When I learned about CardStar I immediately downloaded it. CardStar is a free iPhone app that stores all of your membership cards eliminating the need to carry them in your wallet. I was eager to try it out because this was an idea I had many years ago that was going to make me a millionaire. Every time I went to a store and had to pull out one of those cards I would tell the cashier my idea of creating a universal membership card with a unique ID that would work with all companies. We know where that idea went. I tell my friends all of the time the difference between me and people with successful ideas is that when they come up with a great idea they begin working on implementation. After I come up with a great idea my next move is to ask for another beer.
After I entered all of my information into my iPhone I went and tested CardStar at Genuardis. The first mistake I made was taking 14 items into the limited 15 item express lane. I purposely left my membership cards at home for two reasons: 1. my wallet is so much slimmer after eliminating 14 cards; and 2. I didn't want the cashier to have a fallback position. I wanted to force them to deal with this new device.
After she finished scanning my items she asked if I had a Genuardis card. I handed over my iPhone after showing her the replica of the card on the screen. She said, "What's this?" I told her it was a new way to store cards and Genuardis signed-up for the program. She was completely flummoxed. "What do you mean they signed up? What am I suppose to do with this?" You just scan it like you would a regular card. This is where it gets interesting. Handing an iPhone to someone who has never handled one before is tricky. I know from using it that you can't touch the screen because it can sometime easily change screens. It's not something I think about I just do it because of my experience handling it. But it's not something I thought about when I purchased this app. So everytime I handed it to her and she touched the screen, it would change so that she couldn't scan it properly. I glanced at the two people in line behind me who were beginning to fidget. Especially the young man immediately behind me who had only one item to purchase.
After a few unsuccessful attempts at trying to scan the iPhone and handing it back to me, I get it back to the proper screen, hand it back to her, another unsuccessful scanning attempt she finally said, "It doesn't work." I then tried to scan it myself while holding it properly and it didn't work. I'm now hearing sighs from the people in line and the second guy starts to look for another cashier. After my failed attempt at scanning the cashier doesn't say anything, she just looks at me as if to say, "What do you want to do now?". I suggest that we use my phone number. Unfortunately, after two attempts, that doesn't work either. I remember reading the CardStar reviews and they suggested that if it doesn't scan properly you can have the cashier type in the membership number. After a very loud sigh she types in the membership number and it works. I grab my bags and begin leaving when she tells me I forgot one of my bags. I walk back while avoiding eye contact with the people in line, get my bag, and walk out defeated in my attempts to bring these people into the 21st century.
Of course I will continue to use CardStar because I want it to work so badly and, again, I love the slimmer wallet.
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