$#@%* e-commerce age

Instead of focusing on the splash of new applications and front ends designed for maximum marketing, perhaps carriers and content providers should focus on the more mundane things - like delivery.

Wandering around the floor at last month's Wireless 2000 trade show in New Orleans, I suddenly felt completely out of touch.

Yes, I had my digital handset with me (which rarely worked due to volume overload on localwireless networks) and even toted a portable MP3 player, which I thought would make me the envy of the wireless nerd crowd. But alas, it turns out that what was on display in the sprawling Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was light years ahead of anything I could pull from my bag.

Want to order a book from Amazon.com while commuting to work? Or find the nearest pizza place while in a city you've never visited? Want to listen to the latest MP3 output of your favorite band through your handset while traveling - and then order the CD? Or better yet, locate the closest ATM owned by your bank when you're out of town? No problem, said the hawkers and gawkers. Forget about browsing the Web, we'll bring you what you want, when you want it and where you want it, they screamed.

The wireless Web was everywhere, and it's been transformed to suit the high-demand, high-mobility, instant gratification society.

The only problem with the scenario spun by nearly every vendor on the show floor was its lack of basis in reality. As parents driving on long-distance trips say to the kids a dozen times, we're not there yet.

How can I be aware of that point when all the engineers who have spent thousands of hours perfecting their systems seem to miss it? Two recent experiences proved that no matter how flashy the front-end systems get, some e-commerce companies need to work on that boring back end before reaching mass appeal.

The first was a botched flower order that I can willingly forgive, considering the order was placed just a few days before Valentine's Day, and I had been warned ahead of time by the Web site that delivery would be difficult. I also can forgive the blunder because it resulted in two orders being delivered without any prompting on my end, making me look like a great giver.

The second e-commerce gaff was less forgivable. Looking for a new wireless service, I initially was attracted to the Sprint PCS Web site, which touted an offer of $50 off the first two months of service. Two attempts to order wireless service via the site only brought the response that the order could not be completed and that I should call telesales to complete the process. The telesales group, of course, had no idea about the $50 off promotion and suggested I try the Web the following day. I did, but I received the same electronic response.

Furthermore, as a result of the attempted Web order, I was sent four separate letters from Sprint PCS essentially telling me I was unworthy to receive its service. Eventually, I walked two blocks to a RadioShack, where a knowledgeable sales rep set me up in 20 minutes.

That experience makes me skeptical of the new wireless applications, many of which I have a hard time seeing the usefulness of.

To be sure, I've had many pleasant e-commerce experiences and certainly won't give up because of the two most recent events. Instead of focusing on the splash of new applications and front ends designed for maximum marketing, perhaps carriers and content providers should focus on the more mundane things - like delivery.