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"Make it easy to order."
Elsworth Howell
DURING THE FIRST WEEK of December, my wife, Peggy, and I took a cruise through the Panama Canal to view this marvel of early 20th-century technology before it was turned over to the Panamanians.
At the dock, we were directed to a line of temporary reception desks. The drill was wonderfully easy. I gave the assistant purser my voucher and credit card. She handed me a slip to sign and then gave us all-purpose plastic Princess Cruise cards adorned with a handsome photograph of the Sun Princess. Printed in gold was the name of the bearer, the debarkation and destination ports, dates of the cruise, cabin number, dining room number and which seating (second) and table number (008).
The all-purpose card was just that: room key, ship charge card and I.D. card that recorded our debarking and reboarding. You needed nothing else on shipboard to happily spend money--on drinks, bingo cards, jewelry, wine at the table, casino chips (up to $5,000 per voyage!). I was even able to use the card to tip the cabin steward and waiters, so my tips were more generous than if I had had to part with cold cash. The fact is, the only cash passengers needed during the entire 11-day journey was two quarters to buy soap for the laundromat (which was free). In short, Princess made it real easy to spend money (as I found out when the bill arrived the last night of the cruise!).
What a joy this on-board convenience was in comparison to online shopping! When we returned in mid-December, the holidays were upon us, and I needed to buy gifts in a hurry--for ourselves, for friends, for family and for clients. OK, I thought, since I can type 75 words per minute and can no longer operate a pencil with ease, the Internet will be my great time saver and convenience. NOT! Every place I purchased from made ordering truly cumbersome--Figi's, Omaha Steaks, Thomas Pink Why force me to type in a whole lot of ...
Source: HighBeam Research, Famous last words.(Industry Trend or Event)(Column)