jtexas
Fleet Admiral
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2003
- Messages
- 8,646
The pay-at-the-pump thread kinda got me thinking about transacting business with humans vs machines.
Our customer surveys here are overwhelming in favor of do-it-yourself electronic transactions from ticketing to check-in (airline).
Some walmarts & grocery stores don't man any express checkout lanes anymore in favor of self-checkout.
Don't see the inside of a bank (even a drive-thru) but maybe once every other year or so.
Gasoline.
Investment portfolio.
Mail-order pharmacy with on-line reordering.
Shopping for just about anything.
What else?
What's next, automated fast food? Electronic church? Self-service heart surgery?
I'm not complaining exactly - lines are shorter, mistakes less likely, lower probability of encountering a clerk with a 'tude. We write about two checks a month everything else is electronic - the "checkbook" (the next generation will wonder where that term came from) virtually balances itself in "real time" (as opposed to "imaginary time"). And some days you just don't want to deal with people.
On the other hand, try resolving a problem, asking a question, making a special request. Limited flexibility. Less likely to make a friend, fewer opportunities for flirting. And some days you just want somebody to use for a punching bag (figuratively speaking of course).
Where we headed with this?
Our customer surveys here are overwhelming in favor of do-it-yourself electronic transactions from ticketing to check-in (airline).
Some walmarts & grocery stores don't man any express checkout lanes anymore in favor of self-checkout.
Don't see the inside of a bank (even a drive-thru) but maybe once every other year or so.
Gasoline.
Investment portfolio.
Mail-order pharmacy with on-line reordering.
Shopping for just about anything.
What else?
What's next, automated fast food? Electronic church? Self-service heart surgery?
I'm not complaining exactly - lines are shorter, mistakes less likely, lower probability of encountering a clerk with a 'tude. We write about two checks a month everything else is electronic - the "checkbook" (the next generation will wonder where that term came from) virtually balances itself in "real time" (as opposed to "imaginary time"). And some days you just don't want to deal with people.
On the other hand, try resolving a problem, asking a question, making a special request. Limited flexibility. Less likely to make a friend, fewer opportunities for flirting. And some days you just want somebody to use for a punching bag (figuratively speaking of course).
Where we headed with this?
