As Technology Advances, Don’t Let Your Customers Become Invisible

There is no doubt that we are, as a society, in the midst of dramatic technological change. AI and automation are changing the way we work and live, and the dramatic impact of robotics on our personal lives is not far behind. It is important to remember however, that some things will likely remain the same, and that the actual need and desire for productive human interaction will remain an essential constant in our lives.

That means, of course, that you should take care to not let your customers become invisible with the rapid advance of technology.

Those of you who know me, or at least have seen my physical presence (re: girth), will have a hard time believing that my wife and I do not very often frequent fast-food establishments. However, we do from time to time patronize them, usually in conjunction with home projects we are working on, or when we are out running errands. We’ve had a couple of experiences in these situations over the last few months that serve as a reminder of the potential pitfalls of technology deployment.

A Wendy’s restaurant recently opened near our home, and a few weeks ago, during one of the previously aforementioned home projects, I decided to go there to grab some lunch “to go.” This restaurant, like many new or updated locations, has self-order terminals right by the door when you enter. Even though they were still able to take orders at the counter, I opted to use one of these terminals. 

I will let you know right now that there was no problem with our order. The food was fine. The restaurant was clean. The only issue was that I was, for all practical purposes, completely invisible to the staff.

You see, the entire time I stood at the counter waiting for my order, no one looked at me. No one spoke to me. No one even physically nodded or acknowledged my existence. My drink cups were handed to me in silence. There was no “thank you” or “have a nice day” when my food was handed to me. In fact, the only words spoken to me during my entire visit were, “Do you need ketchup?” It seems I had ordered virtually, and that status never changed. 

This is not the first time we’ve experienced this. A few months ago, my wife and I were running errands and popped into a Taco Bell for lunch. We stood at the counter for a few minutes waiting for someone to take our order. No one was at the register. The employees working to prepare food looked at us but said nothing. Eventually, another customer advised us that they did not take counter orders anymore, and that we had to use the self-service kiosks. There was no signage advising us of that, and the employees did not seem to deem it important to share that information. Again, we were apparently rendered invisible in the relentless advance and name of progress. 

Computers are now handling many tasks for consumers that used to be the province of human employees. Airline tickets, retail purchases, restaurant visits, and more can all be handled without any human intervention whatsoever. Even my own business of education is centered largely on virtual transactions. Yet some things have not changed. Customers still want to be acknowledged. They want to know they are appreciated. They want to know they matter. If we fail at that effort, we will ultimately fail in business. 

The workers’ compensation ecosystem is, like every other industry, undergoing significant technological change. As processes become more automated, as technology improves efficiency, we must take care to not let those we serve become less visible in the process. The same technologies that will improve our ability to communicate with others may also eliminate our ability to actually relate with those same people. That irony should not be lost on us.

Don’t take technological progress for granted. And don’t let your customers become invisible in the process.