Some Businesses in the US Hit Customers with Coronavirus Surcharge

Some businesses in the United States are hitting customers with surcharges to recover from losses due to the pandemic. As the crisis continues to take a toll on the economy, businesses like dental clinics and hair salons have resorted to additional charges to boost their profits and stay afloat. Some restaurants have also added surcharges because restrictions to seating capacity have decreased their profits. Similarly, logistics company UPS is planning to include a surcharge for bulky delivery packages. A few customers expressed their frustrations regarding the surcharges on social media, saying that they find the additional fees unfair. One Twitter user said that she will only pay an additional fee if she has been informed about it beforehand. In response, some business owners asserted that additional charges are necessary to cover expenses for measures that will ensure the safety of staff and customers. Rachel Gower, a hair salon owner, said she has added a sanitation charge of $3 to buy cleaning supplies and other equipment. On the contrary, a restaurant in Missouri has decided to remove its pandemic surcharge and increase prices instead because of complaints from customers. In a social media post, it clarified that it was only trying to keep up with rising operational costs, and it did not intend to take advantage of the crisis. Following in the footsteps of other businesses, the tourism industry reportedly may soon add surcharges, considering how the global health crisis has affected its sales. Many experts, like Brian Kelly of the popular travel website “The Points Guy,” predict that people's bills for their next vacation will have extra charges.