BetterHelp surge pricing

Yesterday, many of my followers made me aware of a wild new development. Wendy’s has announced that they are introducing the concept of surge pricing to their menu.

For the unindoctrinated, Uber has somewhat elastic pricing. Let’s say it’s a Tuesday afternoon and you need a ride to the airport. Odds are it will not be insanely expensive. However, if you’re leaving a sporting event or New Year’s Eve party, it’s going to cost you a lot. This model follows the basic laws of supply and demand. If more people need something it’ll cost more.

This got me thinking about other supply-constrained businesses that might apply an elastic pricing model. An immediate one that came to mind was BetterHelp. Sure, people aren’t booking therapists as impulsively as Uber rides, but I could imagine a world where large cultural events lead many therapists to not want to conduct sessions.

This concept honestly just feels dark. I could 100% see it happening, and it makes sense for the business, but it degrades the customer experience and would unfairly award people who have more control over their time.

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