Twice recently, once at work and once at home, something that I use regularly has been unexpectedly upgraded, resulting in the unforeseen loss of some of my most precious commodity - time.
I can't tell you too much about the work thing, but suffice it to say that I had a service that gave me what I wanted and it was discontinued at short notice. However, the new 'improved' service hasn't been introduced seamlessly, it requires me to go through lots of repetitive, tedious administration involving form-filling and faxes before I'm able to use it. I'm currently without it and it's a pain in the arse.
The personal thing was my Sainsbury's Reward Card, which is being phased out in favour of the new multi-company Nectar reward scheme. Quite apart from its silly name (sweet, sticky, rots your teeth and only of any interest if you buzz a lot?), the annoying thing about this is that again you have to re-register all of your details. Surely it can't be beyond the wit of some junior programmer to knock up some kind of data migration routine that only requires my old and new card numbers?
Posted by Hg on Wednesday 16 October 2002 at 20:20.
Received 6 comments so far.
Well, it seems to have been beyond the wit of whoever planned the switch to put a sufficiently robust infrastructure in place to have handled all the online applications, so somehow the lack of data continuity isn't surprising me....
(*Still* can't use the site to register, I see.)
Damn, I knew I forgot to mention something :-)
Yeah, even funnier is that they give you this number to phone to get your extra points for 'registering online' and the phone gets answered in about one fifth of a second. Once bitten twice shy, I guess.
Also, every time you shop at Sainsbury's a member of staff asks you if you've "taken advantage of the new nectar card yet?" - Just to rub salt in...
This evening when they swiped my Nectar card they asked me if I wanted to redeem my Reward Point.
Feeling silly, pedantic, lightheaded at the prospect of a weekend and a little mischievous, I pointed out that it wasn't called a Reward Card any more, it was called a Nectar Card and therefore they should be asking me if I wanted to redeem my Nectar Point.
"Oh." [*blank stare*]
I might as well have been explaining the finer points of quantum physics.
Has anyone "taken advantage" of their new Nectar card yet?
and I must try the Nextar points not rewards points thing at the checkout, I love those blank stares. Thanks!
S'pose I must get round tuit. Didn't know about the register online; thanks Jon! Maybe I'llhone, or drag my carcas to my home store. Agh, this is a headache. Considering my supermarket habits are currently M&S/Somerfield.
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