Pricing for our package tracking system is up front, unlike that at some gas stations. After a long week of visiting hotel clients around Florida we were on our way to return our rental car. As we approached the car return location, we had to stop to fill the tank. We pulled into a very nice gas station with a strange sign, just six inches off of the ground which simply read “769795.” When I got out of the car and grabbed the pump I looked at the price for gas on the digital display because it was simply not posted anywhere. The display read “769” which, considering I had been paying between $3.45 -$3.69 per gallon on my other stops, seemed like some kind of an error. I went into the very nice market, used the restroom, and then asked the attendant what the price of gas was here. In a flat voice she said “it is seven sixty nine a gallon”. Floored, I simply and equally flatly replied “That is a bold choice,” before I walked out.

It is true that most businesses may charge whatever they like for their services, but the market generally keeps them in check. In this case though, in order to charge double, the station had to work hard to deceive its customers. It used its proximity to the rental car return and a bit of obfuscation to intentionally gouge its customers. The lack of pricing information above the pump was intentional, as was the lack of a decimal point on the pump display. I then realized that that funny little sign on the lawn was meant to comply with a law that says that they must display their price for gas. Thus the sign that read “769795” was not the address after all. The station just removed the dollar sign, the decimal point, and any spaces between the gas and diesel prices so that the sign was as confusing as possible.

This experience made me angry and frustrated. It also reminds me of the importance of running one’s business (and life) ethically. At EZTrackIt we do something very few of our competitors do; we display our package logging system prices upfront. We allow our clients to try our package tracking software for a month, sending them all the equipment they need to do so. We don’t push our clients into buying what they don’t need and we constantly reinvest in product development. This gives our clients more and more product for their money. We are very proud of the package logging system we have created.

That gas station probably has less than 2% of their customers who would ever return. At EZTrackIt over 98% of our package tracking software clients renew each year. This is the difference between caring about a quick buck and caring about the value you deliver to your clients.

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