When I was a kid, I still remember on weekends doing errands with my Dad. We would stop in at different stores and talk to people. The owners, the people behind the counter, waiters/waitresses. The service structure at the time promoted –actually demanded – this connection.
Today in the Wall Street Journal there is a great article about Restaurants and Automation.
New companies like Eatsa are replacing labor with touch screens just as gas stations moved on from attendants.
But before you scream about the drive toward “cost savings” you should know, as my own research shows as well the article points out, that many people PREFER to use an auto attendant
I have absolutely nothing against auto attendants but please don’t lecture me about income inequality or certain generations lacking basic social skills (i.e. trying to talk to you while staring at their smart phone) when we are choosing to move away from the human touch.
I like efficiency as much as the next guy, but wouldn’t it be prudent to consider “what we lose” as much as “what we get” when we move to these processes.
Dealing with humans may seem cumbersome but on a basic connection level I believe it has tremendous value. Sure it’s not as simple as “swipe left, swipe right” but I posit that it’s a whole lot better.
After all, what does it say about the future of the human race if we, say, decide we don’t want to deal with humans?