The title of this week’s tome is not a reference to the television show from the late 1970’s. Nor is it a reference to the Church of What’s Happenin’ Now. (Readers are encouraged to check listings from their local church of the month club program for more information, if they wish.) The title refers to the activity that is going on for all of us, which is downloading more apps. We’re getting everything from groceries, except toilet paper, to pharmacy prescriptions and pet supplies via the app related to that product. Most of the time it works rather smoothly. While being sheltered in place, I get my groceries delivered within a four or five days of ordering them. It works great. Cat litter and cat food arrive all boxed up at my doorstep, neatly packaged in one box. The strength of Hercules is needed to get it from the front door of my apartment building up the stairs, to my apartment door. Thankfully, though, it’s here. The cats will not starve or drive me out of the apartment if their litter isn’t changed.
Increased use of electronics at home meant ordering a few supplies that couldn’t be conveniently obtained from the grocery store, the local pharmacy or Pets ‘R’ Us. They were Double AA batteries and printer ink. Sometime back our society converted to the binary system of one Double AA battery or two Double AA batteries for every device possible. I can’t go anywhere and wander around looking for these items, so I chose a big box store that was certain to have these things in stock. Who else but Best Buy. If they don’t have them in stock when it’s ordered, the store will be getting more soon. Especially the types of common items that I needed.
Wanting to be cautious about not making an extra trip when we’re still sheltering in place, I made sure I had the correct order number for the printer ink. The TV remote was in need of new Double AA batteries and I confirmed that by opening up the back to make sure that’s what was needed. Got it. Two Double AA batteries would restore ease of use in my quarantine-induced binge watching. Pulled out my smart phone, downloaded the app and scrolled through my choices. Each item was easily located, added to the cart and paid for with a credit card. Not the Best Buy Credit card, which would have given me ‘rewards’, just a regular credit card that gets me the merchandise I need. Ordered, paid for, done. They will send me an email when my order is ready and I can drive to the store. I ordered things on Sunday evening and anticipated picking them up on Monday. This assumption was confirmed with the promised email.
What didn’t work out so well were the parking and pick up instructions. Before I could tell them I was coming, I had to read through a page of disclaimers. That’s hard to do on those little phones. Then I had to tell them I was on my way. Information had to be entered, and then another email would be sent, containing the code I would have to use. Instructions followed about how and where to park my car. I tried reading them but it was confusing. Upon arriving in the parking lot, I just pulled in to one of the spots available. I think Best Buy wanted the number of the spot, but that wasn’t clear. I clicked a button on the app to say I had arrived and waited for the identification code that I would have to provide to the sales person.
It was like buying State secrets. Erroneously I believed that the app for orders from Best Buy would be easier to navigate and get through pick up. They are, after all, a successful electronics company. They must have some idea about how to move things from order to fulfillment in a logical fashion without having to constantly go back to an app that gives vast pages of directions for the next step in the puzzle. Guess not. I left the parking lot feeling dazed and confused. Somehow I had obtained accurate instructions. Then I blurted out the correct recipient code at the right time to get the products I ordered placed in the back of my SUV. I’m really not clear how it all happened because I wasn’t sure what the instructions were saying. I would have checked further, but I don’t even think there’s an app for that.