Customers sucked in to paying up to 40 per cent more as fast food stores practice upselling

FAST-food customers are being sucked in to paying up to 40 per cent more for meals by staff who lure them into buying extra or bigger items.

child and fast food.

FAST-food customers are being sucked in to paying up to 40 per cent more for meals by staff who lure them into buying extra or bigger items.

Fashion stores, travel agents, car yards, restaurants and other retailers are also siphoning money from consumers by "upselling".

Experts say inviting people to choose more expensive "value" meals, supersize their order, add ingredients, buy accessories, or select premium brands can plump earnings by tens of millions of dollars. The secret is to speak in a "non-robotic" way that appeals to customer ego.

But some staff are too shy, reluctant or embarrassed to use the sales squeeze, a snapshot survey of fast food outlets suggests.

Shopping spies sent to various burger, pizza, sandwich, Asian and Mexican food outlets for monitoring group Mystery Customer found just under half tried to upsell when only a single item was requested.

Mystery Customer director Terry Ashton said upselling could lift transaction value by 10 to 40 per cent.

Marketing Focus managing director Barry Urquhart said many types of retailers were under more pressure to use upselling techniques because of the current economic environment.

"In a suppressed economy with price-sensitive consumers, the aim is not so much share of the market but share of the wallet, to get you to spend more of your money," Mr Urquhart said.

"For every dollar spent, 34 cents is impulse buying."

Men were particularly vulnerable, especially when enticed to buy ties and belts with suits.

"Men traditionally don't like shopping and just buy what they see."Mystery Customer tested a total 24 stores belonging to 12 chains including Burger Edge, Crust Gourmet Pizza, Grill'd, Healthy Habits, Jesters, Noodle Box, Pie Face, Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill, Sumo Salad, Sushi Train, Wok in a Box and Zambrero.

"It was a limited study ... but the industry tends to employ younger casuals who I suspect might be reluctant or shy to upsell," Mr Ashton said.

New York City this week cracked down on the sale of supersized sodas and other sugary drinks, in a bid to curb obesity.

Fast-food places will be barred from serving sugary beverages in cups or bottles larger than 16 ounces (0.47 litres).