A data plan and a Wi-Fi network basically let you do the same thing: use the Internet wirelessly. Wi-Fi in your home can be secured. But free Wi-Fi from your favorite mall, airport or grocery store, although may be secure to outside hackers, may be collecting data from your device. but remember who is paying for the service. Using your data plan does not require connection to the Wi-Fi hot-spot. When you are paying for the service, data plans or your own router and Wi-Fi you can limit the amount of activity or behavior activity that is collects.

If you

If it’s free, you are the product. Are you giving it away for free?

Today when you use a wi-fi network to they have the ability to collect more than your browsing history while using their connect. Today algorithms are being created to predict your behavior using your location data while connected to their network.

Analyzing breadcrumbs created by Wi-Fi devices could provide never-before seen analysis for large-scale institutions, like universities… and marketers.

 

So just to be safe:

• Looking for security, use your data plan.
• When you’re streaming lots of movies and music to your tablet or engaging in other data-heavy activities, it makes sense to use Wi-Fi, if it’s available and trustworthy.
• But if you’re checking work email or balancing your checkbook on the road, consider turning off Wi-Fi and using your data plan to protect your privacy.

Technology moves fast these days.  What was built yesterday has new features today. There are always new features and functions  readily available to try. But not long ago, when the internet was a new shiny toy, we were consumers, unsure of the Internet’s benefit, use or how we could live life without it.

This great story on NPR talks about the 1996 Dole Presidential Campaign and their use of a website. As you listen, how often during your day, do you think ‘what are the possibilities.’

NPR: 1996 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

One point I want I want to re-highlight to all of you – is to know what data is out there (about you) and how it is being used. The more you know about the more control you have. We have so many laws around health care data (reception offices are required to remove your name from their sign in sheet – because it exposes medical information – the fact you were in this doctors office). Yet our transactional data is bought and sold multiple times to multiple companies for many reasons. This business is so big it has a profit connected to it. How is one set of information so secure and the next has no customer control.

Your data comes in all forms: health, purchases, apps, location, etc.

If you haven’t already experienced the pleasure of binge watching, you will in the near future. Streaming video has changed how we watch TV. If you are about my age, we had TVs without remotes, VCRs that you had to rewind tapes, and bunny ears for reception.

Back then TV watching was measure by the Nielsen Ratings and published weekly. You remember the Nielsen Ratings that collected TV data from identified households that had a ‘box’ connected to their TV. Today the digital world of TV and streaming video have changed the way the media corporations collect data on what you are watching.

 

Now with digital video, the cloud and streaming, each account becomes its own Nielsen Rating. Along with the shows data: comedy, drama, action series. Female lead, strong language, etc. And now companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime have the ability to collect what you watch, when you watch, how many episodes in a row, where it is paused, etc.

Watch this TED talk video on how they use this data to make new hit TV shows.

How to use data to make a hit TV show

Airlines that fly in the US are not legally obligated to provide any compensation for a delayed passenger. They are however, required to compensate passengers who have a reservation but are denied boarding, also known as getting bumped from the flight.

 

We all want a safe flight regardless of the weather or mechanical failures. And we all know the airlines will push the weather conditions and delays onto us. But want about all the other delays?  In the past year I took 5 flights; 3 personal and 2 business. (FYI – I use to travel 5 days a week for 8 years for work – I left that job because the air travel was taking up too much time.)

But I want to talk about my 3 personal fights.

1. Delta: I had international flight and a lay over in ATL. While in ATL we were delayed 2.5 hours because the crew was waiting to transport airplane parts to a waiting plane in DTW (my destination). I don’t understand how they have the rights (or balls) to delay almost 200 passengers so that they can repair a mechanical issue on another flight by delaying ours.

2. Spirit – (yes I broke down twice and thought their cheap fairs were a deal until…) Flights 2 and 3 were  both Spirit. The first flight was a 6:30 am flight. At 6:35 they announced there were mechanical errors with the plane. (I seem to recall it was a radio problem, but it doesn’t matter, safety is number one, and the plane was in no condition to fly.) Also at 6:35 they announced the flight would be delayed until 12:30 pm that day. Yes 6 hours later. At exactly 12:30 they announced it was going to be another 2 hours. Had they notified me at 4:00 in the morning before I left for the airport, I could have rested at home, instead I was trapped in the airport for the whole day. The flight actually left that afternoon at 3:00. 8.5 hours after the original flight time. For compensation the airlines offer 2 different sets of meal tickets (total of $30 per person) and a $50 credit for any new booking on Spirit.

All the time we were sitting waiting for our flight to board. The gate next to us, also Spirit, was over booked to New York and looking for passengers to give up their seat for the next flight in 2 hours. For compensation of their 2 hour delay they would receive a round trip ticket on Spirit.

But let me talk about how inconvenienced I really was on this 8.5 hours delay. I took the whole day off work to make a 6:30 am flight. That extra 8.5 hours added a full day expense to the long term parking. And my trip was only 48 hours – so that took a whole day away from weekend.

And so I used the $50 credit and this is what I experienced…

3. The second flight I flew with Spirit was almost the same deal as flight number 2. It was a 3:30 pm flight that ended up being cancelled, guest were offered to get their flight refunded or be assigned a seat on the 8:00 pm. Flight.

For those that waited for the next flight at 8:00 we were given a voucher of $50 to use on our next flight with Spirit.

We were not told what the actual delay was, but the passengers came to the conclusion, it was cheaper for Spirit to cancel the 3:30 flight and add us to the 8:00 pm flight.

I’m not sure what to do about this except continue to report and complain to the airlines directly. But had they noticed that I was a customer that was on a flight less than 3 weeks before that was also delayed – they may have the opportunity to treat me differently. Because Spirit is no longer an option for me, cheap and delayed is not good customer service.

If WE all stood up and insisted that airlines must provide a flight on time and safe otherwise it affects their bottom line, we will always be waiting for the airlines to take care of themselves before the paying passenger.

I believe safety is number one when flying. But it should be the airlines responsibility to have a safe and ready plane available to depart at the time scheduled, otherwise the passengers should be heavily compensated. Even if they are compensated more than the cost of the flight. (maybe this would ensure the airlines have working planes) A 8.5 hour delay is a full work day for most people, and if you are going to take our valuable time away, that show us what it is worth.

The legal requirements for the US and Europe are very different – the EU requires airlines to compensate passengers for delays based on distance of the flight and total time delayed.

I don’t usually make new year’s resolutions, because I feel that I’m always making resolutions through out the year. I don’t need a change in the calendar to get me moving. Of course I have more resolutions that don’t go beyond a line item in my list of other things to do.

But my resolution in regards to the is blog is to include more from the readers – what do you want to know about YourDigitalData?

And with that in mind I’m also going to use this forum to talk about customer service and customer data. The more I know about how much data is collected and how it supports (or lack of support) from customer service the more frustrated I become.  What is customer service and customer satisfaction.  It is fixing a mistake or not making any mistakes at all? When it causes problems for you, but still benefits their bottom line – who is really winning?

What are you resolutions? Do they involve data?  

The Definition

It’s critically important that we live the culture of Yes. This does not mean that every single idea, question, suggestion or recommendation will ultimately be met with a big thumbs up. But it does mean that we respond to all curiosity with the mindset of Yes first.

Our bias is to the Yes side of life. This is in stark contrast to the all too common approach of NO being the automatic reaction to any expression of an inquiring mind.

Just because saying NO is easier.

The status quo is not our favorite state. We live in the land of growth, possibilities, ideas, innovation, positive impact and results. And the only path to that place is through openness to the unknown… So Yes before no. And no only if we have done the work and exhausted all the potential of Yes first.

Your data is important to a retailer. Read this story on what Standard General will pay for the customer data

Radio Shack – how customer data provides value after bankruptcy.

 

 

 

Standard General bid $26.2 million for the intellectual property package, which included trademarks along with customer information. The companies did not value the customer data alone. Standard General, which is working with Sprint Corp.S +1.08% to revive RadioShack-branded stores, could use the names and addresses to inform customers that RadioShack is alive.

RadioShack might have gotten more money had it included behavioral data, such as transaction histories, Ms. Wixom said. “The more nuanced the data, the more potential value there is.”