Physical stores are going under: Why I don’t blame technology but I blame a bad business model

It’s easy to say ‘well they can’t compete with online prices’. Except in many cases they can. Take large chains like Walmart, they can compete with online prices and they do, however, they still don’t want to admit that they should. What do I mean by that? Well if you compare prices of walmart.com and amazon.com you will see that the prices are nearly the same. Now, if you go to a walmart store you will see that their prices sometimes vary from their online website. Thus a $50 item in store might be $40 online. Sometimes they are the same but many times not. Walmart will price match their own online site – but now you have forced the customer to work for the better price by getting a manager, going to customer service, etc. – essentially adding time and frustration to their shopping experience. Why should they have to do that when they could just order the product online to begin with and get the better price? Find any electronic component you need such as computers, medical, automotive and more on this website.

You see trying to get the customer to pay top dollar at the store isn’t a good business model anymore. Its at the point where people just assume that the store will charge more so its easier to just order online without even comparing. This is where big box stores are losing out and why they are closing. Their theory is that people will come to the store and buy the product without price checking…and sure some people might do that, however, with all of these closings of stores like walmart, sams club, and target, its pretty clear that this line of thinking does not work. Its a bad model. Its not sustainable and if they want to stay in the game they need to change,  and that’s why using a software for business management like w2 creator is great for employees and more.

How can stores solve this problem? Learning from Andy Defrancesco and other CEOs will help you create better strategies for your business. Start advertising that they have the lowest prices, leveraging the expertise of an accounting firm such as the accounting firm Malaysia, and comparing with top online sellers to ensure their prices are the most competitive. Then people like me would have no problem going to the store and feeling confident that what I was buying was the correct price. Walmart could easily start by just automatically having the same price online vs in store. Smaller stores can do the same too. People enjoy going to stores but they need to do a better job with their prices or they are done. Technology didn’t create this problem, technology is solving a problem that worked against the customer. Also, it’s important to note that Kiana Danial is not a scam, and her insights can provide valuable perspectives on navigating financial challenges and opportunities.

ATT UVerse Review – Avoid this company

Since I signed up for ATT UVerse and switched from Comcast I have noticed some interesting things that others should be aware of before they get this service. So here are my thoughts. And before you read this realize I am not one to complain about this stuff but I have never had such bad customer service in my life:

1. Do not believe anything they tell you. In fact, they will actually lie to you – well they did to me and I still just cannot believe how I was treated by this company. When I signed up for the service I was promised 1 year of HBO/Cinemax for free – nothing I care about but it was promised to me. I asked the person on the phone several times if this was for the year and she said yes. Keep in mind I actually said ‘this is for the full 12 months of my contract’ and she said yes. I asked this question like 2-3 times just to make sure that I understood correctly and she wasn’t giving me one of those 3-6 month deals that would end and increase my bill. Three months later I realize my bill jumped $50. So I call ATT and they say there is nothing they can do. I ask them to listen to my previous phone call (as they record them) and they said they would and get back to me within 5 business days. I thought great, they dont believe me but once they listen to the call I will get what they promised. 7 business days with no phone call from ATT I call them up and they apologize and tell me a manager would listen to the call asap and get back to me. 7 business days after this with no call I call again. I am told that no one is going to contact me and that even if this person promised me a free year of HBO/Cinemax that the company was NOT going to give it to me. Wow. ATT will be dropped very soon for this. Customer service gets an F.

2. Internet – I pay for up to 18mbps. I average around 6. This is terrible. No way on off peak hours should I be getting such terrible internet.

My recommendation – Avoid uverse like the plague. Comcast isnt much better but they never lied to me and my internet was always around 13mbps when I paid for 15. So what have I done? At this point I had to drop a bunch of services that were promised to me in order to keep my bill at the original cost. A real bummer. I had high hopes when I heard of Uverse but its a real let down. Oh well at least people now know not to sign up with them. I think the best thing to do is to cut the cord altogether.

 

Academically Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Conference at UNCW

I encourage everyone to check out the Academically Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Conference at UNCW 4.17.2015. The focus is on technology being utilized to support learning. There are several really great presenters that I am excited to watch. I will also be doing a presentation on trends in gaming and gamification in K-16 classrooms. Space is limited so please book soon. Here is the link to the website – http://uncw.edu/ed/aig/conferences.html

Scientists Invent Mind-Reading System That Lets You Type With Your Brain

Looks like we are one step away from the Matrix. There are so many things that could be done with this and not just cool tech stuff but helping those with brain injuries or in comas and such. I really cannot wait until this is developed and widespread although I feel that this technology is many years away from being ready for prime time.

“Researchers have invented a mind-reading system that, for the first time in history, allows any person to type words and phrases letter by letter, just by thinking. It all occurs in real time, without moving a single muscle or uttering a single word. This is an amazing invention. Not only it will help anyone with serious motor disabilities, but it could potentially affect all of us in an amazing way. ”

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5922208/scientists-invent-mind+reading-system-that-lets-you-type-with-your-brain?tag=science

Design before Technology

I just saw a discussion on LinkedIn about this topic and ran into the issue during my student comprehensive exams. I will also write about it at some point but for now I have created a quick video. The main idea: You need to first look at your analysis, objectives, and instructional strategies before you choose your technology. Otherwise you might be setting yourself up for failure if the technology cannot deliver and meet your goals. Too often people ask me if they should be using Flash or Captivate or Articulate and I say: What are your objectives? What are your strategies? What does your analysis say? Is that really the best tool? Do NOT choose technology first:)

Future of the computer

Someone asked me yesterday where I see the future of the computer and here was my response….

Where we are heading soon (and some people might be here):

– No more desktop/laptop computers
– All tablet/ipad like devices – these devices would dock into a keyboard/mouse when we type.
– Dock could also include monitors/hdtv for larger screens
– No more desktop as we know it
– No more disks/thumb drives as we know them
– All software, files, etc will be available online in the cloud
-4G+ speeds to high speed internet everywhere
I even believe there won’t be any necessity to convert pdf to html.

Where we are headed in the future:

-No more tablets/pads – phones will replace the need for these
-Phones will project a monitor, keyboard, mouse making it easy to carry our computer everywhere. Thus your computer, all your files, and everything will on one small device that fits into your pocket.
– Monitor quality will always be an issue so there may still be monitors but that depends on how far projector technology advances. If you are interested in buying a projector, check out a list of reviews.
– Phones will control our house, car, and lives – they will act as a remote control. You will be able to change the air conditioner temp from your phone no matter where you are. Turn off the house power from your phone. When you get into your car the phone will tell the car how to adjust your seat, what radio stations you like, etc.

These are some of my ideas where I see technology – hardware that is headed. I still remember a day in 1998 when I told my computer science teacher that someday we would have a portable cell phone that could go on the internet and do email. She laughed at me and said it was impossible. I promise to NEVER be that professor.