Additional charges: acceptance is not enough
In high-value-added selling, an additional request can change both the scope and the price of a service. The management question is specific: how can an additional charge be presented without the client interpreting it as an exploitation of their dependence?
What the literature establishes
Margaret C. Campbell (1999, Journal of Marketing Research) shows experimentally that the motive attributed to a company influences perceptions of price unfairness. Clients therefore assess more than an amount: they also interpret the intention behind it. For a seller, supporting an additional charge with a cost calculation does not guarantee that this intention will be regarded as legitimate.
The comparison that gives the charge its meaning
Lan Xia, Kent B. Monroe and Jennifer L. Cox (2004, Journal of Marketing) propose a conceptual framework in which price fairness perceptions depend, among other things, on comparisons and on the reasons attributed to observed differences. A previous quotation or the terms offered to another client may become reference points. A technically justified additional charge can therefore appear arbitrary if the change in scope remains invisible.
The hasty conclusion
One might conclude that every increase simply needs a better explanation. These studies do not establish that explanation guarantees acceptance, or that acceptance proves fairness. A signed order may also reflect the client’s urgency or the lack of an immediately available alternative. (our executive and employee training programmes)
What the evidence cannot promise
The first study uses consumer experiments; the second is a conceptual synthesis, not a trial of a sales intervention. They do not directly establish the effectiveness of a method for presenting additional charges in industrial sales or specialist services in Sion. In practice, the signing rate alone cannot establish whether clients understood the billing rule.
A practical check in Sion
One possible exercise in SHR — Swiss Human Resources’ « Vente à forte valeur ajoutée » programme would be to document every additional charge over a predefined period: original scope, requested change, calculation rule and date of communication before commitment. In Sion, this framework could cover services for hydropower, healthcare, winegrowing or alpine tourism, without assuming that these sectors face identical constraints. The measure would be the proportion of additional charges for which the client confirms the scope change and billing basis in writing before commitment; the denominator would include all proposed charges, including those rejected. This indicator would check explicitly confirmed understanding, not perceived fairness or a causal effect on sales. To go further: explore the High-Value Selling training in Sion in the canton of Valais, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.
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