RadioShack Will Stop Asking for Names, Addresses at Checkout
RadioShack Corp. is ending its long tradition of sales associates asking customers for their names and addresses at checkout, the Fort Worth, TX, company said yesterday.The change is part of the company's renewed focus on providing a superior shopping experience, officials said.
"Customers tell us the practice of asking them for names and addresses is time consuming and annoying and is not something that endears [us to them]," said Leonard Roberts, RadioShack chairman/CEO. "Our vision is to be the ultimate one-stop shopping experience for fulfilling consumers' electronic needs, and that requires us to provide total customer satisfaction. Asking for names and addresses was a barrier to building superior customer relationships."
Before its 1963 acquisition by Tandy Corp., RadioShack collected customer names and addresses as a way to manage its mail-order catalog business. As the store chain grew, RadioShack used the data to help customers document product-purchase records for returns, exchanges and warranty service as well as send the in-home flier to customers who requested advance notification of new products, sales and promotions.
This change will not affect customers on RadioShack's list to receive in-home mailings. However, customers not on the list now must ask a sales associate to add them or call 800-THE-SHACK. Customers may opt in or out of the mailing program at any time by calling that telephone number.
Information may still be required at the time of purchase to activate services, such as wireless, direct-to-home satellite or extended warranty plans.
