If I ask you if you have a guestbook, what do you think about? Do you think about a guestbook function on a Web site? Or do you think of a paper book in your home or business where people write an entry when they visit you in person? In asking this question, I am asking about the latter, but of course thinking about both.

In our home, my lovely wife and I have a guestbook. The cover actually reads “gaestebog” which is Danish for guestbook, as it was given to us by family in Denmark. When we visited them a few years ago, they asked us to sign their guestbook, and we commented that we should have one of our own. A few minutes later, they gave us the one we have, and pictured in this post, as they had an extra one. Now in active use for the last few years, it serves as a great souvenir of friends and family who come by to visit, for dinner or overnight.

It is interesting the reaction we get when we ask people to sign the guestbook. Most are surprised we have one, and usually in a good way. The most interesting reaction is when they turn to a blank page, with pen in hand, and ponder for a moment what they will write. In this day of tweeting and informal writing, it is nice to have something tangible and more formal.

In the early days of the Web, many Web sites had guestbooks. These were a Web page which functioned like the paper, offline guestbook, where people could fill out a form and see their post listed with everybody else who did the same. Over time, these pages went away for reasons that probably include everything from the sophistication of the Web, to people not filling out entries. Today it is not as much about people simply dropping by your Web site as much as the detailed analytics of their visit, and there are other ways to engage visitors by using site membership, eCommerce and blog comments.

Or are guestbooks online still relevant today? I welcome your thoughts on this. I have to admit I am not compelled to add one to The Hot Iron or Dunkirk Systems’ Web site. You are more than welcome to comment to this here, or simply say, “hi.”

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To end the week on a lighter note, I thought I’d share a couple of register receipts I recently received. In general, I think these receipts are getting a bit ridiculous in their length and never-ending offers for surveys. However these 2 were truly unique.

The first one is one of those “checkout coupons” you get along with your receipts, and this came from Walgreens.

This receipt reads, “Free AARP Membership, Congratulations and thank you for purchasing over $10 worth of Walgreens brand products.”

First off, I don’t think I need to be congratulated on purchasing Walgreens private label products. As they don't offer as many as CVS does, maybe seeking them out is something unusual? I wouldn’t think of photo reprints as a branded product, but maybe I am splitting hairs. But I am not splitting anything over the offer – free AARP membership! As they don’t specifically know how old I am – they have no loyalty card and I paid cash – what’s up with this? I like how they suggest if I am not 50 to give it to someone else – good try, but not good enough. Ok, so I only have 9 years to go, but I am in no hurry to join that club.

This one is a gem. With the exception of Trader Joe’s, most grocery store checkout clerks are grumpy. Despite this, their name usually appears on the register receipt. Am I going to ask for them upon my next visit, or say ‘have a nice day’ and use their name when they never give me eye contact? Well, I will do the latter just to tick them off. But someone either decided to be funny at Jewel-Osco or confused their name for their nationality.

This receipt reads, “Hello, I’m British”

To the Queen! Have a great weekend.

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A few months back when the Chicago Bulls announced they hired Vinny Del Negro as their new head coach, many people in Chicago said, “who?” I was not one of them. As someone who grew up in the Springfield, Massachusetts area in the 80’s, it was hard not to hear about his stellar school-boy record and play at NC State under legendary coach Jim Valvano. He then went onto play in the NBA as well in Italy.

The Bulls is Del Negro’s first coaching gig, as his previous non-playing experience in the NBA has been in the front office. Many people panned the team for picking such a green candidate, not to mention one at a young age of 42. What most people don’t realize is that he is not the first person from western Massachusetts who came to Chicago to make a name for themselves. A 21-year old native of Conway, Massachusetts, a few miles from Springfield, came to Chicago in 1856 to try to make it in the business world. His name was Marshall Field. Word is he did pretty well here.

Four years ago I arrived here in Chicago and started Dunkirk Systems, LLC, after several years in Boston after my start in western Massachusetts. Where I don’t have a monumental building on State Street or an NBA coach’s income, I can't complain that business has been great!

Welcome to Chicago Vinny, and good luck! Well, except when the Bulls are playing my Celtics.

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