Open Letter re: Postal Codes

[poofy_puff]

Admittedly, I'm in the minority, but you'll get a generic address from me, and it is not a lie. Every time I'm asked for an email, I look at the company, and give them the address <the_company_name>@<my_personal_domain>.org.

I have all email at that domain set up to funnel to me. Any company gets caught selling my email address? That entire address gets dropped into nothingness. No skin off my back, and I know who not to trust.

Me likey! I'm gonna adopt that approach when I see fit to do so.

[PepperElf]

whenever i was home on leave and felt like being a smart ass i'd give them my real zipcode... which was usually the one to the ship, or the one from virginia.

so it was an honest reply... but worthless data

Admittedly, I'm in the minority, but you'll get a generic address from me, and it is not a lie. Every time I'm asked for an email, I look at the company, and give them the address <the_company_name>@<my_personal_domain>.org.

one woman i know had something like that. it didn't matter what email address you tossed in as long as you had the domain name right. She invited people to be creative and had fun seeing what people came up with.

[RxBoy]

To those of you who get "rated" based on how many phone numbers, emails, etc. that you obtain...do they actually check to see if they are real or not? If a person just makes one up, does it still count in your favor?

I always give my phone number when I got to Bath and Body works or Yankee Candle because I always get great coupons in the mail from them.

[Android Kaeli]

My store asks for the zip code, I have since stopped asking for them unless a manager is right there. It's all due to people acting like douchebags and starting WWIII all because I asked for a simple zip code. I get it some people don't want to tell me, that's fine and dandy as I really don't give a damn.

But when people start getting pissy because it's "OMG, personal information!!!1@#@!", then I have a problem with it. Or give them mine, as it's most likely one of the three that customers are in anyways.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I actually wrote a letter to Sears asking them to explain the logic of penalizing their employees for something they have absolutely no power whatsover to get (my phone number, for instance). They can ask, and I am always polite (although they sometimes are not polite back), but what really chaps me is the fact that the idiot suits at corporate think their employees are responsible for my lack of compliance. Unless they are giving their employees a gun to shove in my face when they ask, they have no control over that.

Sears never got back to me. Imagine that.

[bainsidhe]

I'll give a zip code, but it does annoy me. If I'm feeling particularly resentful, I'll simply say "No Thanks". First because it's another step in the check-out process when I want to leave and second because it is personal information. It may not lead the store right to my door, but it's still part of my address and I resent the creeping of stores into my personal identity.

I do give my email address at Borders, because they email coupons that I actually want. Though I do get frustrated when I'm supposed to "reconfirm" my email right after I hand over a coupon I obviously received by email. I'm angry I gave my phone# to Lane Bryant because now I keep getting advert calls that use my phone minutes, and Circuit City in their heyday actually recorded ALL the information from my drivers license because I was paying with a credit card (as in address, name, number, etc). At the time I was one of many in a looooong line, so I didn't throw a stink because I wanted out of there. I probably wouldn't be as nice now.

There's no reason for a customer to be an ass about it, but I hate that companies make their cashiers ask such questions. If you want a focus group, pay someone for it. I resent being made a captive audience at the register and I'm sure a lot of cashiers regret it too.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Try shopping at the local SuperBlueLight store . . . their EFT machines are set up to ask for your zip code before you can swipe your debit (or credit) card.

So their employees don't have to ask you for it . . their machines are set up to get it from you instead.

I can understand not wanting to give out a phone number, but a zip code is not enough for someone to stalk you with. . .

[Merriweather]

I won't give out my phone number precisely because I don't want to end up on a mailing list or catalog list. I get enough junk mail. I simply say, "I'm sorry, but I don't give out my phone number." I've never had a clerk get pissy with me about it (whatever they may have been thinking is another issue )

Zips are a different story. As to OP notes, it can't be used to track you down. It DOES serve a use for statistical surveys of what sells in what areas. It takes two seconds to answer and is not intrusive. What's the big deal?

I agree totally - phone numbers, I politely state I don't give it out. But zips, why not? Takes 2 seconds, and if it's a store I like and it's far away, maybe if enough in my area give their zip, theyll end up putting one closer to me.

[simplyanother]

My store asks for the zip code, I have since stopped asking for them unless a manager is right there.

ditto. Usually, I just enter whatever random 5 numbers I think of, sometimes it's a local zip, sometimes, it's...whatever zip from TV that's drilled into my head. I get customers who get annoyed when I don't ask for it, you can't really satisfy glitter hell customers. We've got new registers, I discovered if you hit enter twice on the screen, it just clears the zip thing, and prints the receipt. I don't do it often, mostly because I forget.

I don't mind being told no thank you, when I ask for the zip, so long as it's done politely, or at least the same manner that I asked for it. I love the people who get all ...mind trick-y on you "you don't need my zip code"... No, I really don't.

So, I don't usually ask anymore. Not worth the customer ire.

[Jack7957]

This time of year, you could give them Santa's zipcode, North Pole, Alaska, 99705. Or, to really screw them up, use the Canadian zip for Santa, HOH OHO.

[Mikkel]

This time of year, you could give them Santa's zipcode, North Pole, Alaska, 99705. Or, to really screw them up, use the Canadian zip for Santa, HOH OHO.

But the real Santa's address is:
Santa Claus
Box 1615
3900 Nuuk
Greenland

[Jester]

I know who lies about it - very generic joe_smith and gmail/hotmail etc

Some people actually do have generic email accounts, because some people actually do have generic names. I know a Tom Smith, 2 Greg Smiths, a Joe Brennan, and a Ken Brown, just for some examples.

If I'm feeling particularly resentful, I'll simply say "No Thanks". First because it's another step in the check-out process when I want to leave and second because it is personal information. It may not lead the store right to my door, but it's still part of my address and I resent the creeping of stores into my personal identity.

I think if a customer politely refuses to cough up such information, there should be no problem. I also think that the cashier should be polite in return, both when they ask for said information and if they are refused it. When such things are done impolitely on either side is when the trouble ensues.

[BrenDAnn]

DGoddess beat me to it. I was going to say the same thing about the BigBlueLight stores. I understand it can be for research purposes, ie, if there are a lot of people coming from a certain area, the company might look into opening a store there, but still, it can be annoying. However, I just enter my number and move on with life. It's not that big of a deal! Thank goodness, though, that we don't ask for that at the c-store. Most of my sucktomers have a hard enough time deciding between credit and debit, and entering their PINs!!