#1
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Too Much Information.....
I ran into Lowes yesterday to buy a stainless screw.
A small one. I'm running around town doing errand stuff, and this was just one of many. So I finally get to the cashier and she asked if I had a Lowes card so they could track my purchases. I said no. The total was like a dollar something, I'm holding a $5 in my hand. Then she wanted my phone #............... I said, "You don't need my phone # for cash." She was almost insulted, and got sorta mad at me. The guy behind me was quite puzzled as well. I realize she was just doing what she was told, but efficiency is being ruined due to this constant data collection that is worthless. I totally get SOME products "flagging" sales due to bomb making material, or meth head stuff, but Holy Cow Batman........ |
#2
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It's not the clerk's fault. She's operating a register that has been programmed to demand your phone number and has probably already been ridden by management for not getting every single phone number. Yes, companies are demanding our info too much.
The latest is contests. They not only want to data mine you and spam your mailbox horribly, they also sell their data to ten others who spam you horribly. Then they ask you to give up five of your friends to be spammed as well. Not gonna happen. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#3
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And this is part of the rage in today's world. Systematic no win situations. It comes down to you either play or don't play. It's part of the reason many older people don't have smart phones. It has an effect on the sentiments of our times where people want to tear down all systems. You and everybody else knows that if you don't like it you can't get a screw because every other chain hardware store is going to be doing the same thing.
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Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini Follow The Yellow Brick Road |
#4
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So have any of you been tracked? It's happened to me several times: most notably, walking into Nordstrom's, looking at shoes, and then having shoe sales attached to all of my feeds; then, Best Buy: I looked at an R2D2 robot for a minute or so and later in the day, it was popping up on all of my ads. Coincidence? Nope.
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#5
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Our 16yo daughter took a seasonal retail job at Sears. Strangely this local Sears is thriving and one of the successful ones.
This was her first job and she was almost distraught and stressed after the first day because they got a very high pressure training that they have to suggestive sell promotional items and try to get credit card signups. VBery high pressure. After settling in for a bit she got used to it. She's sort of an over-achiever and very bubbly and sociable so she is "knockin it outta the park" - coming home after work all smiles because she keeps getting gift cards and lottery tickets and bonuses (part of the incentive to sell these things). So they use a carrot AND a stick - they give rewards for this front line stuff but also implicitly threaten you if you don't sell this stuff successfully. I used to be a very impatient and unforgiving driver. Until I taught alkl our kids how to drive and learned to be understanding. I now tell myself everyone else might be a new kid just learning and scared. I use a similar approach now with retail workers. (I worked in retail and fast food during high school and college and it has drastically changed)
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Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" Taylor GC7, GA3-12, SB2-C, SB2-Cp...... Ibanez AVC-11MHx , AC-240 |
#6
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I dislike how the extra questions at checkout turn a 2 minute event into 5 or more. That’s really an unfair take of my time and I have often re-evaluated my proposed purchase and left the store without the item rather than be held hostage by these activities.
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amyFb Huss & Dalton CM McKnight MacNaught Breedlove Custom 000 Albert & Mueller S Martin LXE Voyage-Air VM04 Eastman AR605CE |
#7
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My old company used to put a lot of pressure on retail employees to sell add on and related items. The other side of the coin is we had retail employees, non-managers, knocking down 6 figure incomes by doing so. One of the regional people told me the average in some areas for a retail full time employee was just under $70K. Not bad for a "no college required, no experience needed" job.
In my own position dealing with larger business customers, I got some of those same incentives. We had a "credit card" where doing certain things or meeting certain thresholds got you "points", a point being equal to $1. As I neared retirement, one thing I had to do was zero the card out before my last one expired. To do this, I bought a Canon camera system with 4 lenses, two Flatiron mandolins, a 1919 Gibson mandolin, and pretty much all my strings, books, music accessories for the last two years. So yes, I was pretty zealous in participating in these programs. |
#8
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Quote:
As I have learned, the more you play, the more the technology you use harasses you. Unfortunately, it's difficult ( not impossible ) to remain outside of it.
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#9
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MY NO
My " NO " Is already OUT Loudly , before they're halfway done Asking .
Yes Im old people , No smart Phone , Dont know how to Text , dont care . I see people in restraunts eating - Fork in one hand , Phone in the other. It's become an addiction . Table Desk computer only and can barely Work that . |
#10
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My mother purchased her first flip cell phone just few years ago (5 years at most if that and she is 70). That is about all the technology she has. She sometimes get harassed by people when they ask for her email and she honestly says I do not have email and they always reply but you have to have email to which she says she does not. She is right.
But the best is when she asked me if her "TUBE TV" is high definition to which I replied "Mom, you bought this decades before high definition even existed". Then told her how I can help her getting a flat screen and that will work but she needs to get rid of that entertainment center; she refused.
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Taylor 314c; GS Mini Koa; Fender American Elite P-Bass; Fender American Pro-J-Bass; 2 Hohner Marching Band key of C harmonica; Fender Rumble Amp; Ukulele |
#11
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Most stores now have self checkout so you can bypass all these questions. I just do that.
As a side note, my mid-70's parents are very tech savy, both have smart phones, text regularly, have laptops, etc. They find that they get a lot out of technology. They are still active world travelers and were super excited when they first saw the Google Translator.
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Original music here: Spotify Artist Page |
#12
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Just give a fake phone number - use your area code and first 3 digits, then '1-2-3-4' or something similar.
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#13
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Quote:
As far as phones, it's not just older people. I know some younger people who have either switched back to flip phones or never got a smartphone in the first place due to privacy concerns. |
#14
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I just say "Beachwood 4- 5789 " and wait for the deer in the headlights . Being retired I am not in hurry and seek to enjoy all the possible little amusements available .
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 Last edited by KevWind; 12-11-2017 at 09:47 AM. |
#15
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Jenny - I saw your number on the wall...
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