🍀 Would you pre-order?

ON THIS EPISODE OF GO-TO-MILLIONS

As mentioned, I bought a rug this morning. At 9:45am. I was on facetime with my sister telling her that I needed a rug. 

Needed is a stretch but you know me when I hyper-fixate. 

Anyways, I sent her the rug I was eyeing but told her I couldn’t get it because it wouldn’t deliver until August 19th. Who knows who I’ll be by then??? 

To me, that’s a pre-order. 2 months to deliver is brutal. 

But what happened next. And, why it might demonstrate the future of shopping. My future of shopping anyways. 

EXPERT ADVICE

My sister was receptive to the rug idea. I wanted a white (or cream) rug with scalloped edges. As we facetimed, I showed her the room in my apartment I planned to put it in. She’s been here before so that helped but buying a rug is serious so I insisted on a full tour (she lives in New York and I live in Miami). Thankful for technology.

Speaking of technology, the rug I wanted wouldn’t deliver quickly and so we decided I needed to find an alt. 

She suggested I reverse Google image it. I tried, but I had a settings issue on my phone and had to allow access and that was frustrating and so I went to ChatGPT and uploaded the rug image. Easy. No friction. Returned FUGLY FUCKING RESULTS. But, quickly at least LOL. 

THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

Even though I showed her the room, it’s really hard to spatially understand what size rug I needed. For me at least.

At this point I don’t know what rug I want and I don’t know the size.

Perfect!!!! 

So, she got out her measuring tape at her apartment in NY and measured her bed (same size bed as the room has) to ground us. 

It got us far. That was very old-fashioned of her, having a measuring tape on hand. I was impressed. I do not own anything of the sort.

But, we were still lost. Because I didn’t have the room dimensions on hand for the room itself. Daniel (my husband) was asleep and he always has these things so I did what any shopaholic would do.

I Googled my apartment building and found the floor plan online. Took 2 minutes. Was feeling great. However, what to do with it?? 

THE NEW AGE

The floor plan needed to hit ChatGPT. And, luckily for me, the builder’s rendering of the floor plan had a rug in it. Easy to anchor. 

Well, easy for chatty. 

The rug in the picture was deemed as 6′ x 9′.

Incredibly helpful. But, chatty was just getting started!!!!! 

We then asked it to “generate an image with the same floor plan but a 5 x 8 inch rug.”

So that I could see the 2 options side by side.

LOOK WHAT IT RETURNED!!!!! 

A perfect mock of 5′ x 8′ with a SCALLOPED RUG. I didn’t even prompt for that.

It just knew because of the rug I was chasing earlier in the convo. (Also it knew I was in fact asking for 5×8 FOOT rug…ahem) LOL

This mockup was all I needed to be sold on the original rug I was chasing.

Because 2 things had happened.

1. ChatGPT showed me what else is available on the internet and oh my was it awful. Affirming that the original rug I wanted was worth waiting until August 19th.

2. ChatGPT showed me the size rug I needed. Much more powerful than my sister’s measuring tape from afar. Respectfully. 

APPLE PAY 

While still on facetime, the rug was about to be purchased. I was still sharing my screen and just wanted to note that my sister finds it insane that I didn’t Apple Pay as I bought it.

I have a deep confession – I never Apple Pay for anything I buy online. Is that insane? It’s set up but I like to take my time as I checkout (and see the experience sure but honestly it’s check out nerves on my side and I never like to rush through).

Do you Apple Pay? Always? Never? Feels so off brand that I don’t but I wanted you to know. 

I do Shop Pay every time. So I think I’m potentially a walking contradiction (this store wasn’t on Shopify). 

AUGUST 19TH 

Lastly, as I checked out I screenshotted the promised deliver date window – August 15th – August 19th. Because in my past experience, I’ve seen brands change those windows post-purchase. It’s not right – but I’ve seen brands pretend like it was a different date range all along to get out of hitting their promised range.

I screenshotted my proof just in case I have to fight later. 

Do you do the same? Screenshot the PDP or checkout as pre-purchase proof? 

And, that’s it. 

The rug is coming in two months. I’m 100% confident in the size of it and I’m 100% confident that there’s not a comp on the internet that I will like that will come sooner. 

So, we wait patiently and try to get Daniel on board and maybe even demand he shows some rug excitement. I want some pep in his step.

Does he not notice the perfect scallop detail? The gorgeous cream shade?????