I like the idea of being able to just hop on my computer, go to a website, order some photos printed out and just stopping by and picking them up.  Couple of minutes effort and for under 20-cents each, I get some cool pictures to put up at work or give away as a gift.

But the system is not perfect. The other day, I ordered some photos, stopped by to pick them up and they weren’t ready.  I said, “Now wait a minute!  You sent me an email that they’d be ready by 3pm yesterday.”  “What’s your name again?”  “Tim Hunter”.  “Well, you’re in our system, but I don’t see an order for any pictures.”  “OK, I’ll just go home tonight and order them again.”

Then as I was walking out of the store, I saw the sign that explained everything.  Just one word: Bartel’s.

I had ordered them from Walgreens.  I kept looking straight forward, making a beeline to the door and never letting them know I picked them up at the right store on the way home.

Like I said, the system is not perfect.  It’s the system’s fault, right?

Tim Hunter