[Am-info] Video System Tracks Customer Behavior

[Erick Andrews]

On Mon, 14 Jan 2002 19:39:56 -0500, Geoffrey wrote:

>Erick Andrews wrote:
>


>> Not only is it intrusive, it clearly shows that they either don't
>> know how to offer help or are afraid to ask the customer what 
>> he wants.
>
>
>Because that's not their intent.  Companies don't want to help the 
>customer.  

How true.  I didn't want to say it exclusively, because there are
a *few* shops around who actually do care.  I mostly patronize them.
It's the biggies that prod you like cattle.

>These devices are intended to help the companies figure out 
>how to better present their wares or track sales information.  It has 
>nothing to do with helping the customer.  Customer service is dead 
>folks.  Take your Kroger card.  You folks have Kroger grocery stores 
>where you're planted?  

Not here, but there are enough that track you whenever you use a 
credit or ATM card.  The main reason I see is for how many and
what kind of coupons are spit out at you with your receipt. 

>Here's the deal, you can't get any merchandise at 
>sale price unless you have your bar coded Kroger card.  How do you get 
>it?  You fill out a form, giving them all your personal info.  It's not 
>so you can get the sale price, it's so they know exactly EVERYTHING you 
>buy, when and where.

One supermarket here has tried that here in Metro-West Boston but
it hasn't worked well at all.  All the check-out folks I've been through have
their own bar code badge that they use to give me the discount anyways, in 
case you don't/won't have one.  Many customers around here won't.  I lived
in Atlanta in the middle '90s so I understand.  It's different here, so far.

Kroger may be selling the info to Redmond, too, at least indirectly.  Recent 
news articles have reported how Microsoft wants that "personal relation"
with its customers like AOL has.   What another good way to augment it
beyond getting into your PC while on their Websites.

-- 
Erick Andrews