World Without Problems
Jan. 20th, 2009 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talktoolooseWell, US President Obama may think we'll solve the problems by working hard with ingenuity and a sense of common purpose, but the Toronto Public Library and New Balance Shoes have a simpler solution:
Just linguistically erase negativity.
I had a complaint to make about a systemic problem at the library and they handed me a form where I could write out my thoughts. It was labelled: "Compliments and Comments". Cute. When you erase the word "complaints" from a complaints form, you send the message that complaints are not really welcome. This is not a recipe for quality.
I just bought shoes at New Balance's annual sale. Usually, New Balance allows you to return shoes for full refund, but sale items can only be returned for exchange or store credit. This is fine, but the wording on the receipt is hilarious:
"Forunately, you can return this product for exchange or store credit with this receipt within two weeks of purchase."
Heh? What alien planet is this English from? Clearly, someone drafted a message that began, "Unfortunately, sale items cannot be returned for full refund..." and someone decided that it was too negative!
Nothing makes me nastier than the appearance of the "nice" police on the scene.
Just linguistically erase negativity.
I had a complaint to make about a systemic problem at the library and they handed me a form where I could write out my thoughts. It was labelled: "Compliments and Comments". Cute. When you erase the word "complaints" from a complaints form, you send the message that complaints are not really welcome. This is not a recipe for quality.
I just bought shoes at New Balance's annual sale. Usually, New Balance allows you to return shoes for full refund, but sale items can only be returned for exchange or store credit. This is fine, but the wording on the receipt is hilarious:
"Forunately, you can return this product for exchange or store credit with this receipt within two weeks of purchase."
Heh? What alien planet is this English from? Clearly, someone drafted a message that began, "Unfortunately, sale items cannot be returned for full refund..." and someone decided that it was too negative!
Nothing makes me nastier than the appearance of the "nice" police on the scene.
