The Death of Customer Service

[Severen13]

Read all about it.

Pumping your gas and scanning your own groceries=The End of the World???

[tropicsgoddess]

Going online to book your own travel or go through self check outs or doing your own price checks by using the scanners in the store = the death of customer service? Gimme a break.

[myswtghst]

I find this all hilarious, as most of these changes were made to make the processes faster, and therefore make customers happy. Because you know those people who complain about lack of customer service in this fashion would have no problem waiting in line for an available agent to help them.

Sometimes I think people just want something to complain about.

[Sylvia727]

I think the last paragraph was the funniest. "The only reason people don't bitch about the new system is they're the only ones involved, so they can't pass the buck onto an employee. This is poor customer service!"

I spend more at kiosks too, but not for the reason they say. If I hesitate in front of a CSR, I feel as if I'm wasting their time and thus don't even consider upgrading. A computer gives me more time to think about what I want.

[mattm04]

My store is getting those scan your groceries as you shop scanners soon. My company is the northeast counter-part of Giant. I bet we will have some good stories soon.

[edible_hat]

Gas stations, meanwhile, persuaded us to drive away with our hands reeking of gasoline

That has never happened to me in 11 years of driving.

However, I do get a tiny amount of customers complaining about such a problem. These same people whinge about the prices of cigarettes going up (when it hasn't actually happened for 3 months), can't find the clearly marked air hose, don't know which pump they used, etc.

Diagnosis: the article was written by somebody who needs the "extra service" because she's incapable of functioning by herself.

[draggar]

We're developing into a society of less and less human interaction. It's a little troublesome.

You can live your entire life inside your house now and it is pretty close to living in complete isolation. I don't like it.

Sure, I like the self-checkout lanes if the store is busy (no one here uses them) and online shopping but we need face to face contact.

[rvdammit]

It's a case of consumers say "much cheapness" is the most dominant factor for buying stuff, so companies strive for that. Given the choice do you employ 4 people on four checkouts or 1 person on 4 self checks?

[JLRodgers]

In my town a few years ago there was a movement (albeit small) to have "full service" pumps at a gas station. But not for the reason many would think I"m sure, but for the elderly, or just people who had problems getting in and out of vehicles.

But as it was probably 10 years ago or so, the full service lanes were almost always empty -- they were charging like $.25/gal for full service -- and no one wanted to pay for it. The only time the pumps were used was when there was a line, and the customers would wave "get your butt back in the store!" to the attendant.

[DesignFox]

I don't know...I think the article raises a valid point.

Do you really see prices going down, despite the fact that you now do all the work yourself? (with the exception of online pricing- I mean, do your groceries cost less now that there are self-checks?) Companies are saving money because they can hire fewer people... let's not disillusion ourselves into thinking that gets passed along to us...

But, what about us people IN the service industry who ARE suffering because people don't come to stores anymore?

Seriously. I sell phones. My store cannot compete with online pricing. I lose sales and have to waste my precious time because people WANT the information provided by a sales associate, but they don't want to PAY for MY service!

It's not necessarily a good trend. People should be employed, people should be interacting with one another. And all of us wonder why our fellow humans are socially inept lately... they don't go out and work together.

It sucks for me, too...I PREFER to deal with a human...

[JLRodgers]

I don't know...I think the article raises a valid point.

Do you really see prices going down, despite the fact that you now do all the work yourself?....

I think the main problem is this: prices for all the goods keeps on going up. Gas prices go up, transportation costs go up, so that's passed onto consumers. Self-check basically just slows the price increases if anything. In the near future if you go to a store, you'll select your meat or deli goods from a touchscreen -- and it'll be processed, cut, retrieved and handed to you via a machine (big arm with weighing ability and conveyor belts). They'll probably have entire stores like that -- walk in, sit down, enter your order, and machines will shop for you (you just pay for it with credit card before you get your bags.

Even then they won't lower the prices -- because the price of the machines + the raising cost of goods will make it still cost more.

[Hon'ya-chan]

Do you really see prices going down, despite the fact that you now do all the work yourself?

Not at the gas pump, thats for sure!! Makes me wish we get some of the cool Diesel cars in Europe or the cute Kei Cars in Japan. Thanks alot Ralph Nader you jackass!!!

[DesignFox]

What's funny about the gas prices is that it is still cheaper in New Jersey...the great state that doesn't let you pump your own gas. (apparently this is the only state without a gas tax...?)

So, yea...