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1.  

   expensive electricity

   

   johnw, Apr 26th, 2005 @ 3:44pm

   
   

   you mean companies like to charge for things??
   Like AIR at my local fast fill??
   When will this incessant need for money back off so service can return?

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2.  

   Re: expensive electricity

   

   Anonymous Coward, Apr 26th, 2005 @ 4:46pm

   
   

   It'll back off as soon as managers have incentive to measure something by a means other than the bottom line.
   
   Goodwill cannot be *directly* measured. Ergo, it's immeasurable and therefore extraneous to our bottom line. Ever so regretful and all that, but it's business, old chap.
   
   Whatever. It's not like I'm disagreeing with you; it's just that I don't see it ever ending.

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3.  

   Convenience sells...

   

   T.K., Apr 26th, 2005 @ 7:21pm

   
   

   Actually pay-per-charge is a convenient and viable business model. Especially in Asia, you find yourself too often forgetting to charge your mobile phone the night before (most likely from having to drink with your customer all night long and coming home drunk, a common business scenario in Asia). Most of the pay-per-charge stations are located on the street and the transaction is VERY cheap --- usually 20 cents will get you a full charge and in less than a minute. So I guess you could say you're paying for a "super charge". I don't see why it wouldn't be just as convenient in airports or hotels --- however, it is foreseeable that the U.S. market might not see much value in this, especially since most of us spend a third of our lives in our cars.

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4.  

   Re: expensive electricity

   

   Anonymous of Course, Apr 27th, 2005 @ 10:51am

   
   

   Howdy,
   In some northern states, like Minnesota, there are electrical outlets at the shopping malls that you can use for your automobile block heater free of charge.
   At one Digital Equipment Corp facility (MR1) they provided some outlets in the parking lot for electric vehicles. One person I knew in the large computer engineering group had a City Car electric vehicle. This was a nice perk for him.
   These are inexpensive goodwill gestures. The cost of charging a cell phone battery, EV battery or running a 1200 Watt block heater is really down in the noise when you run a airport, factory or shopping mall.
   I guess it's a matter of the corporate culture involved... stingy bean counters who are looking to chisel every cent they can from customers don't get my business if I have a choice.
   Compressed air is free where I purchase gasoline. I have to go out of my way a little but it's worth it. The people working there friendly and I'd rather give my business to them.
   

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