Who cares if it is the best if you can't get it?

2013 Specialized S-Works Epic with SRAM drivetrain  (Source: http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bikes/mountain/epicfsr/sworksepiccarbon29sram)

According to the May 2011 issue of Mountain Bike Action, "This is the best mountain bike we have ever ridden". A friend of mine who writes for Pedal magazine came to a similar conclusion. So, why can't I find one, or even look at one?

And not just the fancy S-Works version of the Epic, the local Specialized dealer does not stock any Epic models at all. The staff seemed completely uninterested in helping me. This could be a sale of more than $10,000.

So, even though the Epic is winning awards all over, and tons of races, the local Specialized dealer does not seem to have any interest in even answering any questions about the bike.

With the Specialized Epic out of consideration, my choices are down to the Rocky Mountain Element 999 RSL and the Scott Spark 900 RC.

All I need is for the financial fairies to bestow their magic and fill my bank account with cash. The fingers are still crossed.

Who owns the red umbrella?

Travelers Insurance Website (http://www.travelerscanada.ca/index.aspx)

Project Sunblock Website (http://www.projectsunblock.com/protection-explained/)

I saw an ad for Project Sunblock on Facebook and wondered what it was about. Given the presence of the red umbrella I assumed that the ad was something to do with Travelers Insurance. (The domain "redumbrella.com" is owned by "The Travelers Indemnity Company". The site was registered in 2001, but is currently inactive.)

Project Sunblock is a website security venture that does not appear to have anything to do with Travelers. If I thought the red umbrella had something to do with Travelers, I'm sure that other people will as well. So, when will Travelers assert its ownership of the red umbrella image?

Samsung Product Recall Noitce

Samsung Product Recall (Source: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product-recall.aspx?path=b37cc91be5ae8d4057f19e4c00356f14en99)

Yes, that is right, this is a "Recall Noitce" from the Future Shop website. A product recall usually occurs because someone was not paying attention. And then the recall notice, or "Noitce", has a typo.

I love irony. Who should be more embarrassed? Future Shop or Samsung? I think there is enough embarrassment to go around, but if they run a bit short, Future Shop and Samsung will just have to share.

Is it "Agri-" or "Agro-"?

Sign seeking a Lease or Joint Venture partner, Kelowna

Signs are intended to convey information, and a sign like this would seem to be a search for a business partner. The problem with this sign is that the word should be "Agri-Tourism" not "Agro-Tourism".

While both "agri-" and "agro-" are prefixes used to denote agriculture, "agri-" seems to be in more common usage in Canada.

But, readers of the sign will probably know what the firm is intending and with any luck they will find a partner.

What does #1 mean?

Sunfm, Kelowna (Source: http://www.thesun.net/)

Sunfm is a radio station in Kelowna, BC. The station advertises itself as the "#1 Hit Music Station".

That is all well and good, but what does it mean? Is Sunfn the #1 station in ratings? Does Sunfn only play songs that have gone to #1? Or was Sunfn the #1, i.e. first, "Hit Music Station" in Kelowna.

Do other stations make similar claims? Yes indeed. Are any of the claims really independently verifiable? Probably, if anyone wants to make the effort.

I'll have to see how many other stations in Kelowna make similar claims.

Getting it right, eventually

Sign at the till at Shoppers Drug Mart, Kelowna

It is not uncommon for the debit/credit machines at retail stores to occasionally stop working. Networks go down, cables come loose, stuff happens.

But when it does, you need to be clear in the message that you are communicating to your customers. In this case the staff at Shoppers got it right, the second time.

Not perfect, but better than not getting it right at all. I just wonder how many people saw the original version of the sign and left the store without making their purchase.  

So, which is it?

BCSPCA Sign in Kelowna

I saw this sign while I was out for a bike ride last weekend. My question is, which is it? Is the adoption centre "coming soon" or is it "open daily"?

I'm confused, and I'm sure that other passers by are similarly perplexed.

Where to promote a pre-school?

Flier for Extra Steps Pre-School found on a bench at a playground

If there was a good place to promote a pre-school, the playground is pretty much perfect. I saw this flyer left on the bench at my local playground. Spot on targeting.

Cute packaging

Egg carton of Toba bicycle bells on the counter at Different Bikes, Vancouver

Toba is a line of bicycle accessories from Quebec. Designed in Canada and, according to the firm's website, sold at locations across the US and Canada.

This bell, Benedict, comes packaged in a little egg-shaped container. The part you see with the "Toba" name on it, is the metal bell. There is a similarly shaped white plastic piece on the bottom that covers the clamp that attaches the bell onto the handle bar.

A clever piece of industrial design and well matched to the packaging.

Am I being a snob? (Or just uninformed)

Sign in the window of Pacific Car Rentals, Vancouver

Really, is this a luxury sedan? Cadillac is not the first brand that springs to mind when I think of a luxury sedan. Maybe, Mercedes Benz, or BMW, or even Lexus. But not Cadillac.

Now, I admit, I'm not a car person, and I have no idea if Cadillac's quality has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years.  Perhaps the quality has improved, but I still think that this is a bit of stretch for most consumers.

Sorry CASH Only - Just today or forever?

Sign on the front door at The Log Barn, Kelowna

I saw this sign on the front of The Log Barn in Kelowna a few weeks ago. Does the store only accept cash? No, the store also accepts Interac, VISA and Mastercard. Then why the sign?

The credit/debit machine was out of action, but would be repaired by the next day. So, why wouldn't the store staff tell people that this was a temporary situation?

Some people just don't think, or think far enough ahead.

Just another example of the hundreds of tiny details that make the difference between good retail and confused customers and lost business.

Can you tell this side of the sign faces south?

Sign at the "Shasta mobile home park", Kelowna

Kelowna is sunny. It's a fact of life. As one of the hottest palces in Canada, and a summer destination, Kelowna is rightfully known as a sunny summer hotspot.

So it should be no surprise that signs don't fare all that well in the sun here. And above you'll find a prime example. So, it's sunny in Kelowna, what's the big deal?

So, as a potential customer should I just ignore the cracked background and the rust? Perhaps not.

Might they not be an indicator of a lack of maintenance in the rest of the establishment? Am I being a pedantic pain? The answer is probably yes all round.

Pick a font, any font

Sign at a closed fruitstand, Kelowna

Is is not a huge deal, but would it be so hard to pick a  font? The hand lettering on the word "Fruitstand" is not too bad. (Well, "Fruit" looks a bit compressed, and "stand" looks a bit spread out by comparison.)

But "CLOSED" just looks a mess. It would be nice if the fonts were the same, or even executed with similar precision.

And "CLOSED" when? Did I just miss you and you'll be open again in the morning, or are you closed for the season?

Just another of the million details that a retailer has to pay attention to.

Getting your point across (With subtle humour)

Driveway in Kelowna, British Columbia

Houses near a beach face a common problem. When the weather gets nice, they are overwhelmed with people parking on their street. How can the residents address the problem? Well, they can get heavy using the police and tow trucks, but I guess that dealing with wayward parking may be fairly far down on the list of proprieties for the authorities.

Sign hanging from the tree next to a driveway in Kelowna, British Columbia

Or they could do what this resident did and use a bit of subtle humour to dissuade people. Perhaps it only takes something like this to raise people's awareness about the problem. I hope it works for them.

We sell it, we just don't use it

Opus Art Supplies, Ellis Avenue, Kelowna, BC

Opus is an an art store. I first encountered the retailer in Vancouver, but have since found the Kelowna location as it is right across from the library.

Nothing exceptional about that, or so you might think.

Sign in the window at Opus Art Supplies, Kelowna, BC

You'd think if the store sold digital printing then the sign to alert potential customers about the service might be a digital print. Not at Opus; there it is a hand-lettered sign. Something is very wrong about that.

Get your drugs at Safeway

Sign in the window at the Safeway in downtown Kelowna

Downtown retailers in most cities face problems. Drugs are just one of them. In the case of this Safeway location, the risk of robbers seeking narcotics is sufficient that the drugs are kept in a time delay safe. So, by the time the drugs are out of the safe, the police have arrived.

Better safe than sorry, but it certainly is a recognition that the store knows its customers, or more to the point, knows the tastes of the local criminals.

Is this an advertisement for a brand?

Transit ad for "Try Life On A Bike"

A few years ago I saw this advertisement and had no idea who was responsible. Was this campaign paid for by a brand, a retailer, a motorcycle club, or an industry association? If the consumer has any interest in "bikes" what should they do?

It turns out that this advertisement is part of a campaign by the MMIC, Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council. Might be helpful if they mentioned that somewhere.