What if you were required to fill out an online form if you wanted the phone number or address of an enterprise with which you wanted to do business? Let’s say you were driving to a meeting at their location and you needed to contact someone to let them know you were unavoidably detained. You would have to pull over on the side of the road, fill out the online form, and wait for a response, which would make you even later. Sound ludicrous?

I continue to be amazed at the number of businesses that brag about their customer-centricity but make an email address impossible to find on their website. If you want to communicate, you are required to fill out an online form. I know some smart marketing person offered the website form as the gate so that names and contact information could be captured. Their message is clear: Our marketing needs trump your need for access.

 …