An Open Invitation to Companies to Track Me Down

Ask, and you shall receive …
Written by Jean Steckler
Steckler eMarketing, Westfield NJ 07090

My original post on 9/25/2009 asked for automatic reminders to make my life simpler.  Nearly two years later, Toyota is launching an answer to one of my requests.

The next generation of Toyota hybrid and electric vehicles will come with “Toyota Friend” social tools that allow vehicles to send messages to their owners, reminding them of scheduled maintenance or passing along real-time information such as battery-charge data. These messages could be made privately or posted to public social networks as the owner sees fit. The technology is being developed by Microsoft and Salesforce.com.

My 9/25/2009 request …

Please, can I get emails to remind me to …

• Change the oil in my car
• Put my US Postage mail and newspapers on hold when I make a reservation for more than 3 days at a Hilton, Marriott, or other hotel chain by emailing me links to the online forms 
• Remind me of my haircut appointment the day before
• Same with dentist and doctor appointments (Please, do not phone me)
• Refill prescriptions
• Give my pet his monthly medications
• Return my library books
• Send me links to my family members’ Amazon wish lists a week before their birthdays and anniversaries

And thank you for calling and texting me when …

• My airline flights are delayed

Life gets complicated. It would be much simpler if companies included these gentle nods in their loyalty programs. All the better if they let me choose the method of communication – email, SMS, or phone. I prefer opt-out services, so I don’t have to search out programs and enroll.  It doesn’t matter to me whether a company’s marketing department or customer service funds it, as long as somebody in the company has the vision to get it done.