He made no effort to build consensus in advance, and his competitors and customers balked.

Some customers will balk at the notion of German food.

Some customers balk at using the farmer's scales.

The results, he said, have been good for business, although some customers balked when told that a 17 percent service charge had been added.

Brewers are already quite efficient and their customers often balk at raising prices.

Kohl's itself made a modest attempt to move away from its classic looks four years ago, but customers balked at designs like moose-themed shirts.

And so far, customers have not balked at the charge.

Across the board, in every price range, customers are balking at putting down deposits for accommodations six months ahead of time, Mrs. Rich said.

Manufacturers claim they have to do it this way because customers would balk at the price tag.

Most airlines, though, point out that if customers balk at 100 percent cancellation fees, there are other discount tickets with less severe penalties.