Originally Posted by
Scratchtheitch
Having recently reconnected with ECCIE (and OH2) after being absent almost 10 years, I spent an illuminative number of weekend hours on Austin sites reading Coed Discussions (both sites). Though any number of interesting topics were available, what really drew my attention were a number of threads concerning Provider pricing.
Frankly, in the time I’ve been away, prices don’t seem to have escalated to the extent that some posters might have you believe. As a confirmed oenophile, I see many similarities between wine pricing and Provider prices. Wandering the wine aisles at my nearby grocery chain store a person will be confronted by a dizzying array of options, both in price and quality, of the products available. Not too dissimilar to meandering thru the various Companion add forums on OH2. Literally dozens of Cabernet Sauvignon can be had for prices from under $7 to well over $100 a bottle (and that’s at the grocery, never mind more wine-focused purveyors); depending upon which shelf you might be shopping. Within that pricing, there are a few decent wines at or near the low end, any number of palatable to very good wines as the price rises. There are some drinkable/bargain wines at low(er) price point and there are expensive wines that just do not deliver the taste experience expected for the price point. Finding the right wine is a matter of balancing the taste/experience and the price. In and of itself buying high priced wine is no guarantee of a great experience; better to do a little research and get that mid-priced wine reliably delivers or, even better, that rare low priced wine that punches way above its weight.
I can certainly afford expensive wine (at least from time-to-time), and sometimes I partake of a known favorite to remind me what top-shelf offers, but I can drink “better” wines more regularly if do my research and pick better priced offerings that are maybe 90-95% as tasty. As in many other things, even among quality wines, the cost versus product improvement tends to climb exponentially when we are talking the very best.
Now; you may be asking how this relates to Provider pricing. Actually, unless you are pretty dense it should be clear. Providers offer a dizzying array of price/quality options. If you want the best, you should expect to pay (and possibly steeply). You should not routinely expect a fantastic product at bargain prices (however, now and then you may get lucky). If you can’t afford the companionship you want at the price you want then perhaps you should shop on a lower “shelf” or reduce your consumption frequency. What you should expect, actually demand, is that the product you consume meets or exceeds expectations for the price point involved.
Just like other products and services, if prices exceed what the market will bear (for a given quality), consumption will decrease until the price-demand equation evens out. Some sellers see such events early, make appropriate adjustments and keep a sustaining customer base. Some don’t and then wonder why they have no business.
Now I’m off to consume copious quantities of vino!!!
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