Continue reading »]]> Why is it so hard for people to actually deliver what they promise? In the days leading up to the big Black Friday rush, my wife and I found a great deal being advertised on Amazon.com … a 40″ LCD TV for “under $200″. It was also stated that the deals would begin at 7 pm EST on Thanksgiving evening.

So, 7 pm rolled around, and the 40″ tv was “currently unavailable at this time”. I refreshed my screen often over the next hour and a half, until finally at around 8:30, the item was available, but cost $396. Interesting … but not the deal that was advertised. Also, they were offering a $200 gift card for shoppers who purchased a DirectTV package. Surely, they didn’t think this separate offer could make their “under $200″ claim legit?

Ultimately, I don’t know. Maybe I’m the dumb one … I didn’t read the ad closely enough … I should have known better than to expect such a great deal.

But, if that is the case, it is a failure of Amazon to clearly state their message. I now have a negative interaction with Amazon to add to all my previously positive interactions with them. That’s too bad, because it didn’t have to be that way.

What I can learn from this is how it feels to be deceived … even if unintentionally. With my own business, I never want my clients or potential clients to feel like they’ve been deceived. It’s morally wrong and bad business. I’ve always tried very hard to my services and pricing in a way that is upfront and understandable. My bad experience with Amazon today will make me even more vigilant to clearly communicate.

Continue reading »]]> After years of comtemplation, the new version of Doug Rider Consulting has launched!

I began thinking of a new design a couple of years ago.  I started working on a new logo that would better reflect my business.  I went through tons of ideas that were trash-worthy.  Then, suddenly, one day as I was driving home, the idea came to mind and within 45 minutes I had 8-9 versions of it.  I ran these ideas past my wife and kids and the winner was selected.

But, launching a new site was difficult.  It is not easy to know exactly what you want to say (and not say).  I researched many different web companies and consultants to get ideas of what my colleagues and competition were doing.  Ultimately, I ended up with a design that reflects my style and would allow me some flexibility.  This blog should allow me to keep the site fresh.  I also opened up the design to give myself more room to work with.

I hope you like the changes!