Have you been hit by an additional service charge related to the pandemic? Are services now more expensive than before? We want to hear your experiences.
Many businesses have incurred extra costs since the start of the pandemic: aside from having to close their doors for most of the past year, hairdressers, beauticians and restaurants have also had to invest in additional PPE measures.
We’re interested in finding out if those costs are being passed on to customers.
Increasing prices
Has your haircut or beauty treatment gone up in price?
For example, we’ve seen people tweeting about extra charges at their hairdressers – with fees ranging from £5 – £8 to cover the cost of PPE equipment.
They're just talking in our local Facebook page that beer has gone up by £1.20 a pint. Also – the hairdresser we go to has requested an additional £5 covid charge. Yes I *know* these businesses have been put through the wringer, but gosh, it's all dreadfully expensive….
— Cromerty • Voiceover • Cake (@Cromerty) July 15, 2020
If you’ve faced additional charges at a hair salon/barbers, let us know how much it was.
‘Covid recovery’ fees
You might also have been surprised by an expensive bill when eating out at a restaurant? In New York, restaurants are allowed to charge dining-in customers a 10% additional ‘Covid Recovery’ fee in a bid to get businesses back on track.
If you are to be charged a compulsory service fee, this should be made clear before you order.
Take a look at our guide to paying service charges
Have you been charged an additional service fee or experienced higher prices as a result of the pandemic? Are you happy to pay extra fees?
Let us know in the comments.
