A poll on our web site is indicating that the reason people are not going to haunted houses is that they all cost too much! It is true that in the last few years the admission price for most haunts in the area have gone up dramatically. Now almost every haunt is at least $15.00 to get into no matter the size or quality. The reason this has happened is simple, a couple haunts decided it was ok to price gouge customers, charging over $20.00 to get in. This forced smaller haunts to raise their price to stay competitive. Our haunt included. We felt that if everyone else is charging that much, that if we did not raise our price we would look like we were not any good or worth attending. I mean why does that haunt only cost ten bucks when all the rest are so much? It must suck!
This is my last season so my opinion is really for my current competition and not to benefit myself in any way. This is just my opinion and you may disagree and that's ok.
I feel this is the only way to save our industry from vanishing all together and to win back customers especially is these economic times, and this is the only way to do it. Everyone needs to lower their prices! Blasphemy. If all haunts ban together and agree to do this everyone would get higher attendance. I would suggest vowing to each other a price cap. Nobody charge more than say $12.00 to get in. This way any haunt that refused to partake would look ridiculously priced and customers would most likely start returning to the smaller priced haunts. Those that are driving the price way too high would now be the ones suffering and not the guy who is trying to put on a good show for a reasonable price. If I were to open next year, I would place my admission at around $12.00. I feel that is a very fair price for my attraction. I think if everyone else did the same we would all see a huge turn around in attendance and our customers could afford to go to more than one haunt in a season like they used to.
I know that a lot of people will say that it costs them so much to operate and to purchase new items and props. That they must charge the higher price to survive. I say cut back spending and lower your price. You will make up in volume what you lose in ticket price.
So I beg all Michigan haunts to start communicating with each other like it used to be. Join forces and come to an agreement on a price cap. This I believe will save our industry and give all haunts a great shot at putting on a great show and being able to stay in business for the long haul. Otherwise I fell that within the next 3 years there will only be three or four haunts left. The "Big Boys." That would really be a shame because there are so many great smaller haunts that are disappearing because the attendance is dropping so dramatically.
I hope some of you agree and decide to do this for the better interest for our entire haunt community.
This is my last season so my opinion is really for my current competition and not to benefit myself in any way. This is just my opinion and you may disagree and that's ok.
I feel this is the only way to save our industry from vanishing all together and to win back customers especially is these economic times, and this is the only way to do it. Everyone needs to lower their prices! Blasphemy. If all haunts ban together and agree to do this everyone would get higher attendance. I would suggest vowing to each other a price cap. Nobody charge more than say $12.00 to get in. This way any haunt that refused to partake would look ridiculously priced and customers would most likely start returning to the smaller priced haunts. Those that are driving the price way too high would now be the ones suffering and not the guy who is trying to put on a good show for a reasonable price. If I were to open next year, I would place my admission at around $12.00. I feel that is a very fair price for my attraction. I think if everyone else did the same we would all see a huge turn around in attendance and our customers could afford to go to more than one haunt in a season like they used to.
I know that a lot of people will say that it costs them so much to operate and to purchase new items and props. That they must charge the higher price to survive. I say cut back spending and lower your price. You will make up in volume what you lose in ticket price.
So I beg all Michigan haunts to start communicating with each other like it used to be. Join forces and come to an agreement on a price cap. This I believe will save our industry and give all haunts a great shot at putting on a great show and being able to stay in business for the long haul. Otherwise I fell that within the next 3 years there will only be three or four haunts left. The "Big Boys." That would really be a shame because there are so many great smaller haunts that are disappearing because the attendance is dropping so dramatically.
I hope some of you agree and decide to do this for the better interest for our entire haunt community.
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