A few weeks ago I stopped by a newish franchise in our town, del Taco. The food looked interesting, and the dining room was shiny clean. It was a little past the dinner hour so the place was kind of empty. I chose a table near the center of the room and settled down. A news show was ending on the big flat-screen TV facing the dining room, and one of those familiar, angry-toned talk shows was beginning. I felt the tension in the air, the very thing the talk show was going for, and I could see that the pleasure of trying a new food joint was evaporating. Thanks, angry American television.

When I got home, I checked out the corporate website. At the Contact page they invited feedback, so I sent them a note about the TV spoiling the experience. The web page indicated that I would hear back in 48 hours, but I never did. Today I visited the site again and asked about their silence. We'll see if they reply. We'll see if I go back. Besides, the TV is probably still blaring there.

On the other hand, I recently gave some feedback to a small business owner whose tech product I use nearly every day, and when I visited his website today I could see that my suggestion had been given some real thought. I felt respected even though I am not an expert in the field, and my allegiance to the product grows and grows, both because of the interesting product and because of the way users are treated. It produces a great feeling, sets a fine example, and makes life a little better.