Sat in France and I wish to purchase some guides books and all I want to know is, if I buy one, can I download it directly as I won't get it for some weeks otherwise. I'm far too stupid to see if it's possible on the website. Soooo, I click on 'Contact Us'..........and there it is.........I have to complete my life's history and hand it over to them only to have a sales enquiry question answered! Ok, slight (massive??) exaggeration there but why oh why do I have to give my full name, address, company name, website, phone numbers etc etc in order to begin an enquiry that may lead to business for them? Ok, if I do buy something that has to be delivered I can then choose to hand over my address but why before??
This information grabbing at any opportunity drives me nuts!! But importantly for retailers loses my business every time. If I ever detect that a business has clearly oriented their service for the benefit of themselves rather than the pleasure of the customer........I leave.
I enjoy Pie's. I really enjoy eating pies. So in a restaurant if I see any kind of savoury pie on the menu I want it. But of course, I first have to ask the all important question. Is it really a 'Pie'? ....."yes of course sir, very popular it is"........Ok, is it a pie with pastry on the bottom and the top and baked in the oven as a complete pie.......orrrr.......is it a pie in an individual, white-hot bowl with a slice of puff pastry laid on top prior to serving????.........."yes thats correct sir, exactly that, a Pie......" You see, maybe it's just me, but thats not a 'Pie', thats a convenient way of serving up a stew or casserole which masquerades as a pie. There's a large pot of casserole or stew, whichever you want to call it, sitting chilled in the fridge from which a bowl is filled, a slice of frozen pastry popped on top and thrown into a nuclear charged oven. A pie is made as a pie, in a bowl, dish, tray, plate or otherwise. Ok, the filling is often made before hand but it all melds together in the oven to produce a proper pie. Am I going on too much here?? Damned convenient for the restaurant but it means I have to eat something else while I dream of a real pie. Is it just me??? Please, tell me it isn't.
.........and while I'm at it........is there a central european training centre that teaches staff at checkout's to firmly hold onto your credit card while they wait for the stream of paper to print out so they can then bundle it all together and hand it to you in a package which is then a handful to sort out, extract your card, put in your wallet, put the receipts somewhere else and then clear orf! I want my card now!!! so I can put it in my wallet then the wallet can be slipped in my pocket so my hands are free to take the destroyed rainforest of paper complete with luminous printed marketing, throw it in the shopping bag or packet and leave. I've reached a few times for my card in advance only to watch in disbelief as their hand pulls away, darting this way and that to ensure they complete their stupid task of frustrating the *+"!!! out of me!!!! What a completely pointless exercise?!?!?!!?
Anyway, said website will not get my business as if they can't simply put an email so I can ask them a simple question or a form that doesn't require me to "COMPLETE ALL BOXES WITH AN OFFICIOUS ASTERIX"! If I walk into a shop they don't ask me for my personal details before they answer a sales question do they!
Of course this does mean I don't get the guide book doesn't it. Really wanted that guide too. Principals! Huh!!
This information grabbing at any opportunity drives me nuts!! But importantly for retailers loses my business every time. If I ever detect that a business has clearly oriented their service for the benefit of themselves rather than the pleasure of the customer........I leave.
I enjoy Pie's. I really enjoy eating pies. So in a restaurant if I see any kind of savoury pie on the menu I want it. But of course, I first have to ask the all important question. Is it really a 'Pie'? ....."yes of course sir, very popular it is"........Ok, is it a pie with pastry on the bottom and the top and baked in the oven as a complete pie.......orrrr.......is it a pie in an individual, white-hot bowl with a slice of puff pastry laid on top prior to serving????.........."yes thats correct sir, exactly that, a Pie......" You see, maybe it's just me, but thats not a 'Pie', thats a convenient way of serving up a stew or casserole which masquerades as a pie. There's a large pot of casserole or stew, whichever you want to call it, sitting chilled in the fridge from which a bowl is filled, a slice of frozen pastry popped on top and thrown into a nuclear charged oven. A pie is made as a pie, in a bowl, dish, tray, plate or otherwise. Ok, the filling is often made before hand but it all melds together in the oven to produce a proper pie. Am I going on too much here?? Damned convenient for the restaurant but it means I have to eat something else while I dream of a real pie. Is it just me??? Please, tell me it isn't.
.........and while I'm at it........is there a central european training centre that teaches staff at checkout's to firmly hold onto your credit card while they wait for the stream of paper to print out so they can then bundle it all together and hand it to you in a package which is then a handful to sort out, extract your card, put in your wallet, put the receipts somewhere else and then clear orf! I want my card now!!! so I can put it in my wallet then the wallet can be slipped in my pocket so my hands are free to take the destroyed rainforest of paper complete with luminous printed marketing, throw it in the shopping bag or packet and leave. I've reached a few times for my card in advance only to watch in disbelief as their hand pulls away, darting this way and that to ensure they complete their stupid task of frustrating the *+"!!! out of me!!!! What a completely pointless exercise?!?!?!!?
Anyway, said website will not get my business as if they can't simply put an email so I can ask them a simple question or a form that doesn't require me to "COMPLETE ALL BOXES WITH AN OFFICIOUS ASTERIX"! If I walk into a shop they don't ask me for my personal details before they answer a sales question do they!
Of course this does mean I don't get the guide book doesn't it. Really wanted that guide too. Principals! Huh!!