Through a series of otherwise normal events, I placed an order with Amazon and received a confirmation email, but then I noticed that the order was nowhere to be found in my order history. The confirmation message didn’t have an order number, either — perhaps because the order was generated through Amazon’s Subscribe & Save […]

In general, the purpose of offering free samples in a retail store is to encourage customers to try the product, realize they like it, and buy it right then and there. Trader Joe’s has a sampling area in the back of the store for this exact purpose. But when I tried to get a small […]

I recently ordered a “6 piece set” of storage containers, but when the package arrived, I was disappointed to find out that it only included 3 containers. The lids, it turns out, are considered 3 items on their own. I told the merchant about the problem and they made it right, but I still find […]

After my previous doctor decided to relocate out of the city, I needed to locate a new primary care physician. Based on a very positive referral, I selected a doctor at a different practice. Prior to my appointment, I downloaded all the new patient forms from the doctor’s website and filled them out. But when […]

I have always preferred dark chocolate over milk chocolate and other variants, but I never really paid attention to things like the percentage of cacao in each bar. A few weeks ago, I decided to try my hand at chocolate snobbery, so I purchased several new types of dark chocolate at Trader Joe’s, including their […]

I’m not really into gadgets, but I do follow the mobile phone market pretty closely. If you read the reviews of certain phone models, it’s amazing how many products suffer from poor battery life. Aside from the iPhone, with its non-removable battery, the battery life problem can usually be solved by just carrying another battery […]

I’ve seen a ton of ads for Palm lately, with their Pre and Pixi phone series showing up on billboards, buses and other out-of-home locations. From what I’ve read, Palm’s webOS software that powers these phones is more elegant and easier-to-use than anything else on the market, including the iPhone. But Palm has had a […]

I’ve seen a lot of articles where the author insists that the key to business success is not being afraid to make decisions. Whether the decision is big or small, the theory goes, you should assess the situation and make a swift and decisive judgement on how to proceed. Sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, this line […]

A few days ago, I was researching some marketing strategies and needed to find out the cost of joining a particular non-profit organization. According to their website, they charge an upfront membership fee and an annual maintenance fee after that. However, no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find any current info about how large […]

Chicago seems to have a lot of gourmet cupcake shops. At some point last year, one of them opened up near the Randolph and Wabash CTA station, which is a location I pass fairly often. However, I don’t think this particular purveyor of pricey cupcakes will be around for long. Here are some of the […]