I rarely watch television; but as I was about to turn off the television after watching a program which was recorded, I spotted an infomercial — which prompted me to ask the question: of which frequent flier program does this infomercial remind you?
The infomercial is for a belt of some sort which purportedly relieves back pain — but it will not cost you $500.00…
…nor will it cost you $300.00…
…and it will not even cost you $200.00…
…but in order to find out how much it actually will cost you — plus shipping and handling, of course; which is the infomercial equivalent of resort fees and fuel surcharges — you must call for the “special TV price” to find out exactly how much you will expect to pay for this product.
Of course, if you look really carefully, you will see that that “special TV price” is actually $179.96 — or four payments of $44.99 — which does not include that nefarious “shipping and handling.”
Once a potential customer calls on the telephone, it is easier for the operator — who was “standing by” for their calls — to give a persuasive sales pitch in an attempt to close the deal.
Assuming that a potential customer does not read the fine print while watching that infomercial as it is being broadcast, he or she might feel prompted to call the telephone number flashing in large numbers on the television screen to find out what is the price of this product…
…sort of similar to either going to the official Internet web site of an airline or calling a customer service telephone representative to find out exactly how many frequent flier loyalty program miles will be required to redeem for an award itinerary.
Of which frequent flier program does this infomercial remind you?
