So I went to Food Lion today – for the first time. I saw a special that I wanted that required their membership card, so I paused, downloaded their app, signed up, and picked the item up.
When I went to check out, I had my phone ready with the app’s barcode for my new account showing for the cashier to scan. And scan she did — although the scanner wasn’t scanning the barcode. She held it at different angles, we made the screen brighter, trying any number of things to get it to scan. Nothing worked. She got to the point of saying, “I don’t know what to do now.”
It occurred to me to ask: What would you suggest for someone who is checking out and forgot their card? “Oh, try entering your phone number in on the keypad.” That worked. ?
It’s very very easy to get lost in making one angle of attack work such that you lose sight of alternatives. It’s something I face from time to time as a technical specialist.