Comments for Nudge blog

Comment on Assorted links by AdrianB

AdrianB — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:33:56 +0000

here in Providence, the city recently enforced a rule that your trash would not be picked up unless you put out recycling bins. Perhaps it’s a negative-feeling nudge, but it sure is effective in a positive way!

Comment on Richard Thaler on a public option and health care by Jerry Phelps

Jerry Phelps — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:05:29 +0000

Thaler conveniently left out the issue of profit – a public option will not have to make a profit, thus will save money. Also, overnight mail is a specialty service. I use the post office all the time to send mail and packages. The post office doesn’t just cherry pick the services it provides, it is a full service organization. Similar to what a public medical system will provide. It wont’ cherry pick the patients it serves and the coverage it provides, it will provide coverage to anyone. Also, left out of the article was the issue that the VA medical system has the highest customer satisfaction of any healthcare system. Then there is police, fire, ambulance, sanitation, etc… all running more efficiently than any privatized system. I find it amusing that a behavioral economist would want to limit choice to for-profit only healthcare, while ignoring the VA Medical system. Obviously Thaler is blinded by his own conservative ideology.

Comment on A bleg for natural disaster nudges by Shai Idelson

Shai Idelson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:12:55 +0000

It’s an interesting problem indeed. How do you get people to spend resources now on preventing something that MAY happen to them in the future.

One way is to try and remove the probability aspect – find a way to reduce the dependency on probability judgments from the perception of risk. Another way is to introduce another factor. If you can communicate to people the emotional benefits of knowing that their families are safe, that would go along way. Communicate the desired end state and show how easy it is to get there. If there is a certain financial incentive (like in the case of wind mitigation for Florida residents) for preparation then that’s even better.

The other thing to think about is ways to reduce the perceived cost of preparation. Perhaps giving people “preparation to do lists” and letting them set target dates for items would be a good idea.

Then if you can do it, show people how others similar to them have prepared and what results they have achieved from it. My thinking is that one video of a happy prepared family can be even more valuable (and easier to obtain) than statistics and numbers like “50% of the homes in your areas are protected”

Good luck…

Comment on Tipping follow-up: Oprah’s new advice by bryservedio

bryservedio — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:34:52 +0000

I write 15%, 18%, and 20% on every bill I give to customers. Most customers thank me. They say, “I had no idea that 20% was this much!” And they leave me the proper tip. Try it!

Comment on Tipping follow-up: Oprah’s new advice by bryservedio

bryservedio — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:27:41 +0000

I’ve been a server since I was 16. I started in Pennsylvania where $1.00 tip per person was acceptable. I remember working for 12 hours straight – no break, because servers don’t receive breaks – and I would leave the restaurant with $100. Today, 15% tip is very old-school. Most of my customers leave at least 20%, which is more customary, especially in New York City. If a customer leaves less than 15% a server will sometimes say something to the customer. “Excuse me, but was everything satisfactory with the service?” The person will then respond, “Yes, everything was excellent.” And the server says, “Well you’ve left only 8% tip – I’m not sure if you are aware that I pay taxes based on my sales, not based on what tip I receive. Your bill for dinner for two was $200, sir. $16 will not cover the taxes I must pay for your food.” At that moment, the customer normally apologizes greatly and will leave the proper tip, 20%.

20% is not for exceptional service in these days, when we all know a gallon of milk is $5.00. 20% means you were taken care of properly, perhaps not treated like a queen, but if you had a problem, it was taken care of quickly, the server was friendly, and your likelihood to return is high. 15% means that you can spend $80-$100 on dinner, but are too cheap/too lazy to tip the proper amount.

PS: Restaurants in NYC force waiters to oblige to a HIGH tip-out scale. In my restaurant, I tip out 33% of my tips. In other restaurants, waiters tip out 7% of their total sales. Some restaurants make waiters tip out 50% of their tips!!! Regardless of how we tip out, the government taxes us 22% on our sales – I often times receive a weekly paycheck of VOID due to this fact.

Comment on Musical stairs by Flavio Musa F Guimaraes

Flavio Musa F Guimaraes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:08:20 +0000

I do agree with Abby!
As soon as it’ll be no novelty, more than old stuff people will be bored and annoyied with the cacophony of sounds…

Please tell me what are (or will be) the real results after six months.

Cordially,

Flavio

Comment on Social media meets the traffic report by Bad idea

Bad idea — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:25:57 +0000

It would be great if they could report on the accident they just caused because they were trying to complain about traffic.

Comment on Assorted links by holmegm

holmegm — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:43:05 +0000

The dialtone thing could actually be useful … do I have a signal? Is the phone going to start dialing when I have pressed enough numbers, or do I still have to press Send (some phones I have used in the past could be in either mode at any given time, depending on whether I had already pressed Send)?

The dialtone could be a useful shorthand signal.

Comment on How the Febreze marketing campaign reduced disease in Ghana by Dodie

Dodie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:30:02 +0000

I agree with Anonymous. Febreze makes me disoriented and makes me have seizures. Just because it doesn’t do that to everyone is no indication that it isn’t bad for people. Some people may be getting sick from it and not even know it.