325: Kelsey Brown, Fighting for Transparent Pricing

Jeannie and Adam discuss how lack of transparent pricing harms your business and what you can do to stop feeding into the “norm” of hidden fees without jeopardizing your sales. Better customer experiences through transparent pricing Have you ever paid way more than you expected at the end of an online purchase? Or perhaps you’ve received an invoice with vague or unexplained fees that blew your budget to shreds. Doesn’t this drive you bananas? Well, we’ve got news for you: Your customers don’t feel any better about it than you do. “They keep it from you because it makes it look like they have the lowest price available…” -Kelsey Brown While we all know hidden fees make for a terrible (and costly!) experience, misleading practices around pricing are everywhere. In fact, customers resent these sales tactics, and they’ve had enough.  “What most people want in most areas of their life is to be told the truth.” -Kelsey Brown So we’re delighted to bring Kelsey Brown to the mic! The Outreach Manager for People for Honest Pricing, Kelsey says hidden fees and dishonest pricing doesn’t just hurt customers. In fact, these widespread practices lead to high churn rates, abandoned shopping carts, and eventually, a poor brand image. What’s more, the companies that suffer the most are the ones who’ve found ways to justify their lack of transparency and claim their hidden fees aren’t hidden at all. Kelsey is here to share ways to eliminate hidden pricing from your customer experience and build a better business around honesty.  But you must understand what hidden pricing really is, and why it exists in the first place. We cover all of this and more in the interview! “Create a conversation about these hidden fees that isn’t taking place right now.” -Kelsey Brown Bonus: We know you’ve been duped by dishonest pricing before, so what can you do as a consumer to fight back? Kelsey shares 4 easy ways to let companies know this is not OK and help pave the way for a more transparent future. Listen in! Interview Highlights Most organizations would claim they have no hidden fees, so what’s the definition of hidden fees? And why are they so nefarious? [3:15] What is the basis for hidden fees? Moreover, why do companies get away with this? [5:10] Changing how we do business is one thing, but how can we fight back as consumers?  Sometimes we need to change or add fees in a short time. What are some best practices for that? [14:15] I’d like to be more honest about pricing, so how can I start an evaluation process? [15:45] About our guest Before joining People for Honest Pricing, Kelsey was a marketing professional at a software company creating content for their online presence. Armed with a degree in journalism and several years of digital marketing experience, she made an industry switch from software to the world of e-commerce where she now leads the public relations and outreach strategy for a promotional products company. Kelsey met the Co-Founders of People for Honest Pricing after beginning her new role and quickly realized they shared a mutual frustration regarding hidden fees. It didn’t take much time for her to be brought on board as the Outreach Manager for People for Honest Pricing where she is now spreading the word about their cause. The goal of People for Honest Pricing is to start a conversation about pricing transparency when it comes to shopping online. Business owners may also apply for their free certification program where a team of volunteers evaluates their pricing strategy, and upon approval, supplies the applicant with a free badge to display on their website. By displaying this certification badge on their website, business owners are showing their customers that they’re more than just a number. Connect with Kelsey Twitter Facebook Honest Pricing Certification Duped by hidden fees? Share your story! Related Content 360Connext® post, Customer Happiness Lessons for Any Company, Courtesy of Zappos Customers That Stick® post, What Great Brands Do Episode 317: Anne Bahr Thompson, Do Good Episode 127: Is Transparency Effective? We’re on C-Suite Radio! Check it out for more great podcasts Sponsor message: Start creating a successful CX strategy Are you ready to build a customer experience strategy on a solid foundation for the long term? We’re shattering the top 5 CX strategy myths in our latest evergreen webinar. You will learn: How to avoid the 5 so-called “Customer Experience Strategies” that aren’t strategies at all What drives a winning customer experience strategy and examples of companies that “get it” How to create a foundation for a customer experience strategy that works for the long term Join Jeannie at a time that works for you for some serious mythbusting and a head start on creating a customer experience strategy that works!  Sign Me Up!     Take care of yourself and take care of your customers.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices