My passion for data has always been to harness information into useful insights in order to improve services and delight customers, not to collect, archive, then never change business models. My personal data is stored by almost all my vendors, yet no vendor has yet stepped up to use this data (anonymously) to vastly improve services for me. For example, my credit card company has all my data for the last two decades. The company can harness this data to provide insights, offers, and improved services such as recommendations to events, offerings, discounts, and services and places I will love.

Under a poorly defined excuse of privacy, none of my credit card companies offer me any meaningful personalized services. This includes major and other credit cards, airlines, hotels, etc. Since consumers can choose to opt-out, those of us interested in better services can choose to opt-in and have far better services. Ironically, better-personalized services are a win-win for all, because if I was offered great personalized recommendations, I would use my credit card more. However, complacency using the excuse of ‘privacy’ means none of my vendors are offering me any better services than they were 10 years ago. Arguably they had better human-driven services then too!

Today it is about the ‘know-ME’ economy. Imagine the possibilities once your data is harnessed for your increased enjoyment! Imagine your ability to discover things – at all levels – while also enjoying reduced prices for items you love. Pointless ads and offer blasts are useless old-school tactics. Almost all companies get hacked. (Topping the list is the credit bureaus!) There are ways to safeguard our data, so, vendors: Stop using this excuse. Ask yourself: Why does my bank, credit company, airline, and hotel not personalize and completely customize services just for me? Let’s put pressure on them to change and to use the data they’re collecting in a meaningful and helpful manner! Data security is manageable. Using this excuse to not build services to delight you is unacceptable.  What do you think?

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