Yesterday we spoke of Politicians who have made a handsome living over the years by employing the principle that they could “fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time.”
And regardless of which side of the aisle you tend to find yourself sitting on… complaints about the bias of the mainstream media abound… FoxNews this… MSNBC that.
Whatever.
What fires me up is that all the cool science-fiction stuff from my childhood is now completely non-fiction. And not only is all this great new technology now resting comfortably in my office and on my nightstand… it is changing the rules of power.
Yup, my Jetson’s Video phone… check. Star-Trek Communicator… right here. And the ability for data to travel at light speed… with no permission necessary.
Yes, technology… New Media… has all but erased the grip that a handful of corporate bigwigs had over the flow (and spin) of information. Today we see live events… from Business Seminars to Football Games to Surgical Procedures… being tweeted and reported live by, well… you and me.
A thing of beauty, this freedom is.
And little by little, the demand for authenticity and transparency continues to move forward. In Politics… yes, and in business too.
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For example, say a Hotel is advertising “large, spacious and clean rooms with an exceptional pool area and unbelievable breakfast menu.”
Now, given that 200-300 guests per week are running around with iPhones or other similarly equipped devices… it’s probably a good idea that the Hotel management really does offer “large, spacious and clean rooms with an exceptional pool area and unbelievable breakfast menu.”
Because, here’s the beauty again… right or wrong, we’ll all probably know. In just seconds, a testimonial posted online is available to help you, me, and thousands of future travelers to make a good decision.
Yes, the world is smaller… and in some respects, a bit cozier too.
The availability of info makes it tougher for enterprises of all types to take advantage of consumers. Government alerts to various scams are widely sourced on the Web, as are recommendations and insights regarding purchase options on every conceivable product or service.
But some industries persist… a story, please, to end.
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Recently while renting a car at an airport, the clerk went through the normal checklist… normal, meaning to attempt to up-sell everything and turn my $38 per day rental into a $78 per day rental.
“Of course, you’ll want the standard LDW/CDW package… meaning there is absolutely no liability for you on this contract…”
“No thanks… my insurance covers it.”
“Sure… no problem, sir. Now I AM REQUIRED to make sure that you have the opportunity to receive additional liability protection, as well as our popular PAI and Accidental Death and …”
“No thanks… I’m good.”
“Excellent sir, well I show that you’ll be pre-paying for fuel at the low rate of $2.78…”
“No thanks… I’ll bring it back full.”
“Okay sir, well then… it looks like we have you in a Luxury Vehicle here for three days, and…”
“No thanks… the reservation is for a Premium Vehicle.”
“Well, sir…,” he replied with a smile. “You can’t blame a guy for trying…!”
Yeah, well actually… I think, sometimes you can.
But there’s good news. Fortunately, as easy access to information continues to shine light on dark business practices, the “fool ’em” days appear to be numbered!
I look forward to speaking with you soon.
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