My son’s wardrobe of choice includes shorts, t-shirts and the latest kicks he can afford from Nike. Shoes from Nike, Air Jordan and all, have not lost their status from generation to generation. If anything, the appeal may be higher now than ever. But don’t quote me on that. My wife ordered a Nike gift card for his birthday, from the Nike website. Easy to do. Simple offer, fill out the form and you’re done. We’ll, not quite. The next day, when the home phone rang I was incredulous when I heard who was calling.
Me: Who’s Calling
Rep: It’s (name) from Nike
Me: Really, from Nike?
Rep: Yes.
Me: Ok.
Rep: Did you order a gift card online?
Me: Yes.
Rep: We just want to confirm that you ordered the gift card. It was you and this is your address?
Me: Yes, that’s correct. Are you a service for Nike?
Rep: No, I work for Nike.
Me: Wow, you really call everyone who orders a gift card?
Rep: Yes, there’s so much fraud that goes on, we check all orders.
Me: You call every person?
Rep: Yes we check them all.
Me: I’ve never had a call from Nike before.
Rep: Now you have and you’re approved. Enjoy the card.
Me: Thanks.
Getting a call from a major brand like Nike is like getting a call from Google or Apple. It just doesn’t happen. I believe fraud is a problem, but can’t believe they call to confirm every transaction. Very diligent. While she was on the phone, I should have asked what’s on the horizon for the next version of Air Jordan.