Consumer big brother is not only watching me – he knows what I like on my pizza.
A few months ago, I phoned a pizza joint to place an order, and before I even gave them my phone number, the order-taker asked me, “Do you want your regular?”
How did they know who I was? Call display? How did they use that call display from my home phone number to link to my past orders? How did they know I like pineapple, onions, and red peppers on my pizza? What kind of records does the local pizzeria keep on their customers?
I have a credit card. The pizzeria knows that too and asked me if that’s the card I want to use. I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew the colour of the plates I plan to eat the pizza from and what I’m watching on TV.
When I go to a grocery store they ask for my Air Miles card. If I let them swipe it their marketing people will know when I buy cat food or frozen pizza, where I live, what I earn and what I bought last week.
Now the grocery stores are moving toward video monitoring of shoppers, not to spot shoplifters so much, but to study shoppers’ behaviour. Are shoppers made aware of this as they walk in the store? Is there a notice on the door advising shoppers they will be monitored like mice in a maze? No.
We just don’t know – or notice -- how intrusive the consumer information market is – from pizza delivery to grocery shopping. And marketers don’t go out of their way to tell us how closely they watch us.
A few people I know refuse to use Air Miles cards for privacy reasons. Some people use Air Miles but lie outrageously when filling out the information form. Maybe that is the last stand against the consumer machine.
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