You walk up to an ATM and as you put your card in you are greeted in your prefered language, offered the usual amount, and even given the usual coupon to the coffee shop across the street. As you sip the coffee, the financial institution sends you a text message thanking you for banking with them.
After a long day at work you walk into your favorite restaurant. They saw you coming and brought your family the usual drinks and the first round of appetizers. As you eat the appetizers the chef walked out to inquire about last weeks meal and wanted to know what you all would like. This is exceptional service.
You stroll into a huge department store, they recognize you. Actually, they spotted your telephone – all your phones. An employee invites you to come take a family portrait since all of you are together. They even bring you some outfits to wear for the photo shoot – things that you had purchased before – the right size et al. You are in and out in no time at all.
You are helping register your child for an after school activity. You show up, sign in, and have barely sat down when one of the experts comes to talk to you about your options. Not only did they see you come in, they actually answered every question you had, even though you didn’t remember all the questions. See, they simply tracked your activity on the web and made a list of the information that you were seeking.
You zip into the grocery store to pick up milk, bread, and bananas. You usually walk out with more things but were in a hurry to get home. As you come up to the register, a manager waves you to the service desk. Not only are you first in line, she also offers you the other items that you usually purchase. Talk about convenience.
You call your favorite gardening catalog spending about 30 seconds on hold. Your call is transferred to Kathy, she is the one you spoke to the last time. She talks to you about your garden, your last purchase, and offers you ideas on what you could do to tend your garden during the winter.
You have been surfing the web on options for a new car. You see a few cars online and soon proceed to your bank’s web site to see what options you have to finance the vehicle. You get a call the next morning from the manager who invites you to the branch. Not only do they pre-approve you, they actually help you negotiate a better price from the car dealer. You walk in – they know what you want – they give you what you need – you drive out, happy. Now that was quick, efficient, and personalized.
Tracking transactions brings some immense advantages. It is like having a personal concierge that is always looking out for you. It allows you to leverage channels, technology, and preferences to your advantage giving you back time, money, and exactly what you want.
The FTC just introduced a proposed framework around protecting consumer privacy. This proposed legislation is also being called the ‘Do Not Track’ legislation. Take a look at the legislation and join us as we continue this conversation of the pros and cons of being tracked!
Concerned about tracking? Don’t forget to read yesterday’s article about the fear of being watched!
