The Bait and Switch Loop

The $49.95 tune up that becomes $349 before you leave the parking lot. The product that arrives nothing like the one in the commercial. The hamburger that looks nothing like the one in the bag.

The short term win is the sale. The long term cost is the brand.

Every customer who feels deceived becomes a story told to other potential customers. The machine running this loop has confused closing the sale with building the business. The return rate tells the story. The complaint volume tells the story. The review section that reads like a warning label tells the story.