More And More Businesses Have Minimal Human Contact

[Al Bundy]

2 hours ago, SheffieldForum said:

Table service in pubs is long overdue.

 

Theres quite a few in Sheffield starting to do it now.

It's something I've never really thought about but it does seem a good idea. 

[ECCOnoob]

14 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

 

But that was not the end of the purgatory, for the first time ever we were forced to use an automated luggage check in. An even higher proportion of passengers were having problems with that, including some regular QANTAS fliers. 

The whole thing took far longer than it should have done and was FAR more stressful.

Its so coincidental that you just happened to have chaos and technical problems. 

 

I've flown lots of times using self-check in and never had any of the stresses that you describe.  In fact on my last trip through Heathrow I got from the start of departures to the security point within about 5 minutes.  I checked in online the night before in my hotel room, I got the boarding pass emailed straight to my phone, when I arrived at the terminal I went straight to  the bag drop which was no more difficult than using a parking metre and then off it went. 

 

You really must be an unfortunate magnet to this type of fault and difficulty stuff.

[Anna B]

15 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

I'm not there to 'socialise' with the staff. They are there to do a job. They're not counsellors or surrogate friends.

 

We will continue to socialise with our own support groups, families and friendships as we always have done. Tech has not stopped that, just changed how we do it.  

 

You are also overlooking that, unlike the black and white days, in this modern  world, my entire support network is available to me at the press of a button from a shiny device in my pocket.  In an instant I can communicate with someone or a group of people verbally, visually, or by written word. I can see at the glance what my friends and acquaintances are doing. I can see their profiles and pictures and comments and thoughts whatever they choose to broadcast either privately or publicly.  I'm merely a click away from a call, video chat, messenger or even group invite to to meet with them.  It's all there whenever and most importantly wherever I need it.  

 

Having Susie on the till rather than some self scan system is hardly going to dramatically change that. One could even argue that this evolution into automating and expediting the the mundane chores, life admin, household goods purchasing and quicker service gives more freedom and time to engage in that so vital socialising.

 

I hear lots of arguement that the world of automation and technology increases mental health issues but would say it can equally be argued its brought us much closer together,

 

Another issue frequently overlooked is that mental health issues have always been there.  Stress and anxiety and depression are not some new concept. The only difference these days is that finally people are prepared to be more open and honest about it. People are increasingly prepared to talk about it instead of feeling compelled to maintain some mythical British stowism or fear ridicule or backlash from others who'd dismiss it as a weakness. 

 

Is there a dramatic increase in mental health issues or is the reality an increase in awareness and openness about it.  

 

Regardless, I think it's too tenuous link to be arguing replacing counter staff with touch screens is a major catalyst.  

It's the casual interaction that is valuable, nobody is asking you to socialise with them particularly or share your life story. it's just the polite acknowledgement that they are there and performing a service for you.

 

Any number Please and thankyou, a passing of the time of day, the odd comment or two helps oil the wheels of human discourse and makes life pleasanter for all. Any number od daily brief encounters; in the shops, on the bus, in the street, etc help us feel we belong to the human race and all the better for it.

 

The lost and the isolated who lack this simple everyday communication know it's very possible to die of loneliness . 

 

[ECCOnoob]

24 minutes ago, Anna B said:

It's the casual interaction that is valuable, nobody is asking you to socialise with them particularly or share your life story. it's just the polite acknowledgement that they are there and performing a service for you.

 

Any number Please and thankyou, a passing of the time of day, the odd comment or two helps oil the wheels of human discourse and makes life pleasanter for all. Any number od daily brief encounters; in the shops, on the bus, in the street, etc help us feel we belong to the human race and all the better for it.

 

The lost and the isolated who lack this simple everyday communication know it's very possible to die of loneliness . 

 

You make it sound as if there's no other human being on the planet who I will interact with during my day.

 

I have my own social network of people to talk to. I don't need shop staff for it.  See what I have said above.  People these days have there entire communications and support network be it verbal, written, visual all in their pocket.  We have never had more engaged society.

[Irene Swaine]

On 16/03/2024 at 15:31, Chekhov said:

We went into Taco Bell up at Hoyland today and I must say I was shocked. 

Gone is the counter where you dealt with a real human being and the staff were behind them making all the meals. Now there is just a full height wall with two screens built into it.

It used to be that as you ate at the tables you could see the staff behind glass screens (and, of course, they could see all the customers) but now that screen has been painted over.

I hated it, it's even worse than McDonalds, and that is bad enough.

Interestingly we were talking to one of the staff and he said he did not like it either.

 

Who is pushing all of this and why ?

Do they not realise that humans are social animals (most of them anyway.....) ?

 

And does anyone  actually like it ?

 

We are already in a dystopian world......

It's part of the New World Order. They want to divide & conquer us. It's awful. How any business could think this improves the customer service experience, I will never know. Alas, they must not care as they are being paid to instill this by the WEF. 

 

 

[pfifes]

You know what?  Maybe, just maybe there’s a happy medium in this i.e. some automation=good but total automation=bad and no automation =bad. 
 

If I’m buying a few bits in the supermarket I’d usually rather self serve because it’s quicker that getting stuck behind Mr or Mrs ‘this cashier is ALL MINE and want this transaction to take as long as possible’.   You know the type.  Maybe they are lonely or something but I still don’t want to be stuck behind them.
 

If I’ve got a big trolley load I usually go to a staffed till because it’s quicker and easier and frankly I don’t feel like an unpaid checkout operator.

 

I think the most successful businesses will be those that take this balanced approach.  One thing is for sure we are not going to be going backwards on this to the old days.

[Chekhov]

20 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

No. All it proves is exactly what I said in my earlier posts. If people want personal hands on  service, it's still available - they just need to be prepared to pay for it.

Those business class passengers will be paying thousands of pounds more for their tickets than your lot in economy so expect something in return.  

There is obviously a breakdown ion communication here, I thought you were arguing that some people preferred dealing with a machine than a human, happy to see you do not actually think that.

[Chekhov]

20 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

You still haven't explain why the minimal human interaction Amazon is so popular and absolutely decimating the in-person bricks and mortar retail.  Like I said, where are all these 'normal people' you claim are so desperate for human service. Why are they not shopping in store anymore?

That's completely different. That's about the convenience of not having to go out to a shop for stuff that one does not have to see before one buys it, I would never, for instance, buy a carpet Online.

It is also that Online one obviously has a far greater choice.

It is not that people use online shopping because they would rather not deal with a human being. In fact, if one has to contact these online retailers most people would FAR rather get straight through to a real human being on the phone.

[Chekhov]

20 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

Its so coincidental that you just happened to have chaos and technical problems. 

 

I've flown lots of times using self-check in and never had any of the stresses that you describe.  In fact on my last trip through Heathrow I got from the start of departures to the security point within about 5 minutes.  I checked in online the night before in my hotel room, I got the boarding pass emailed straight to my phone, when I arrived at the terminal I went straight to  the bag drop which was no more difficult than using a parking metre and then off it went. 

 

You really must be an unfortunate magnet to this type of fault and difficulty stuff.

I was not just me who was having problems with the awful QANTAS check ins at Sydney airport (the worst I have ever experienced anywhere in the world), did you not read my post ? Even the guy in front of us in the queue for the luggage self check in was having issues, and he'd used them a few times before (and he still hated them).

[El Cid]

11 hours ago, pfifes said:

You know what?  Maybe, just maybe there’s a happy medium in this i.e. some automation=good but total automation=bad and no automation =bad. 
 

And should it be the role of Government to tell bussinesses what to do?

If people dont like cashless transactions, they will take their bussiness elese where. But most people are not luddites.