Paranoid? Or really creepy?

I am all about customer service. I like being treated well. I try to treat customers the way I would want to be treated.

I like that the people at the Dunkin' Donuts know that I want a large iced coffee with skim and Splenda.

I like it when I get discounts at Old Navy and Target for using my credit card.

But faux-friendly marketing creeps me out. Like when the checkers at the grocery store read my receipt and call me by name (Generally pronouncing it incorrectly. BTW, I am NOT Mrs. Basic - I am actually quite complex).

This ad was in the middle of my Real Simple Magazine. It calls me by name (first name, very familiar) and points out a store near my house that carries this coffee machine (which does look cool - and yet - not the point!)

I guess the idea was that it got my attention. But it is, "Who are you and why do you know where I would shop?" kind of attention. Paranoid attention. Not good attention.

Now I would be a little frightened to go to Macy's. Like they are waiting for me and would immediately point me in the direction of the upscale coffee machines. "Ah, I see you got our note...right this way..."

Ick. Creepy.

I know enough about technology to see that this was easy for them to pull off. My name in the subscription file - a quick zip code look-up. Fairly un-scary technology. And yet - just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

I don't even shop at Macy's. Like - ever.

Now, if Target wants to send me a personalized note in a magazine, that would be cool. We are tight.