More And More Businesses Have Minimal Human Contact

[The_DADDY]

9 minutes ago, Delayed said:

There's a difference between pushing and adapting 

Potato potarto 👍

The end result is the same. Profits go up as does unemployment. 

[ECCOnoob]

Just now, The_DADDY said:

Erm, but there is an agenda. 

Profit. 

What the hell do you think a business does? 

It's not a community service of course it's about profit. 

 

But you are missing a fundamental point. Its us consumers that drives what the business does. We are now well and truly in the digital world where we expect everything to be open and available whenever we need... We expect instant service at the click of an app or tap of a screen... We expect quick turn around and quick delivery...

 

Just look at things like Amazon where you can basically or have anything you want and  delivered the the next day or sometimes even hours later on the same day at next to nothing prices.

 

It's the same with fast food or supermarkets. We expect them to be available 24/7, we expect the instant supply and quick service. But we also demand them to keep to rock bottom prices which of course require very efficient operations from minimal staffing levels and minimal overheads.  

 

That doesn't happen when Doris is standing behind  the counter chatting away to some customer for 10 minutes while slowly scanning  their purchases and delivering the local gossip.  

 

That doesn't happen if Mr. Amazon's warehouse was rumbaway of Hamilton order forms, dispatch notices type by Brenda in the typing pool and be mailed out to the distribution centred on the road.

 

If people want the personal touch being fully served from cradle to grave - they can get it.  Those places still exist but customers need to be prepared to pay for it.   

 

Brace yourself because the next generation of fast food venues will have even less human element.  In other countries I've already seen commonplace robotic waiters delivery items to  a table and entirely automated vending machine restaurants dispensing everything from robot made fresh pizza, hot snacks drinks and even one Automat place which dispensed an entire convenience store range of items.  It really won't belong till it grows here.   

 

[Delayed]

3 minutes ago, The_DADDY said:

Potato potarto 👍

The end result is the same. Profits go up as does unemployment. 

Businesses need profit to survive and employ more people. 

 

People still become employed but are focused in other areas....

 

Which is why you still have staff in McDonald's 

[ECCOnoob]

1 minute ago, ECCOnoob said:

What the hell do you think a business does? 

It's not a community service of course it's about profit. 

 

But you are missing a fundamental point. Its us consumers that drives what the business does. We are now well and truly in the digital world where we expect everything to be open and available whenever we need... We expect instant service at the click of an app or tap of a screen... We expect quick turn around and quick delivery...

 

Just look at things like Amazon where you can basically or have anything you want and  delivered the the next day or sometimes even hours later on the same day at next to nothing prices.

 

It's the same with fast food or supermarkets. We expect them to be available 24/7, we expect the instant supply and quick service. But we also demand them to keep to rock bottom prices which of course require very efficient operations from minimal staffing levels and minimal overheads.  

 

That doesn't happen when Doris is standing behind  the counter chatting away to some customer for 10 minutes while slowly scanning  their purchases and delivering the local gossip.  

 

That doesn't happen if Mr. Amazon's warehouse was rumbaway of Hamilton order forms, dispatch notices type by Brenda in the typing pool and be mailed out to the distribution centred on the road.type by Brenda in the typing pool and be mailed out to the distribution centred on the road.

 

If people want the personal touch being fully served from cradle to grave - they can get it.  Those places still exist but customers need to be prepared to pay for it.   

 

Brace yourself because the next generation of fast food venues will have even less human element.  In other countries I've already seen commonplace robotic waiters delivery items to  a table and entirely automated vending machine restaurants dispensing everything from robot made fresh pizza, hot snacks drinks and even one Automat place which dispensed an entire convenience store range of items.  It really won't belong till it grows here.   

 

EDIT:   

That wouldn't happen if Mr. Amazon's warehouse was run by way of handwritten order forms, dispatch notices typed by Brenda in the typing pool and be mailed out to the distribution centred down the road.  

[The_DADDY]

5 minutes ago, Delayed said:

Businesses need profit to survive and employ more people. 

Snipped 

Yes, I know. 

 

My bold.

The opposite is happening in this case. 

As I said in my 1st post, it's progress but not the kind I approve of. 

[Al Bundy]

2 hours ago, 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......

Love Taco bell, what did you order?

[Chekhov]

2 hours ago, Delayed said:

No one is pushing anything. 

It's called the advancement of technology and Fast Food. 

Gone are the days where you need to wait in line, struggle to read the menu on screens behind the counter, decide what you want with a q behind you and then relay your order to someone hoping that they've understood and get your order right. 

Now there is a computer that gets your order right (depending on whats put into it), telling you how far away your order is, when it's ready leaving more humans to create your order. .

And yes I like it. My order is always correct, I can see it being prepared. 

What a surprised that Delayed likes it.

Did you not read what I said, the member of staff we dealt with did not like it.....

[Chekhov]

2 hours ago, Mister M said:

It's probably to cut down on costs.

Still, look on the bright side Chekkers, if there's fewer front line staff, there'll be fewer instances of front line workers getting all wokey about abuse from customers.

If you deal with the public you have to take the rough with the smooth, but, in my experience both at work and not so, the instances of bad customer behaviour are very rare. If the odd employee wants to limit their contact with the public to avoid the risk of coming into contact with the odd bolshy one then I think we can safely assume they are in the wrong job anyway.....

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Delayed said:

It's happening because that's how successful businesses are run. 

I was always led to believe, and run my own business on this basis, that successful businesses provided good customer service.

You may like all this but I can assure you most people (including the employees) do not.

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

What the hell do you think a business does? 

It's not a community service of course it's about profit. 

 

But you are missing a fundamental point. Its us consumers that drives what the business does. We are now well and truly in the digital world where we expect everything to be open and available whenever we need... We expect instant service at the click of an app or tap of a screen... We expect quick turn around and quick delivery...

 

Just look at things like Amazon where you can basically or have anything you want and  delivered the the next day or sometimes even hours later on the same day at next to nothing prices.

 

It's the same with fast food or supermarkets. We expect them to be available 24/7, we expect the instant supply and quick service. But we also demand them to keep to rock bottom prices which of course require very efficient operations from minimal staffing levels and minimal overheads.  

 

That doesn't happen when Doris is standing behind  the counter chatting away to some customer for 10 minutes while slowly scanning  their purchases and delivering the local gossip.  

 

That doesn't happen if Mr. Amazon's warehouse was rumbaway of Hamilton order forms, dispatch notices type by Brenda in the typing pool and be mailed out to the distribution centred on the road.

 

If people want the personal touch being fully served from cradle to grave - they can get it.  Those places still exist but customers need to be prepared to pay for it.   

 

Brace yourself because the next generation of fast food venues will have even less human element.  In other countries I've already seen commonplace robotic waiters delivery items to  a table and entirely automated vending machine restaurants dispensing everything from robot made fresh pizza, hot snacks drinks and even one Automat place which dispensed an entire convenience store range of items.  It really won't belong till it grows here.   

 

As above.