Hide and Seek


What's happening to the personal touch on the World Wide Web?

The headlong speed with which we rush through the vast information superhighway is leaving human interaction in the cyber dust. How many times have you searched through a website to find a phone number only to discover that one doesn't exist? You'll communicate through e-mail only and if you can't fully explain your issue by written word--too bad! And try using email to try and figure out a technical support issue. It's frightening to see how many companies, of all sizes, are creating policy to use the World Wide Web to hide.

Make no mistake about it, the Internet is the most powerful medium we'll see but it's not a place to play hide and seek with visitors. If you own a website, publish a number and man your phones. Answer quickly and use proficient, accommodating customer service specialists. And please don't preach to us about the cost of such a venture. The World Wide Web is creating more millionaires than at any other time in our country's history. Give some of your new found profits back. Be a faithful servant to your customer. Make the Internet all it should be and you will be rewarded beyond compare.

Brian Grinonneau is the general manager of McMann and Tate Advertising, an agency that works exclusively with the small business owner to help them stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace where much of the advertising and products look the same.