Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber:

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Young people continually and increasingly annoy me by dragging me into modern life.

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Example: I called a barber shop to make an appointment for a haircut.

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But when they picked up, they wouldn't take the reservation for my haircut over the phone.

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Instead, they insisted I use their app.

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Which is a problem, because I use neither a smart phone--nor apps.

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Why can't they just accommodate the customer and take my appointment while I was already on the line with them?

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Wouldn't that be quicker and easier for me than hanging up and making me switch to another device?

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After all, I am the customer.

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I should not be forced to learn or play with their app—or even to use a cell phone.

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As my friend LR says, "It is not old fashioned to expect good customer service.

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"A simple phone call saying, 'Of course we can do that, let me check the calendar. When were you thinking of? OK, that's done. Can I email the confirmation to you?'

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"It's not hard work. It's not rocket science. Why should I have to do the work to become your customer? If you want my money, make it easy for me."

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My colleague DB says, "I agree with you, Bob. If someone is offering a product or service for sale, they should make it easy to buy from them.

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"And that includes offering multiple ways to make the purchase. Otherwise, they take the chance that good customers will take their business elsewhere."

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"Customer service has seemingly died," says EH, another colleague of mine. "How hard is it to just take the appointment with pen and paper and then stick it in the system? Lazy effort from them."

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I know LR, DB, EH, and I may be in the minority here.

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But my barbershop's insistence on me doing things their way violates a long-standing dictum of business success.

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Namely, "never make it difficult for people to give you money."

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By refusing to make my appointment while I am already on the phone with them, and instead requiring me use their app, they are making my life more difficult.

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And wasting my time, to boot.

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Right?

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Sincerely,

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Bob Bly

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P.S. This incident makes me feel as Anthony Newley did when he wrote: "Stop the world; I want to get off."

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