Please, sweat the small stuff!

I suppose it’s natural that we wistfully look back to the way things were and decry the current state of affairs, whatever the topic. A repeated target of my wrath is incompetence and the acceptance of sloppy work.

During a break at work today I clicked on a link in an email promotion I received from MSC Cruises. I’ve sailed with Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Seabourn, but never MSC. I’ve wondered about them and have read enough to pique my interest, but have taken it no further.

Today’s offering was for a last-minute (February 2012) sailing: a balcony cabin for a week on the Poesia sailing the Caribbean from Port Everglades. The $860 price was attractive, so I clicked through the web site to learn more.

Here are some things I noticed:

• After choosing a cabin category I saw this line: To reserve your stateroom selection, please click on the price, then click "Go to Step 3". Except there is no such link. My only choice is to click on the link “Go to Step 4.” I wonder what I might have been able to do at step 3?
• To set up an online account – required to book a reservation – I have to select a language; the field is marked mandatory. The choices? “English USA.” Make that “choice;” there are no others. Sort of like a Soviet era election I guess.
• I’m also asked to choose a security question, in case I forget my password. The one I like best? “Where did you born?”
• Finally, when I’ve decided to help them clean this stuff up by sending them a comment I have to choose my “State.” This time there are three choices: Canada, Puerto Rico and USA. Some in Puerto Rico will be glad to hear of this change. I doubt the Canadians will be amused.

OK, so they’re a foreign company doing business in the US and around the world. They likely think and speak in Italian; I get that. But come on, how hard is it to hire a translator with two good eyes and a brain? Or even one good eye and half a brain?

MSC wants me to sail the oceans with them but they can’t even manage a simple web site? Details matter, whether it’s on the keyboard or on the bridge.

I look forward to their response.