"Service shrinkflation: why you’re getting less help for the same money."
From hotel housekeeping to loyalty points, here’s where the cuts are hiding.

Companies aren’t just shrinking products, they’re shrinking service too — less housekeeping, weaker rewards, and more chatbots for the same (or higher) price

Hotels, customer support, and loyalty programs are big offenders: fewer cleanings, harder-to-reach humans, and points that suddenly buy a lot less

Your move: check policies before you buy, screenshot “promises,” and don’t hesitate to ask for credits, bonus points, or to downgrade/cancel when service is cut.

Everyone’s been yelling about shrinkflation for the last few years. The cereal box is smaller. The chips bag is mostly air. The ice cream “pint” is mysteriously 14 ounces now.

But companies aren’t just shrinking the product, they’re now also shrinking the service that used to come with it.

In other words, you’re paying the same price (or more), but:

Your hotel room doesn’t get cleaned every day.
Your loyalty points suddenly don’t go as far.
Trying to get support now means dealing with a chatbot in an attempt to talk to a human, followed by a 30-minute hold.
Let’s call it service shrinkflation, some might call it “skimpflation”, and it’s becoming a big part of why you feel like you’re getting less for your money, even when the price technically hasn’t changed.

Let’s walk through where it’s happening, how to spot it, and what you can realistically do when a company gives you less than what you thought you paid for.

Hotels: same nightly rate, less housekeeping
If you’ve stayed in a hotel recently and wondered, “Wait, do they not clean rooms every day anymore?” or “Why are there only two clean towels in the bathroom?”, you’re not imagining it.

This phenomenon seemed to really kick in gear after the pandemic when hotels started shifting away from the automatic daily housekeeping service. Forbes reported that Hilton was one of the first to institute “on request” housekeeping, meaning your room was only cleaned daily if you specifically asked for it.

Hotels often call the reduced housekeeping bit “more sustainable” or “gives guests more flexibility.” Those may be partially true, but there's no arguing the major cost savings for hotels. Savings they take advantage of without any discounts or reduced nightly rates for you.

More Information at:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/service-shrinkflation-why-youre-getting-less-help-for-the-same-money-111425.html

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