The curtain opens to Act 1:
Customer checking out @Annie’s Goat Hill…typing in credit card number…shipping address…customer name…phone numb….er…ack! Wait a minute!Customer freaks out! “I am not going to give that company my phone number!”
Why would we want your phone number?
If we experience problems with your order, we attempt to contact you via the email address provided upon checkout. But, as life isn’t always so perfect, there have been occasions where 1) a customer’s email address was invalid, 2) the customer never received the email from Annie’s Goat Hill.
Act 2:
Customer becomes very upset as day after day passes with no fragrant package arriving at their doorstep.
For this reason, a customer phone number will be mandatory upon checkout at Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrated Soaps.
We would be breaking the law if we subjected you to unsolicted email, or phone calls. We are not going to do that. We want to keep life as simple as possible.
We want you to:
Smell the goodness, feel the goodness (of our products).
Period.
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
Oh my! I know most companies require a phone number in case something happens to our package, etc.
~*~Amy~*~
Amy, I agree with you. Over the past several years people have expressed that they do not want to give their phone number (to any retail establishment) for fear that they will start receiving sales calls. We do not sell contact information to anyone, nor do we make sales calls. I have had a few people not want to give an email address, but have no objection to leaving a phone number. It isn’t good business for any of us to not supply contact information.
Mary, I understand but that is part of business though.
Amy
Hi Mary,
You can’t please everyone and in this age of technology sometimes run amok, hackers getting into government and corporation data bases, and so many people questioning whether we have privacy amid security concerns, it is tough to break through with common sense policies. But your policy for contact information does make sense. It is for your customers’ benefit to be able to reach them if there are issues with their orders.
Keep the faith and keep up the good work!
What benefits the customers, benefits us, and only makes business sense.
Some consumers really are scared. Many of them (and me) have been burned. But, if we want to shop, and shop-well (obtaining the items that are not at the local store), we have to jump in and use technology.
I understand both sides of this. But I think it is definitely necessary for you to be able to contact the customer to let them know there is a problem with the order. How nice it would be to have a friendly voice let you know that your order will be a few days late.