Have you noticed lately that more and more, "customer service" means "serve yourself"?Everywhere you look these days, you're asked to belly up to a kiosk of some kind and punch in or scan bar codes or enter a security code or ::shudder:: swipe a credit card to identify yourself so you can do business.
It started with banks. . . then came the gasoline pumps. . . then came airlines and e-tickets. . . and now places like Home Depot and Starbucks and the blessed LIBRARY! Where are all the people who used to help people? I like getting a smile with my latte! And I like handing my card to a clerk and chit-chatting while it processes. Heck it may be the only non-family interaction I get in a day! I'm a writer by trade, which ranks not far from "hermit" on the human interaction scale! When I go out, I need me some PEOPLE!
And you know what? It's only going to get worse. Fast food places are moving to phase out the folks at the counter who ask "you want fries with that?" In some places, they've introduced screens with pictures that you punch to place your order and out comes a bag or tray at the end. Libraries are going with automated self check-out. . . those librarians don't come free, you know. More and more grocery stores are going to self check-out for their Express Lanes. And try traveling anywhere without having to swipe and punch in. . . unless you're interested in standing in a record-length line to actually see a person.
Why are they doing this? Because for business "customer service" is one big headache. And costs money. And they figure that people will complain less if they do it themselves. And they're right. A big part of this growing industry is devoted to "training customers" to use the machines. It's a slippery slope, folks. Once you're trained, you can't go back. Take a lesson from the record of gas stations. How long has it been since you saw and employee pumping gas for someone? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Remember the days when you used to get a few pennies discount for pumping your own gas? You'd drive away with hands smelling of gasoline, but at least you had the satisfaction of knowing you'd saved money doing it yourself. Now if you want or need help at the pump ("full service" if you can find it) you have to pay EXTRA for it.
Giant Food Stores in Pennsylvania are now going self-check-out in a big way, even designing their new stores around "mobile scanners" that customers carry with them to tally as they go! I can't tell you now much I DON'T want to do this. First they take away the baggers and carry-out boys, then they take away the cashiers! Thank Heaven for Publix, here in the southland. Full service supermarkets. sigh.
And the automation industry says that even with the occasional glitch, it still saves companies money hand over fist. And the bottom line rules. Customer service is on the way out. . . even if it's just collecting money. They say it's faster, more confidential, and makes it possible for the store personnel to do other things. You also have fewer humans to blame. . . since you are your own check-out person.Okay, I confess, the E-tickets make sense and have reduced lines at the airport. I use them all the time. And the automated gas pumps. And the ATMs at my bank. And now when I go to Home Depot, I usually use the self-check-out. I just never realized I was being "trained for a Brave New World.
And some things can't be automated. Despite the shrinking number of clerks in department stores, I can't imagine walking up to a kiosk and asking "Do these jeans make my butt look too big?" Or, "Do you think this will shrink much in the dryer?" Or "Is this navy or black?"
What about you? Any experiences with the shrinking world of customer service? What "kiosks" do you normally use? Do you like the trend, or does it make you feel lonely out there?
