The Universal Doctrine

Fundamental policy.

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Have little Tolerance for Inefficiency when Buying

September 2006 - Oslo.

Expect Excellence at the Mall

One should be very selective when shopping. One should expect the youngsters working at the supermarket to go up and beyond all expectations. You should feel good when you are shopping.

The Unfaithful Shopper

This is a rule I have developed and use. When I experience something annoying, low service, getting ripped off in some way I do not shop at this store the next time. The next time I use one of the other close by stores. If there are three stores close by I rotate among them, starting at the one that annoyed me at some point the furthest into past. This will result in the store that has the best shopping experience will get the most of my business during one year. I suspect many people do not exercise such rigorously self control, but then you have no right to complain since you are not providing feedback back into the system.

ICA

There is a supermarket chain in Norway called Ica. They have some cheap crap that is nice to buy, but some times they are totally ignorant. It is hard to believe that this is possible in a refined capitalistic market. Some annoying things that has happened at Ica and made me use the switch rule:
    No basket at the entrance: When you are shopping just a few items, there is this little red plastic carrier you can use. It is totally annoying when the people working there are too lazy to move them from the checkout area to the entrance area so that new customers can pick one up at their way in. What the heck are people going to carry their stuff in. I guess they want people to shop no more than they can hold in one hand, or possibly not buy anything.
    Crap gone past expiry date: I had to make the boy working there aware that some products where gone past expiry. He replied, "Then it is just to take these away". The correct response would be him getting down on his knees and begging for forgiveness for this most embarrassing situation and also asking for forgiveness putting my wellbeing in risk when I could have eaten this expired food.
    Price confusion: There is a big sign saying the product XYZ is on sale. Ten small signs says a four pack of XYZ cost 19.9. Then one big sign a little to the side says a four pack of XYZ cost 39.9. What is the correct price? Will this result in a discussion at the checkout as to what the price really is? Either the sale is over and they have forgot to take down the rebate signs or they have forgotten the old price sign. Maybe they also should have a sign that says, "We will discuss the price with you when you are about to pay".
    Sorry we don't sell that: Ica does not sell the one frozen pizza I think it is good. I suspect it is because it is competing with one of their brands, or they have gotten some other cheaper crap from Lithuania they wish to sell instead. And this pizza is not an uncommon brand, it is very common. So whenever I am in the mood for pizza I do not shop at Ica.

    Caveat emptor!

    Have a sense of quality control and be selective to how much confusion you are willing to accept. These big stores should be fully optimized selling machines, but it is strange that they are still in business considering how many things are not running smoothly in the day to day operations of these stores.

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    Author: Jarle Brandt. Copyright. Research style and method.
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