Click "LIKE"

Is it just me, or are we being bombarded with people telling us what to think?

I say this because it is increasingly popular for businesses to post status updates on Facebook with the caption "Click "LIKE" if you think this is funny." First of all, I know how the "Like" function on Facebook works, thank you. Secondly, don't tell me what to do! Maybe I do think it's funny, but now I am not going to click "Like" just because you are telling me to click it.

This social feedback phenomenon doesn't stop there. I was at Kohl's the other day and the cashier looked me straight in the eye to tell me about an online survey regarding my shopping experience. She then went into some psychological Jedi mind trick of telling me that I should select 'Highly Satisfied' for all the questions because their store gets reviewed every week. She even threw in a little Sullivan Nod. Listen lady, even if I am highly satisfied, don't tell me how to answer the questions.

I am all about customer data extrapolation to ensure satisfaction. Customer surveys are important, and tracking data on past purchases helps companies send me relevant ads. That whole 'scandal' of Target modeling purchase patterns to identify newly pregnant consumers and sending them relevant coupons for baby items... I LOVED IT! It makes me happy that Target is paying attention to me and trying to give me what they think I want. Thank you, Target. I've even signed up for their Red Card so they can track me until I die.

But there is a line that a company shouldn't cross when trying to get customer data. When a business tells the consumer what to think, they aren't trying to gain information about the consumer. They are instead validating what they think of themselves through a consumer channel. I don't mind falling into predictable patterns of basic human behavior, but don't tell me how to do it. It's then that I lose respect for your business, and perhaps decide not to click "LIKE" even though I think it's a fantastic status that I would have shared.