As we chase customers, we are starting to chase our tails.

Not smarter than the average pup or kitten that wants to catch up to a non-achievable experience. We want leads. We want form fills. And to be fair, unlike our animal brethren we think we know what we would do if we catch one.

However, it’s precisely the behavior that occurs when we land a lead that keeps pushing our customers further and further away. We follow with an instant e-mail which more than likely doesn’t answer the questions the consumer asked. It does, admittedly, stop the clock.

Then we follow with another e-mail from a BDC rep that’s a 50-50 jump ball on whether or not we answer the consumer's actual question. And then we just want to get the customer in. Don’t worry about the price—"We never lose a deal to price.”—or so the story goes.

In most cases, the consumer is accustomed to hitting submit and having Uber arrive 5 minutes later, or having Door Dash drop food off an hour later. Push the submit button on Amazon and the transaction is finalized with a clean receipt and an estimated time of arrival. Hit another app and you have your Fantasy Football score with a live feed of the game.

Is it any wonder consumers struggle with our clunky configurations of pricing, trade valuations, service schedulers, model types, and accessory additions?

The digital retailing technology is there, we just have to stop chasing our tails.