CNBC Special Report: Big Brother, Big Business

Big brother, or customer service? A shoplifter is not likely to loiter. When I am in one spot for a long time, it's usually because I can't find what I'm looking for. A clerk is then much appreciated.

I witnessed a shoplifting once. I was 19 years old, and I was with a couple I had just met. He did the shopping while I bought a couple of things I needed. meanwhile, she walked, without hurrying or loitering, over to the dairy section, picked up a carton of milk, and walked out with it right past the cashier, holding it in plain view. The boldness of it shocked me.

 

While today's "Big Brother" technology is unsettlingly invasive, as a former retail store owner, I can also attest to the large losses incurred by merchants. Whether businesses pay the price of these deterrents or suffer the theft itself, this is just another cost of doing business passed on to every honest consumer.

 

It isn't just here. On the streets in Florence and Rome you would look up and see cameras in odd places. Really pay attention to your surroundings and you may see cameras in the strangest places.

Every purchase you make with a debit or credit card is tracked, the way you pay your bills, what you did on vacation. The reasons behind it are many, looking for theft (one reason that I hate WalMart-they always think that everyone is there to rob them), personal security and the ever present "terrorist threat!

Think about your junk mail too, much of it is generated from information on recent purchases. "Someone" sees you buying certain products and puts your name on a list to recieve information on products X,Y and Z.

Big Business is Big Brother, Corporations are heaven and the dollar is God. Welcome to the USA!

 

Did they mention hotels and the new key cards?

The hotel computers know when you've left your room so the maids can clean it.

 

I hope none of us are surprised by this. If we are, we're kidding ourselves.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Nov 12 2006, 04:29 PM) [snapback]347970[/snapback]</div>

I doubt this, since you don't use the key card to leave the room.

Also my experience: There are times when I've been out of my room for several hours and when I return they have not cleaned, and other times the maid knocks while I am in the room, wanting to know if she can clean it. If you want the room cleaned you have to put out the "Please clean" sign. These are four and five-star hotels.

And with couples, there are two key cards. One may go out while the other remains, or they may go out together taking only one card.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Nov 12 2006, 11:23 PM) [snapback]348033[/snapback]</div>

Well, it registers whenever the doors is opened. Yes, they do knock anyway, in case you've simply opened the door and then closed it again. And the maids do have shifts and floors. But your room is still monitored. They certainly know each time the key is put in the door.

 

Opening a door does not tell them that someone has left. Maybe you just brought in the morning newspaper, or went down the hall for ice or to the vending machine. Maybe someone came to visit. If there are several people in a room, openings of the door say nothing about the comings and goings.

Sure they have the technology to track when the door is opened. But that gives them no useful information. Nothing they can use for their own benefit, and nothing that tells them anything about you.

Maybe someone knocked on the door across the hall and you opened the door to see if someone had knocked on yours.

Sorry. I'm just not going to get paranoid about the hotel tracking when my door is opened.

 

In Vegas this weekend I discovered $40 in erroneous minibar charges upon checkout. I didn't realize there are weight sensors in the mini-fridge. Simply by taking an item out and placing it back unopened - your account is charged. I guess this is to deter you from restocking from the 7-11 down the block.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jmccord @ Nov 26 2006, 09:14 AM) [snapback]354191[/snapback]</div>

This is common in many hotels now. If you read the minibar instructions before opening it, they will tell you that you'll be charged immediately upon removing something.

I think there's three reasons for this:

It saves time, as the housekeeping staff does not need to count every item remaining in the minibar to determine what you've consumed. And if you do consume something, the computer can tell them exactly what needs replenishing.

It prevents people from skipping off without paying for something they took on the last day (though since the hotel has your credit card they can always charge you later).

And it makes the hotel a little money from people like you who don't know how the system works.