Can we talk?

Consumers want standardardization

        Some things should be universal. We consumers love variety and uniqueness, but for some things, we'd like to have standard parts or procedures.

        Take cell phones and chargers. If you buy a cell phone today, buy all the accessories, too, because a few months from now, it will be obsolete, and the parts will unavailable. You will spend your time driving all over town, trying to find any retailer who still has that part or accessory in stock. Standardization would allow only two or three type chargers. That way, they'd be interchangeable. With three chargers only, everyone in your family with different phones would be covered should one be lost or replaced. Instead, no charger works for more than one style phone. When the phone goes bad, you can't reuse the charger for another phone. You can't use the car charger for another phone.

      Another variety that is more of a pain than a plus are POS machines. You know charge card readers and self-check out registers. There's one kind at the gas/convenience store you use several times a week. A different type at the grocer, and yet another at Wal-Mart. It all depends on the bank, Because they're different everywhere you go, you make mistakes, you hold up the line and get flustered. I've seen so many people apologizing to other customers because they're having trouble. If all banks would standardize these machines for payment, the consumer would learn how to operate them without so much distress at the check out counter.

      And the self-help registers seem like they would be fast and easy. As long as you don't mind doing your own bagging as well, this offers a shorter line and you feel in control. Well, almost. If you key the wrong code for produce, heaven help you. Of if the item is too lightweight to register that it went into the bagging area, you have to press or beat the bagging area to make the system go on. Or maybe you have an item that can't be read by the scanner. Or heaven forbid, you buy wine and have to wait for a busy service manager to run over and approve it, so you can finalize your sale. I went with someone recently to Wal-Mart and the lines were so long that we went to the self-check line. We got through relatively easy with most items, then the lightweight t-shirt wouldn't register in the bagging session. Then he tried to pay and bag at the same time. He wasn't fast enough putting his signature on it, so it wouldn't take his credit/debit card, and it tied his card up. He had to go by the bank in person to straighten it out. Then the receipt slot, the change section, the coupon printer all are in different places from store to store. And while you're trying to get out of the next person's way, that person and her kids are all over your, looking at your bank info. There's no privacy. If it was the same type machinery in all stores, the customer could learn how to do this without so much frustration and feeling embarrassed and inept in front of strangers.

      I don't want to stifle competition. It makes more cost-effective products, and fosters  individuality. But electric workers, and all construction workers, know that their are standards to follow. They go to the store and buy standard parts, standard fuses, standard plumbing parts, standard size boards, etc. They work, yet still allow for individual creativity. Shopping would be so much more peaceful and stress-fee with standardized check-outs.