Guinea Pigs

Technology has the changed the way I interact with almost every organization I interact with. Primarily with my favorite places to shop. I love to shop at Hobby Lobby , Jcpenny , Target and Raleys just to name a few. In someone ways it has strengthened our relationship and in other ways it has weakened it.

Places like Hobby Lobby and Target allow you to use your smartphone as a way to show them a coupon. Not having to dig through my purse to find a whole bunch of paper is a nice. They also have program now that if you text there store number of sorts you are entered into a program that sends you coupons and store updates. Almost every store has an online store now so with a smartphone you can check pricing and participate in some stores price match guarantees.

Most stores have rewards card programs that you would have to keep a card for. Now as technology has advanced they can look you up with a phone number which has strengthened my relationship with them because I loose stuff very easily and being able to be looked up with something that can’t be lost allows me to get all my points. I don’t subscribe to the local paper so having businesses connected to technology allows me to look at the stuff coming out in the next week without having to find the current add.

One of biggest downfalls at least personally in the rise of technology in stores is the lack of finding an actual register. Jcpenny had a register at almost every exit. Now except for a few you are expected to check out with an associate on an Ipad.(Tuttle, 2012) I don’t like having to track someone down just to get out of the store. These new mini registers cannot take cash so you still have to walk to find a register that is sometimes all the way on the other side of the store.

In building relationships technology has given me many positives and many negatives. One of the biggest positives is social media. I am a part of many different hobbies with members spanning all over the United States. It would be very difficult to keep up with people that are a mix of acquaintances and somewhat friends. We can share anything from the latest club news to pictures . Social media also allows us to stay connected with friends and family that may be far away .

Webcams and smart phones allow us to have real time conversations face to face without having to be in the same room. Without this technology I would never be able to see a friend that moved half way around the world. Cell phones allow us to communicate without even talking on the phone. If I am in a hurry or in a meeting and I need to get something text allows me to do that.

In my business technology