Data mining throws up surprising results sometimes hears our sister publication, Computer Business Review- never more so than when a large US telephone company recently used the technology to select its 50 best residential customers for a treat. This particular company’s corporate customers are regularly feted with residential golf tournaments at exclusive resorts such as Hilton Head in South Carolina. But for once, decided the CEO, the little people – residential customers – would be rewarded for their loyal custom. The computer was turned on, names and addresses spewed forth, invitations were about to be sent out – when someone started wondering exactly who were these individuals typically spending $5,000 a month on phone bills? A few discreet enquiries, and the assorted drug dealers and gangsters who turned out to be the company’s best customers, owing to their long and frequent international conversations, are still blissfully unaware of how near they came to a free weekend on the greens.
