We get it.

Like us, you’re hard-working parents. Trying to do the best for your kids. Trying to make your dollar stretch as much as possible. You want to extend the fun that your kids are having.

We get it.

Often we’re asked if our video game party can be extended, but when we inform our customers of the $99 per hour price, some of our well-meaning customers go into bargaining mode. Always polite, they try to talk us down to a lower rate, or want to exchange an hour for a plate of food. Once in a while, someone will say “but we’re recommending you to all our guests/friends/family”, a semi-veiled threat that they won’t recommend us if we don’t comply.

We get it. 

But what these well-intentioned folks don’t realize (or they do but press on anyway) is that we have operating costs, just like any other business. An extra hour means our generator is an extra hour closer to having to be either rebuilt or replaced…no cheap feat. An extra hour means more fuel that we’ll have to buy. An extra hour means more wear-and-tear on our equipment, upholstery, heating/cooling system, etc. Food doesn’t pay for our insurance, advertising, upkeep, storage, utilities, payroll, and so on.

Would these folks approach, say, a plumber the same way? “Hey, I know we only hired you to fix that leak in the kitchen, but would you stay a little longer and unplug our bathroom sink? We’ll give you pizza!”

Or an attorney? “Thanks for drafting our wills for us. Can you advise us on a real estate purchase? At half your hourly rate? We’ll tell all our friends about you!”

Again, we get it. We enjoy making your kids happy too. But if you’re inclined to barter for extra time, we’d kindly appreciate the same courtesy you’d show other business professionals.