Each night on my way home from work, I call my wife. It’s mainly a courtesy call just to let her know that I am headed that way but it usually  turns into a brief about the day. Topics include what happened with our kids, what happened at work, what happenings we have coming up and shopping.

Now shopping is not a topic that comes up very often as we are fairly spendthrift in our approach to life. But, this past week my wife told me a story that got the blood boiling. She had been to a St. Louis location of a rather well-known national retailer earlier in the day to pick up some new clothes. As shopping stories go, this one was just so so until she got to the part about checking out.

Over The Top

As she tells the story she becomes more and more animated and clearly angry. The young man starts by asking my wife her name and if she has shopped at the store in the past and the following plays out:

She says yes and gives him her name.

He then asks if she is part of the club.

No.

Do you want to be?

No.

Okay, well, I can’t see you in the system, what is your email address?

It’s Name@email.com – please do not send me stuff. By the way, why do you need my email address?

Well, I went ahead and signed you up for the club.

And – as they say- the rest is history…

Stop it with the Marketing Madness

There is a point whereby data collection for the purpose of follow-up marketing crosses the line. On that note, I abhor shopping for anything. It’s a pressure cooker of,  you need this, you need that, can I help you – my life depends on the commission I will make off of up selling you an extended warranty and a world of ugly.

Nothing about it appeals to me. I’m that guy that will strategize in the parking lot about where things are located in the store so as to escape as quickly as possible. I never look a salesperson in the eye for fear of their daze compelling me into buying something I do not need. For that, I do all my homework on-line so I know what I want before I go in. But, I digress.

Question of the Day

At what point is it too much for you? How does it make you feel when the items you are trying to buy are held hostage until you give up the your email address, your zip code, your bank account number, a donation to the charity of the week, or the proverbial – rights to your first born child?

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