Hello! I hope everyone is having a great Thursday.
I have some curiosity about what you all think about what is to follow on this page, so please leave some feedback. Warning: the following is me on a rant! This is not a quick read. Also, high likelihood of run-on sentences.
Overall, I think most people who know me, would agree that I generally don't buck the system. I enjoy peace. This has certainly come with age! When I was young, I saw all the injustice of the world. Consequently, I was a constant insomniac and was an open wound. Then, I learned to be flexible and do what I could and let the rest go. ONE of the things that got me started thinking about this was my experience the past month with two large companies: Walmart and Kroger. I frequent both of these stores, and overall, like them. Even knowing their main objective is to sell to me by any means available to them. What ticks me off, or as Peter Griffin would say, "You know what really grinds my gears?" is the blatant deception, and what I am now coming to believe, is THEFT.
First, Walmart:
I have no proof to back this up, only what my eyes saw and my word.
I went through the self-checkout and purchased approx. six items. I was paying with cash, so was particularly mindful of the total, since I had "x" amount of dollars on me. The total on the screen was $16 and some change. I put in a twenty dollar bill and got back a dollar and some change. Though I used to be a pit bull when it came to watching how items rang up, if it was correct and if I received proper change, I have to admit I had become complacent. This day though, I noticed the amount of change and thought, "wait a minute, that's not right." Now, before any of you decide to be as condescending as the employees in these stores, yes, I considered the fact that it was the sub-total before tax. Even without the tax, it was not sixteen-something. I went to the young girl, who was the attendant over the self-checkout stands and told her. She was very nice, and brought up the tax issue and then said all she could do was reprint another receipt from the machine. Well, I knew that it would only be a copy of the one I was holding, so I declined. She offered to get her manager, but I was in a hurry and the difference in money was worth getting on with my original agenda. So I thanked her and went on my way. It still is gnawing at me as to whether this is taking place often.
Second, Kroger:
The dollar movie rental kiosk. Great deal in itself. Rented a couple of times (when it was working) and thought the service was great. Went with my husband one day, and while tied up at customer service, he rented 3 movies. So, our schedules being what they are, generally watching movies after returning from a gig he's played at 2 or 3 in the morning, we took several days to watch them. My husband had mentioned that since there were no late fees on these rentals, we needn't hurry. I thought, "Hmmm, I don't remember seeing the no late fee thing." My husband is generally very observant, so I assumed I had missed this. It turned into about two weeks before I got them back to the store…I know, I know…bad. Well after turning them in, I was horrified to see a $45 + charge! I looked at the front of the kiosk and on the side and saw nothing about late fees. Well, that's a mistake I won't make again. I told my husband and went on. A couple of days later, I was approaching the kiosk from another angle and saw a large stand up floor sign saying, "no late fees." Well! I looked all over it and saw no asterisk leading to further information as to conditions or anything. I inspected the kiosk once again and saw nothing on it regarding fees other than $1 rental. I noticed, though, there was a freshly full container with little pamphlets telling about their services. On the back, it explained a $35 charge if not returned within 14 days. I was also quite sure, that the screen before finalizing the purchase must have explained this as well. Again, I chalked it up to lesson learned, but, my brain is becoming hyper aware of all of these deceptive practices once again.
I go in to the store the next morning to get a few things. I got several produce items. When I went to the self checkout, I had some issues with some of the items not being in the list of produce, so I had to have the attendant manually ring them in. I got to the broccoli I had and put it on the scale and noticed it asked me for quantity, instead of weight. I entered "3" and the total comes up $5.49. Yikes! Seemed high. Since there was no line behind me, I decided to go check the price before I paid. The sign said $1.49 a pound. When I returned to look at how it rang it up, it rang up at $1.99 per each. I went back to the menu on the screen and saw there was only one option for broccoli. Not broccoli crowns AND bulk. So I tell the attendant and she gets a higher up to help her void it. Here comes the earlier reference to condescension! She was already in the process of doing the refund when I started to explain the problem to which she cut me off and stated that crowns are by quantity and not weight. I calmly told her that the ones I chose were under the $1.49 sign. I also tried telling her there was only ONE option for broccoli on the menu and they may want to fix it or they will be having trouble, and again she rushed over the top of me and stated this happens all day, every day AND there are 2 sections of broccoli and that if she took me over there, I would see this. Well, I knew this to be true usually, but knew that the ones I chose were under the $1.49 sign. Needless to say, as I took my groceries to my car, and I'm pretty aggravated. Plus, it's all starting to come together…all of the misleading, the condescension, the thievery. After I put the groceries in the car, for some reason, I felt the burning desire to go see if there indeed was 2 sections that day. I wouldn't have even cared if she hadn't said anything. So I looked…and there weren't. I didn't go and rub it in miss know-it-all's face. I just left and got really fired up about seriously starting a web page dedicated to pointing out all of these businesses and what they do, just to keep consumers on alert. I was going to call the manager and whatever higher up I could get to in Kroger and school them on how their employees should behave and to let them know I was on to them about their ways. I have seen plenty of investigative reports on stores having higher prices in there computers than what the shelf price says. I worked in retail for several years, I know how the system works and don't need to be condescended to, as if I know nothing of the way the scanners/checkout work. I also went back yesterday to customer service to inquire about the no late fees. The same snot was telling me that I was wrong and that I needed to call the company that "RENTS" the space for the kiosk and take it up with them. No matter that the kiosk has the Kroger emblem on it. I've yet to take this any further, knowing pretty much, that they will point out their disclosure. I also checked to see if it was on the screen before you process payment, and it was…in light gray, mice-type, more or less. Without my glasses, I could easily read everything leading up to that page. That page I had to squint and perform other contortions to read that page.
I am aware this is my fault, and this is a buyer beware culture. I think our society is both too busy, too complacent and too driven by marketing to notice what's happening most of the time. Most everyone's time is too stretched to give this high priority, which I think is definitely what is understood by many corporations and slick marketers. But, having thought of two more incidents while writing this (my bank and a car rental company), I'm sick of it! I intend to follow up with this, though, I'm fairly certain the companies won't care too much, until I find a way to make them feel it…when I figure out how, hopefully I will have the time to implement it and follow up. I really would like to maintain a "watchdog" website…
Oh yeah, another thought. I am so disgusted at the SCAM with the money transfer scheme. It's easy for me to ignore and spot…but, it is so prevalent because it works! People that, undoubtedly, truly can't afford to lose money, are.
To those of you that are also business owners, to the bands/musicians that are running their own career and to the average internet browser…Do you find all of the marketing distasteful? I have found extremely useful things on the 'net, but in even marketing my own business, sometimes I find it very distasteful…and I love and believe in what I do!! I'm not certain if it's just my personality, or if I'm just becoming jaded from the constant JUNK I come across! I am, and always have been, skeptical by nature. On the other hand, I am also optimistic in nature. Yes, they collide from time to time. I've always felt like two people (at least!) and feel like I am always looking at the same issue from two perspectives. After almost 40 years, I have learned to accept this and sometimes harness it. I guess I feel like it's a bit of a negative thing, since I just said I've learned to accept it! (: It probably serves me well more than I see.
I'm constantly searching for ways to be informative and helpful, boost my visibility and yet actually come across as genuine as I feel. I find some very good ideas to boost my visibility, but sometimes just can't bring myself to use them, because I don't want to be as obnoxious as I find some other "techniques". Everything I post, endorse and utilize, becomes a leap of faith that others see it as truthful and genuine. Sometime I think that I should stop looking at anything else on the web, because it colors how I feel about the whole process. It's that perfectionism illusion I fight. No matter what, I KNOW I'm going to connect with some people and disconnect with others. "Shhhhhhhh, quiet down little voice inside my head…get back to the topic…"
So, do you feel jaded and cynical about what is presented to you on a daily basis as "useful"? Do you see the web and business in general as inherently deceitful? Nature of the beast, blah, blah, blah. Or do you have another outlook? Also, anyone having ideas on combating the rip-offs going on in our daily consumerism, please share them.
Okay, so here's to the next blog being more cheerful…(: Have a great day.