Just Do It All Yourself! Is The Self-Service Trend Going Too Far?
It’s 6 a.m.
I just arrived at Vienna Airport and I want someone to check my luggage.
But no: You can do it all yourself at the self-service terminals now.
To be honest: No, thank you.
I’m stressed, I’m tired, I’ve paid for my ticket, and I want someone to send my luggage safely on its way!
I don’t want to do it myself.
What’s next? Pay for your ticket and walk yourself to your destination?
Of course, there are benefits to the convenience of checking in from the comfort of one's home or while on the go using a cell phone or laptop.
However, until the day comes when we can transmit luggage through these devices, we will continue to rely on physical handling of our belongings.
And a little help with that doesn’t hurt.
Also, the current level of error-proneness exhibited by the self-service terminals is unacceptably high.
What is the purpose of implementing such technology if a human attendant must be stationed nearby to provide guidance or assistance with the mechanical handling anyway?
A desirable future?
Yet, an intensified version of this scenario is set to be implemented at the airport in Singapore, where it is being promoted that the airport of the future will operate with minimal human involvement.
Likewise, at the unmanned FashionAI store by Alibaba in Hong Kong, customers are no longer required to interact with human service personnel.
This is touted to be a fantastic advancement.
It’s not.
I don’t understand why a fully automated future without human interaction is sold to us as so desirable.
Who would want that?
The victory of the human being
In contrast, I came across an article discussing the great success of the owner of a small fashion boutique in Germany who makes millions in sales solely through her unwavering personal commitment and dedication to her customers.
There are no digital shenanigans in her store. Just her.
Each interaction with her boutique is a gratifying encounter for her customers, owing to her unparalleled attention to detail, resulting in contented clients who frequently expend their entire yearly bonus at her shop.
She knows her clients so well that their husbands frequently commission her to procure Christmas and birthday presents for their spouses.
So, in the service industry, you CAN score points by engaging with your customers rather than providing them with self-service technologies.
Do-it-yourself ‘service’ — No thanks!
When one observes the fervent rush to DIY stores, the burgeoning attendance at trade fairs catered towards do-it-yourself enthusiasts, it becomes apparent that there exists a prevailing inclination towards individuals wishing to take on tasks and make things themselves.
But the service industry is completely misinterpreting this do-it-yourself trend.
In the service sector, I pay someone to do something for me.
When I visit my bank or contact my telecommunications provider, my motivation stems not from a fervor for do-it-yourself projects, but rather out of necessity for essential services.
I’m a paying customer, not a do-it-yourself handywoman who wants to build a wall shelf.
Also, when I am physically present at a high-end restaurant and wish to make a reservation for a future visit, I find it rather irksome to be directed towards an automated phone menu system, prompting me to navigate through an array of options via a series of button presses.
And, after having patiently waited in a line at the post office with a Zen Buddhist-like composure, the last thing I desire is to be redirected towards a machine that allows me to mail my package on my own.
I actually expect to be serviced.
And as customers, we like to have a choice.
There are things we want to do ourselves, and others we don’t.
In any case, it is not desirable to live in a fully-automated world without human connection and interaction.
The inability to bond and connect, which may be the result of such developments, is the very definition of sociopathy.
Human collaboration is one of our biggest strengths as a species and crucial for our survival.
Don’t let that be taken away from us.
With whom will you connect today?