Common Sense for the Biochemist

Doesn't make sense does it? Well, I guess not to me it doesn't but apparently Mervyn's department stores thinks it is very logical. The story goes like this: Several months ago I went to Mervyn's and bought a some new shirts and jeans. When I went to pay, they offered me at 15% discount if I would sign up for their Mervyn's card. That was my first mistake. Anyways, I signed up, paid and went on my way. Fast forward a couple of months and I start seeing missed calls from (513) 619-2683 on my cell phone. Of course, whoever called (a computer) left no voice mail. I called the number back and got a recording stating "RDI Marketing Services has called me for research or sales purposes". This went on for a period of about a week where I would get about one or two of these phone calls a day (which I ignored because they left no voicemail and when I called back I got a recording). Finally, I was able to catch them when they called. The lady calling stated that she was with GE Money bank who handled the Mervyn's card accounts and since I was a Mervyn's customer and since I owned my home and since they were a bank, she would like to give me a quote to refinance my home loan! WTF!!!!! The lengths that these companies go to nowadays to get around the telemarketing rules. You know, Mervyn's has good quality cheap clothes that a grad student can afford but this really peeved me and I really don't know if I want to give them my business anymore. I can not wait to start getting calls asking me if I need to purchase funeral services just because I bought a steak knife at the grocery store (I'll never sign up for a Kroger card simply because of that reason). Mervyn's has recently announced that they will be closing about a quarter of their stores that were not making any money. You know maybe if they would focus on customer satisfaction instead of making money by selling customer information, they could turn a buck or two. Another similar case (albeit a little less annoying) happened to me just today. As I was perusing one of the premier research journals whose name will remain anonymous, I kept getting pop-under ads telling me that "I had won a new laptop" (and yes, it was just when I was browsing this one site and no, I don't have any spyware on my computer). If this was the Drudgereport I could understand, but this was a respectable publisher. I guess making a quick buck is easier than profiting by making your customers satisfied. Ok, I am done venting now, back to your regularly scheduled blog.