Shugan believes early discounts will become more common as big corporations continue to control a greater share of the economy. The buyer would have no real incentive to go to a checkup a month early to get a discount if the insurance company says it will pay for it anyway. Advance discounts discriminate according to whether people are in the mood for service, with businesses figuring that people who wait until the last minute to go out to dinner, for example, are in the mood and willing to pay more, he said. Actually, the concept is not entirely new, Shugan said. But if the morning it snows you want someone to plow your driveway, you pay a lot.
People always have a choice.
What we're saying is that not enough firms offer consumers that choice. Although Richard Griffin, chef and owner at Ivey's Grill in Gainesville, said he doesn't know of any restaurants that offer such discounts it could catch on. We've found that reservations can sometimes work against you if you have people standing at the door. But if a percentage of seats were set aside it could be mutually beneficial. Return To Top Of Archived Releases.