Low Income Assist Plan - Do You Offer One?

[James Burke]

Should we apply roughly a 1% surcharge on all of our invoices to assist "low income" customers who aren't able to afford what we sell?

It seems my electric and telephone bills both feature that line item, and I can't opt out of it. Perhaps it would make our customers believe we're just as professional as the utilities.


Awaiting a backlash of replies...

JB

 

[player]

My electric bill has a charge for "debt retirement" which is to pay off their debts from bad investments...

 

[Techman]

my gas bill has a "recovery charge to pay for the gas dead beat users will nt pay for.

The recovery charge was larger than my regular usage last month. I am not happy in any way.

 

[HDvinyl]

Bad idea.

How many people you know like their utility companies?

 

[graphicwarning]

Since electricity is a NECESSITY that I cannot do without, then I am stuck or forced with any asinine "Surcharges" they choose to slap on my bill.

BUT... I personally see no reason to have an assistance surcharge on a sign, or anything of the like... so I just wouldn't purchase anything from you. How do I know what you are doing with those surcharges? Are you actually doing with it what you say you are... or was it meant to be a marketing gimmick (for lack of a better description) to make your pricing appear cheaper, but you make up the difference in "surcharges"?

My question... I don't know your clientele... define "low income". Are you talking about small business, or low income individuals. Because if it's the latter, why on earth do they require assistance buying a sign or anything of the sort?

And for the record, I don't see any correlation between surcharges and professionalism!

 

[HDvinyl]

Death is expensive.

 

[Gino]

We all are..... in the form of taxes. I tell everyone, I have a very large payroll.

By being set up in business legally, it's basically already set into motion for us without adding a thing. One of my pet gripes about people just SAYING they are in business.

​

 

[James Burke]

BUT... I personally see no reason to have an assistance surcharge on a sign, or anything of the like... so I just wouldn't purchase anything from you.

We understand. This is really more about humorous griping than actually instituting a surcharge.


JB

 

[graphicwarning]

This is really more about humorous griping


JB

My apologies... the part of my brain that interprets context is out of order this morning. I'll blame it on the lack of coffee!

Carry on!

 

[signage]

Since electricity is a NECESSITY that I cannot do without, then I am stuck or forced with any asinine "Surcharges" they choose to slap on my bill.

Electricity is not a NECESSITY it is a Luxury you choose to have! You could choose to generate/perduce your own if you wanted to eliminating the added surcharges/taxes!

 

[bob]

Should we apply roughly a 1% surcharge on all of our invoices to assist "low income" customers who aren't able to afford what we sell?

I fail to see any reason why those who have made better decisions in life should have to subsidize those that did not.

Do not compare this notion to a utility's surcharge. More often than not a utility, being a functional monopoly is limited by law as to how much they can make. To compensate they are free to do pretty much whatever to earn this amount. Including but not limited to subsidizing the halt and the lame as well as deadbeats. It has nothing to do with the milk of human kindness, it has to do with making that bottom line.

 

[Gino]

Had we been talking about a home.... a personal habitat, perhaps that statement would/could be true. Other than backwards countries or locally groups like the Amish or some of the other Plain Groups, electricity would be considered a necessity. Maybe not to survive, because there are always gonna be those extremists, but to exist in today's world I would most certainly say you either need it directly or indirectly.

In the business world, while it might not be a necessity, it is most certainly considered a must have. Luxury..... not at all. Tell me how the people making alternators for vehicles can wind them or someone build a fire house ?? Today's civilization uses electric like you drink water.

Many things in one's life is a result in all your personal choices you've made throughout your life, so therefore, you are what you are because of them. Someone choosing to go without electricity would indicate someone making a statement, unless you fall into one of the groups I mentioned earlier.

Unless you are filthy wealthy, how would you un-electric size a dwelling or a place of business. Living in a cave might serve your choice to not have that, but will you also opt not to have blankets, anything fabricated by some form of electric or kill or grow all of your own food ??

​

 

[OldPaint]

FUEL SURCHARGE... on my electric bill. i sent them an email, asking why..........since the price of gasoline has come down........if they could do away with the FUEL SURCHARGE. you do rememeber when gas was going past $3.50 a gal...is when the ELECTRIC IMPLEMENTED this......now they tell me the price of COAL hasnt went down)))))) now its not based on gasoline)))))

 

[Mosh]

I ADD 1% to each order to help pay for my new Corvette I just ordered.

 

[HDvinyl]

You must be talking soybeans.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

Better yet, let's get a bunch of lobbyists to get the President to write a law mandating that everybody purchase our product. We can call it the Affordable Signage Act/Law. Then we can all retire LOL