HAVE you ever received the bill in a restaurant and been shocked at it being more than you thought it would be?
According to a marketing expert, many food places do a whole range of clever tricks to encourage you to part with more cash without you realising.
If you spend more at a restaurant than you intended, you are often not alone[/caption]
Basia, who posts under @everupmarketing, uploaded a video detailing “how restaurants manipulate you with psychology.”
She wrote: “This carousel breaks down the psychological tricks restaurants use to make you eat faster, order more, and feel good about overpaying.
“From removing currency symbols to designing menus that confuse you on purpose, these tactics aren’t accidents.
“They’re proven behavioural science.
“If you’re a small business owner or marketer, steal these strategies (ethically) to boost your own sales.”
NO CURRENCY
Some restaurants prefer to not use the pound sign when it comes to listing the prices on their menu to persuade you to spend more.
Basia explained: “They remove the currency symbol so your brain forgets it’s money.
“Menus that list prices without £, $, or € make you feel like you’re not spending real cash.”
DECOY ITEMS
The marketing expert claimed that some restaurants try to make you feel better about the majority of their prices, by throwing in a few expensive items in comparison.
She shared: “Expensive items aren’t meant to sell, they’re there to make everything else feel cheap.
“Decoy pricing. That £34 steak? Just a prop so you feel good about the £22 burger.”
TABLE LAYOUT
Restaurants will also think closely about their table layouts, as it can also impact sales, according to the marketer.
For example, she claims that booths encourage you to “linger”, so you could spend more over time.
On the flip side, having “bright lights and loud music” helps give restaurants a “quick turnover”, if they want to get through lots of customers.
Some restaurants have ‘decoy’ items to make things feel more affordable[/caption]
SIDES
The next point Basia highlighted was about side dishes.
She claimed: “They force you to order sides separately, then sell you the ‘complete meal’ after.”
SPECIALS
Another trick restaurants do, according to the professional, is using up ingredients that are going out of date as “specials”.
Instead of giving you a “gem”, you are actually helping them prevent a loss.
However, some chefs disputed this in the comments and said their own restaurants plan ahead for their specials.
The marketing expert claimed that removing currency can affect how you see prices[/caption]
FLAMES
Some restaurants will try to let customers see “flames” during their visit for a key reason.
Basia claimed that people “associate heat with freshness”, so it can help the image of the venue.
She added that “visual priming” makes you think you are getting “quality.”
BREAD
Some food venues provide bread on the table to help boost customer satisfaction, according to Basia.
She shared how bread makes you feel “taken care of” and also too full to notice you overpaid, when the bill comes.
They added: “Reciprocity bias kicks in. You just got ‘free stuff’.”
People were quick to chime in with their views, with one saying: “Most of them are true, but when you get into mid-level restaurants to higher end, specials are not items that are about to be expired.”
Another added: “I suspected most of these things for a long time now..thought it just happens in my mind.”
How to save at McDonald’s
You could end up being charged more for a McDonald’s meal based solely on the McDonald’s restaurant you choose.
Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30% cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other.
You can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 at any time by filling in a feedback survey found on McDonald’s receipts.
The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey.
You’ll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer.
There are some deals and offers you can only get if you have the My McDonald’s app, so it’s worth signing up to get money off your meals.
The MyMcDonald’s app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android phones and is quick to set up.
You can also bag freebies and discounts on your birthday if you’re a My McDonald’s app user.
The chain has recently sent out reminders to app users to fill out their birthday details – otherwise they could miss out on birthday treats.
