PlanetFeedback's ShopperCast

At The Sound Of The Tone....

Ever have to make one of THOSE phone calls?  You know, the one you've been dreading and hoping the other person doesn't actually answer their phone.  Maybe for personal reasons, like you don't want to get into a long-winded conversation with some chatty-Cathy on the other end; you just want to tell them you're running late.  Or maybe for professional reasons, like you just want to leave a message to remind them of an up-coming appointment. 

Sometimes you just pray for voice mail.

Now available at a phone near you, it's a service called Slydial and it allows you to by-pass the chance of talking to a live person and instead go straight into their voice mail.  You dial in to Slydial and listen to an advertisement (naturally - unless you buy their subscription or agree to pay 15 cents to skip the ads) and then enter the recipient's cell phone number.  Voila!  Voice mail.  Who says breaking up is hard to do?  Especially when you can just leave a message on voice mail ~ sorry, babe, things just aren't working out and we should see other people.  Talk to ya later.

At least that's how it's supposed to work. In some tests, Slydial gave an abbreviated ring before going to voice mail... which could prompt a call back.  Guess you'll just have to let them go into YOUR voice mail then.

--Contributed by Deb

Bally's, An Exercise In Futility?

It started with your good intentions to finally get in shape and exercise.  So, you decided to join Bally's to accomplish your goal (or New Years resolution), telling yourself that you would do what was needed to better your health and your waist line.  Good on you!  We think that we have all been there.  Then inevitably life gets in the way.  You find your self with little time to work out, between jobs, and families.  Or you talk with your Doctor AFTER (instead of before) you sign the contract. 

You find yourself exhausted after a typical day in your life, if you do have some rare free time, the last thing you want to do is go to the gym and workout.  It is after a few months of this that you pull your contract out, and realize you are paying a lot of money for a service that you are not using.  You search in vain for a loophole, it is only now that you actually read the contract.  You get angry because you do the math and realize that the two year contract you signed up for is going to cost you a lot of money before you can cancel. 

Instead of using this as additional motivation to get to the gym and actually work out, some people place a lot of effort in writing complaint letters to Bally's.  We have pages and pages of complaint letters to Bally's on PlanetFeedBack.  These letters proclaim everything from people being forced (at gun point we are sure) to sign these contracts, or they come down with a major case of Bally's remorse and put forth a lot of effort to figure out a way to get out of the legally binding contract that they signed.  Some people go so far as to call it a scam.  We think it is a great example of buyer beware.  You should always always always read a contract before you sign it.  The sales tactics that they use, "there are only a few slots left at this price, this deal is only good for today" maybe akin to a car salesman, but ultimately YOU are responsible (short of a provable mental defect, or you have not yet reached the age of majority) for what you sign and agree to.

--Contributed by Renee

Death Of An American Icon?

Has Budweiser sold out?  That's what lots of consumers of the popular line of beers have been asking since Budweiser was purchased by the Belgian company InBev for $52 million.  InBev produces and distributes popular (and delicious) international beers such as Stella Artois.  So they do know a little something about beer.  And, apparently, capitalism.

No one is questioning their brewing ability.  At the center of the controversy has been the question of whether an American company, with American roots, should be sold to a foreign company.  Started in St. Louis in 1860 by Eberhard Anheuser, it's been a beer that has touted its all-American image.  Even the Bud and Bud Light cans are red, white and blue.  And did you check out the Anheuser-Busch logo at the beginning of this post featuring the bald eagle?

And some of its drinkers are mad as hell.  Online petitions and websites have sprang up, with names such as SaveBudweiser and SaveAb protesting the sale and asking people to stop purchasing Anheuser-Busch products if this sale does go through.  Hit InBev where it counts ~ in the wallet.  Another truly American idea.

Will they or won't they?  Beer drinkers are loyal.  We have several friends that are in the Coors camp and others in the Bud camp.  Only very rarely (and possibly exigent circumstances - such as running out of "their" brew) will a Coors guy drink a Bud.  And it's usually done with wailing and gnashing of teeth when it does.

So it remains to be seen whether the 74,000+ people who have signed these petition will actually follow through with their threats.  Or will they continue buying and consuming their favorite beer and grumble while drinking it?  Which seems to be yet another American phenomenon. 

We will be watching to see if the Super Bowl continues to feature the Bud commercials with the iconic Clydesdales we've grown accustomed to seeing.  Or if the baseball stadium in St. Louis changes its name to InBev stadium. Hey,  maybe instead of Busch Gardens, it will be renamed to Becks Gardens.   

Or maybe not.  This Bud's for you.

--Contributed by Deb

Does Size Matter?

When it comes to customer service, that is?  PlanetFeedback regulars often comment that the "big box" stores don't and can't provide the same level of customer service that the average "mom and pop" business can. 

Of course, every nationwide chain store started as just one building and the business grew over time.  As the business grew and spread throughout in a region, customers came to expect consistency -- a familiar store layout, dishes prepared the same way every time, the same products carried (so if you are used to finding a certain brand at one location, you expect to find it in another location), and employees who were trained to behave and interact with customers in very similar manners.

Surely these are advantages to customers; who doesn't like consistency?  But as a business grows, at some point it gets so big that it can't provide the customer service it used to provide in the early days.  Instead of speaking with a manager and getting a problem resolved on the spot, there's a chain of command, especially if the store manager doesn't have full authority to make decisions that will keep customers happy and loyal.

One of the most offensive aspects of this is detailed in a recent letter in which Robin complains about having nearly $2000 extra taken from his or her checking account due to an error on the part of T-Mobile.  As if that error weren't bad enough, Robin has $370 in NSFs due to bounced checks because of the mistake.

To add insult to injury, Robin is treated rather poorly and is given the brush-off by the people who should be helping!

We could blame ourselves -- after all, it's we, the general public, the shoppers who over time changed our shopping habits from going to the hardware store on the corner to going to the Home Depot on the edge of town.  We fell for lower prices, a wider selection (forgetting that many small businesses will special orders items upon request), the ability to make one stop instead of three in order to cross everything off our list.  But at what cost?  At the cost of satisfactory customer service -- so intangible and yet so valuable.

If we want better service, we have to demand it -- with our shopping dollars.  But that won't happen unless the American public acts en masse.  Retailers are struggling to bring in shoppers -- let's use our expectation of better customer service as a bargaining chip.

~Contributed by Angela~

The Economy's Upside: Forced Creativity

We thought we'd heard it all, but now this:  Renting plastic wedding cakes?

It seems that these tough economic times have pushed some engaged couples to scale back elaborate wedding plans and to get creative when it comes to throwing a wedding reception.  Instead of spending enormous amounts of money on a fancy wedding cake, you can rent a plastic cake (online) that has a small real cake on top, and then serve cheaper sheet cake to guests, or have a pastry bar.

Couples aren't necessarily changing the type of wedding and reception, but simply find less-expensive ways to have the wedding and reception they want.  This can mean having family members put their talents to work (table centerpieces, floral arrangements, decorating the reception location) or asking them to contribute to the food (potluck weddings are back!).  The guideline is that you're supposed to ask only people close to you to contribute in this manner (in lieu of a gift)--people who would be happy to contribute to the day, but not every guest should be asked to participate that way.

Other cost-saving measures have included allowing bridesmaids to wear dresses they already own (the identical-dress-thing is a relatively new phenomenon) and having the groomsmen wear their own suits rather than rent tuxes, and even cutting back on the size of the wedding party.  Reception music can come from an ipod instead of a DJ, craigslist has become a source for finding used wedding gowns, and perhaps the most common practice is for couples to design and print their own wedding invitations at home.

One bride, who works in theatre, referred to her wedding as a "play" when speaking with potential vendors and got lower prices offered to her as a result.

One of the most common cost-saving measures has been to rely on guests' digital camera photos, rather than hire an expensive wedding photographer or photojournalist.  (We won't go into how that's hurting professional photographers!)

Our conclusion:  We hope these practices remain even after the economy bounces back, because they add a more personal touch to weddings and put the focus on what's most important about that one day:  The coming together of friends and family to witness two loved ones getting married.

~Contributed by Angela~

Help, It Burns!

Of all the jobs in the world that are fraught with some kind of danger (like Alaskan crab fishermen or fire fighters), the last place you'd expect to find serious job injury is as taste tester for a candy company. 

That, at least in our opinion, sounds like a pretty fun and tasty job (provided, of course, it's not for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans) however three employees with the Cadbury company don't think so.  Cadbury manufactures chocolates as well as chewing gum brands such as Dentyne, Trident and Stride.

Cadbury is being sued by three employees for injuries sustained while on the job as a taste tester for a new artificial sweetener.  They claim Cadbury hindered treatment for their injuries by failing to disclose the ingredient list.  One tester complained of mouth burning and injuries to her tongue.  Another had mouth and gum burning along with a racing heart rate and swollen lip.  The third had a reaction on  her lower lip as well as a racing heart rate.

Of course they signed a form acknowledging that the product they were sampling was experimental.  Is it foreseeable that something experimental that you place in your mouth might cause some kind of chemical reaction?  Probably.  But that doesn't stop the lawyers.

Hmmmm.... note to Cadbury.  At least to our uneducated minds, this test was a flop. Don't put this particular artificial sweetener in our bubble gum.  'K?   

--Contributed by Deb

Extended Hours?

With the economy the way it is now and gas prices reaching the $4.50 per gallon mark, can we as consumers still expect the same conveniences as before?  Rochelle recently wrote a letter to Krispy Kreme stating her disappointment that they were closed after she drove 10.6 miles from her home (in a gas guzzler (18 MPG) but we digress) to quench her craving for Krispy Kreme (Yuck).  She was mad and wants them to compensate her because they were closed.  She did not state what the hours on the door say the operating hours are (only that her and the boyfriend have been there late before and the drive-thru has been open). 

It is possible that this location was not doing enough late night business to justify continued late hours.  A company has to pay staff, electricity, and other expenses and they need to worry about the security and safety of their employees and customers that late at night.  It is a shame, but we have a feeling we may see more and more of these types of things.  Conveniences that we have come to expect late at night no longer available because the state of the economy is effecting just about everyone.  We work late at night and often make stops and run errands after we get off because it is easier for us than shopping when the rest of the world shops.

We agree with and understand the basic complaint here, but we do not agree with the incredible notion that she should be reimbursed for her gas.  A coupon for a dozen donuts would be a great way for Krispy Kreme to validate her disappointment, but that is enough, the rest is just over the top.  Perhaps the message here is that we all need to be prepared as customers to have less convenient hours available to us, as well as paying higher prices for our trouble.  Oh and call or check the website of a business before you go to make sure the hours have not changed.

Contributed by Renee

The iPocalypse

We told you so.

It was worse than expected, however, due to Apple's crashing servers.  Not only did people wait in line for hours, and sometimes days, for the new 3g iPhone, but then they couldn't load up the new apps.  Many left Apple stores with a new phone to initialize their phones at home but couldn't do it there either.

The problem was really not with the 3g, but with the Firmware 2.0.  It was available, not only on for the 3g but also for other, older generation iPhones, for free.  The glitch appeared to have happened because Firmware requires first an update and then reauthentication.  With the servers being slammed, there was no available server during many people's reauthentication process which caused the iPhones to hang up and basically leave consumers with a really expensive piece of non-working electronics.

We really do feel for the people who spent all that money for a phone that didn't work.  But... this is sorta what they remind us of:

--Contributed by Deb

One Idea On How To Get Through This Economy

Who among us isn't hurting in this economy?  Gas prices have affected already-rising prices on everything from food to furniture.  Meanwhile, salaries haven't gone up accordingly--and they can't, as businesses struggle to deal with their own rising costs while delaying passing those costs on to customers.

About a year ago, we read an interesting statistic:  The average American family spends more on dining out each year than they save for their children's college education.  Restaurants now are feeling the pinch as families cut back on dining out.  But with all that dining out and relying on convenience food, cooking was becoming a lost art in this country.  Convenience foods and readily available prepared foods mean a person can go through life without ever learning how to cook.

We think this is where grocery stores can bring in shoppers:  Similar to the food samples given out at grocery stores, stores could offer abbreviated cooking demonstrations -- a manned display (so shoppers can ask questions) that visually tells a busy shopper the steps involved in the dish, aimed at the beginning cook.  Samples of that dish could be set out for shoppers to try.  The dishes would be affordable, allow for flexibility, and can be made in advance in a big batch for families (such as lasagna, meatloaf, stuffed chicken or turkey breasts, enchiladas).  In coolers near the demonstration, there could be pre-bagged ingredients for the recipe being displayed so all shoppers have to do is grab the bag and they have everything -- meat, canned goods, seasonings, recipe card.  The products could be flagged on the shelves in the store to aid those who want to buy things individually.

By doing this, the store potentially encourages the purchase of a wider variety of items, thus allowing for less waste due to expiration of foods (people would be making homemade entrees rather than falling back on the frozen foods and other simple items).  The store also potentially has larger sales:  $20 in ingredients instead of $10 for two frozen pizzas.  Shoppers benefit because cooking generally means a lower per-serving cost.  (We can think of other wonderful benefits to cooking at home but those are more personal.)

It's the businesses and consumers who get creative who will best survive in tough financial times.

~Contributed by Angela (who is now very hungry)~

Checked-Baggage Fees: The Airlines Have it All Wrong

As if the increased costs of traveling by air weren't bad enough, now most American airlines (US Airways, American, United, Spirit, Northwest, to name a few) charge travelers for their checked baggage (with some exceptions for first-class travelers and high-tier frequent fliers).  One of the reasons cited is that people who bring more added weight onto the plane should pay for that (due to increased fuel costs).

We think the airlines have it backward:  Instead of charging for checked baggage, there should be a fee for carry-on luggage instead.  Make people pay for the luxury of not having to wait at the baggage carousel.  When everyone crams as much as they can into the largest carry-on piece they can buy, overhead bin space is going to be at a premium.  Everyone would be allowed one carry-on in the form of a briefcase, bookbag, purse, etc.  Women would not get to carry a purse and another piece and have it count as just one as they do now.

Charging for carry-on luggage also could force encourage enough people to check their baggage that disembarking the plane could go faster.  There also is the issue of safety; when the overhead compartments are stuffed as tightly as possible, the locks could give way and falling contents could injure people.

By the time the airlines realize their folly, millions of Americans' flying experience will have degraded even further, making for even-crankier travelers.  And it's the airline airport employees and flight crews who will pay the price, along with the traveling public.

In the meantime, try these tips for avoiding baggage fees.

~Contributed by Angela~