Have a Nice Day

Big Dave and I went shopping yesterday, to pick up a few items for the kid. (Those of you with children will understand what a chore it can be to load up the baby, baby supplies, stroller and various paraphanalia).

Upon reaching the checkout, the clerk asks for our phone number. I tell her we don't give out that information. Clerk gives me a funny look, then says, "Oh we don't sell the info or anything. We just use it to track where our customers come from, and we send you coupons and such for your future visits." Once again, I tell her we don't give out that information. Again, I get a funny look, as if the clerk is wanting to say, "For heaven's sake, just give me the phone number -- everyone else does. Why are you being so difficult?"

This has been one of my pet peeves for a long time. Within the last few years, it seems more and more stores are asking for information they have no business getting, whether it be a phone number, zip code, or email address.

And whenever I protest that they don't need the info, I'm usually given "the look", which generally translates into "This is the way business is done now. We need your info so we may better annoy you, bombard you with junk mail, and send you unwanted email. Please cooperate so we may make even more money by selling your information to our partners."

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've been "reassured" by clerks that the info is never sold to anyone else, and yet how often it corresponds to an increase in unwanted mail by 3rd parties. Hmmm...

So our Standard Operating Procedure is now to deny any company any information they don't need to know. Meanwhile, I'll continue to get "the look", the sighs, the eye rolling, and other rude gestures from clerks.

I guess in today's corporate world, this is the new "Have a Nice Day."