... crispy burritos, stuffed mexi fries, surprise flavor empanadas... sigh. The closest one is eight and a half hours from me. 😩 I'd pay surge prices for Taco Time.
It's the Magic 8-ball response. Reply hazy, will try again later
On top of the surge pricing the bastards have been spamming me with emails. Damned if I can remember when I used my email with them, but their opt out mechanism has me pissed. Have to type in my email after hitting the link, then clearly remain on the list. Sure, FTC rules say you get 30 days or something before I need to stop receiving emails, but virtually every other marketer seems to take me off immediately.
Get drunk and call them cussing about the email thing?
I have been calling y'all for more than a month, every time looney toones comes on, y'all put porkys butthole on. I figure last night, second cartoon came on and it was porkys frigging old butthole. I said surely you aren't going to put the last two on porkys friggin buthole. Now y'all gonna die if you put prokys butthole on the last cartoon, like you did this morning. I have seen the dang old crap a half million and a half times, I don't see why in the heck you think these day old youngins are gonna watch porkys dang old butthole, time after time, after time after time and don't ever get tired of it. Like, yes y'all. Got up at 730 in the morning, and watched all day, and I don't think you were right on time with your own show all danggum day. I went to bed last night, I wanted to, to get one right. But y'all were wrong, still wrong. I don't say, guess ima have to call FCC about shutting y'alls down. Ya, no. Alright, dont, you just don't think three year old kids gonna buy something, buy a dang old armload of stuff, cause y'all be putting those dang old commercials on, dropping that crap on and on and on. It don't make crap today too, because you was five minutes late and this time your going to be five minutes late like last time, cause you dropping those commercials in there. I tell ya, y'all get ready to quit it. For some reason you think it's your job to add ten minutes of commercials every dang old time. Every time the show goes off, or IDK, whatever.
Just mark it as spam, since that's what it is.
Why did they even announce it? Just start doing it and wait to see if people care when they notice. You should be able to figure out people aren't going to like it.
No one puts out a giant advertisement that their prices are going up. Trial balloon maybe, to gauge reaction?
obvious trial balloon
now that it’s over, and i know it’s different bc it’s not a starvation wage mega corp, but remember when a bar in michigan did exactly this? i remember reddit being so enamored with this
Seems fun as a novelty, and it happens at a specific stated time of day. Dynamic pricing by a fast food chain makes no sense, especially when the schedule isn't disclosed, except to scam unwitting customers out of their money.
I totally agree.
It's fun as a novelty. Not when it's an excuse for the business to gouge you even harder.
posting works!!!
imagine coming up with this shit -- you must know the evil you're releasing upon the world. like even if you're a shithead billionaire, if this god-awful mechanism were to take hold, it'd be annoying and awful for you too right?
Yes, useful idiots have been trying for decades to get people to shut up about abuse.
Glad some of us are smart enough to rise above that behavior.
Late stage capitalism in its essence
When you’re crazy busy in the kitchen (of a crappy restaurant), you sandbag. Meaning you prepare extra food than is needed because you know the order is coming so you’re cooking in anticipation of the next order. If by “surge pricing” they would discount during the chaos, they’d probably make more money. I haven’t been to Wendy’s in quite a while but when I saw the story break a few days ago I said to myself “I’m completely done, fuck those greedy assholes”
You sandbagging soon of a bitch!
We did it, Lemmee!
Too late shithead, shove your square burgers right up your ass which is convenient because now you can eat them yourself
I wonder why they think it’s a good idea. Maybe it’s for people who live in small towns and have minimal options? Where I live there are so many better options around me that are healthier and cheaper. I very very rarely get fast food.
And, even if I do get fast food, Wendy's is an absolute last resort. I think I've only had their food once in the last two decades.
For now....
Why do people hate this idea for Wendy's but give zero fucks when Uber does it to them?
The concept of surge pricing for something that was supposed to be a side job for drivers makes sense. During a blizzard, if driving Uber is my side hustle, there's no way I'm getting in the car to pick up some schmuck after he drank too much at Applebee's. But if I can charge more for that ride, I will start to consider it.
But then the "gig" job became people's full time job and everything, as it must, went to shit.
But for Wendy's? The meat is there. The employee is there. Everything is already there, ready and waiting to make burgers. So surge pricing isn't correcting a supply/demand imbalance - it's just on-demand price gouging.
They do hate when Uber does it, but they already let the taxi companies with regulations die, so they don't have a choice if they want that type of service.
Because waiting a few minutes longer for food isn't the same as waiting 10+ minutes for a ride. People need to get places quickly.
Have you considered that the two businesses may be different? Guess what, electric companies do the same thing!
As it turns out, supplying electricity and taxi services are different than food service.
Surge pricing for Uber and Lyft is partially passed along to the driver and used as an incentive to get more drivers on the road. Drivers get a special notification on their screen that rides are worth more than usual, which might cause them to start driving if they're not already on the road, which decreases the wait times for riders.
The equivalent for Wendy's would be if they also increased employee salaries during that time to encourage more workers to come in and make burgers faster, not just to gouge the customer.
Though even when surge pricing was active I made shit money when I was side hustling Uber and Lyft.
Fuck. I wanted cheap off-peak hour burgers. Yall, we could have had cheap burgers, but you wanted to pay full price I guess?
People are ignorant af. Surge pricing is exactly the same as offering a discount on prices during the less busy times and suddenly people are ok with it. “Our businesses surge from 1030-1300 and 1700-1900 so we’re gonna charge $15 for the meal that’s normally $13.” Is the same exact situation as: Xyz economic situation is causing us to raise prices across the board, so we’re gonna now charge $15 for this meal. Oh wait business is slow, offer them a discount outside of these hours: 1030-1300 and 1700-1900.
Nah, one way means the bar is fixed at a specific price and you may get lucky and pay less. The other way means there is no bar and you have no idea what you might pay until after you've already spent 10 minutes in line and get up to the counter/intercom.
Nobody wants to take that gamble when you could just drive to one of the other dozen nearby burger places that don't do stupid shit like this.
You’re missing the point I’m trying to make entirely and arguing the way they’re going to try to implement it. How it’s going to happen doesn’t matter, but the fact still is you and everyone else can expect this to become common place.
Honestly I don't have a problem with surge pricing as long as the average price stays the same as it is now. Meaning if there was a slow time discount equal to the busy time upcharge.
How fucking naive do you have to be to think this means anything other than valueless profit seeking...
It mostly hurts people who don't have any free time and who can only be there at lunch break or dinner, people who have and need their jobs, they're the ones that will pay more, so fuck this CEO up the ass.
You're part of the problem.
It's sad watching people like you lower your standards even further just to make someone richer than you even richer.
People are fucking stupid. Every last one of you who thought they were going to raise prices is a moron that believes anything you read from other morons.
They were planning on adding discounts that only applied during off peak times. It sounds like they still are planning to do this. You fucks literally almost stupided your way out of saving money by being stupider than anticipated.
I hope none of you have brokerage accounts because none of you have the intellect required to source stock information.
This is how the rich get richer. It is is literally impossible to underestimate the intelligence of the average consumer and they long ago figured out how to profit from it.
You're either a really bad troll or a really good moron.
How does boot taste?
Do you legitimately think a company was trying to figure out how to make less money?
🤡
Source?
All the clowns are downvoting me. Stupid people cannot handle the truth.
This is literally the first search hit on this.
https://fortune.com/2024/02/28/wendys-surge-pricing-dynamic-company-statement/
✋🎤