So today I fear I may have come across as terribly old fashioned and
possibly a tad rude when out yesterday. I popped into HSBC in Truro to put some cheques
into the main account for the charity I am chair of trustees of. I looked
around for the counter - there isn't one. I peeked my head round the corner
where 'Business' was printed on the wall, a business desk I assumed, but looked
like one of those advice booths were you sit and talk to someone rather than
somewhere to actually do business. So I hovered in the main area until the
'front of house' person was free and noticed me. I asked if there was a counter
where I could pay in cheques. I was informed "no madam we no longer have
manned counters but I can help you pay them in using the machines “she indicated
to the machines. One of which had swallowed a customers card moments earlier,
and given the conversation between 2 staff this was not the first time that day that, that particular machine had taken a customers card hostage. I'm afraid I,
possibly a little firmly, declared no thank you I prefer to deal face to face
over a counter and walked out. I am afraid I got back in the car and drove to
the business branch on the other side of town where I know there is a counter
service.
Is this unfair of me? Am I being ridiculous?
Here's my thinking: I'm a firm believer in a little human interaction during
the day, I don't want to constantly be dealing with everything through a
machine. We are constantly forced to turn to our phones, laptops, automated systems
(the most annoying of all "press one for blah de blah, press 2 for ..... alternitively you can find more information at..... your call is important to us" as they play Michael Jacksons Beat it - is that way of sayign sod off?) to manage simple tasks in everyday life. I am not against technology, far from
it, I love technology as much as the next person. As a teacher I try to stay up
to date, and consider myself good at doing so, and bringing it into the classroom. I am not adverse to it in my personal life either, as you can see I
blog, as well as using internet banking, social media and various apps on my iphone
from photo editing to tracking my health/sleep patterns. So you can see that
I'm a fan of technology, however... I firmly believe that it has its place.
Where possible I like to interact with people and when technology hinders this
rather than aids it (I mean being able to video call family hundreds of miles
away is amazing, however having dinner with someone who is staring at their
phone - not so much!) I think it needs popping to one side.
I don't by any means suggest I am perfect, I am sure there are more occasions
I could separate myself from my phone, and I will try to increase the time I consciously
separate myself from the constraints of a screen this year.
Principles - For me part of it is the principles of the matter.
- There’s the customer service aspect, I expect to be served by a person not
a machine.
- A person is paid a wage, which feeds a family, provides employment. (I
mentioned to the man at the desk in the business branch, that I had been into
town and was disappointed there was no counter service offered and my
preference in dealing with a person rather than a machine. He understood and
when I commented it's also about making sure people have jobs, he did replied
that the machines go wrong often enough to keep them busy and in a job.)
- Which brings up another point - If the machines go wrong so often and need human 'hand-holding' why have
them in the first place? Surely stick to face-to-face customer services, but
hey that’s just my thoughts.
- I feel a certain amount of security in handing cash/cheques to a person to
be processed, I don’t know why, logically I know there is a small risk of human
error in the same way a machine might chew something up. But somehow I am just
much much happier dealing with a person. I have never yet used a machine to pay
in cash or cheque. You may have also noticed I mentioned that the money I was
paying in was not mine or going into my account, I only mention this as I feel
an added sense of responsibility when this is the case.
Maybe I just don't trust the machines.
Maybe I am just stuck in my ways and don’t like change.
But then maybe I like the idea that in our day to day business we interact
with other human beings each operating in the roles/skill set and each
providing a service to others. Whether that be the postman, plumber, doctor or
teacher.
I know that my job gives me purpose and satisfaction and that I personally would hate
to be replaced by a machine.
Another everyday machine - You might be asking - so you don't use the self check outs in supermarkets?
I confess my response is not often, I realise this sounds hypocritical and this whole experience
has highlighted to me an issue. Having thought through all my views and written
this post, I will think twice before using self-check out machines. Not because I am entirely
against them, I believe they have their place (perhaps when you are grabbing a
sandwich and a drink on a quick lunchtime run from the office these have there
place, maybe in replacing the 10 or less items) but instead because I am for creating jobs and keeping people
employed. But I think I will be more thoughtful in my approach...
I understand this may be a controversial post
and I do not expect you to agree with all or any of my views. However we are
each entitled to our views, and you are welcome to comment on my post so long
as it is polite and not malicious. We are all entitled to our opinions and
should accept differing views even if we do not agree with them
