Save money by avoiding these tricks restaurants use to make you spend more

Published on September 11, 2022 at 5:00 PM by Pronoti Baglary

Though we would all like to believe that we have full agency over our spending decisions, knowing tricks restaurants use can help us be more aware as customers.

Psychological tricks restaurants use to make you spend more

It is by now no secret that psychological tricks are an inherent component of sales, with corporations and businesses using these tactics to get us to loosen our purse strings and part with our money. But how aware are you of these tricks?

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As per The Sun, here are some psychological tricks that restaurants often employ to get diners to spend more money.

Requesting you to wait at the bar

When you walk into a restaurant, you might be invited by them to wait at the bar, with the excuse that your table is not ready. While it is a great way to kill time, it is also an easy way for you to add extra alcohol to your bill even before sitting down at your table.

thumbnail — The lighting and music inside a restaurant can have an impact on how much you end up spending there da-kuk

Beware of a heavy menu

According to the report, we form an association of better service with a heavy menu. Being handed a menu that feels sturdy or even having tableware and cutlery which are heavier can lull us into a false notion of good service and luxury, making us feel that the price tag is justified.

The background playlist can get you to pay more

The speed of the music played in the background can influence the pace at which we eat. So restaurants can try to influence the speed at which a lunch or dinner service is conducted through their music choice.

Slow music can make customers want to settle in, stay for longer and subsequently, spend more money. Again, loud music has been shown to encourage people to drink quicker thereby increasing the probability of more spending on the part of the customers.

Price decoys are sometimes used

Price decoys are expensive items that are placed on the menu to make it appear as if the other comparatively more reasonably priced items are valued for money. These ‘anchor items’ are very useful by making other items on the menu appear more attractive to customers.

The lighting matters

As per a study, diners are 16 to 24% more likely to order healthy food when they are in a well-lit restaurant. Conversely, dimmer light can lead to not-so-prudent spending and eating decisions on the part of the customers.

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