Do you believe tech, COVID were used as excuses to scale back customer service?

[IHaveRespawned]

Today, many receptionist desks and information booths sit empty. Instead, you may find a mounted tablet in its place or a QR code to scan.

You walk into stores today and they are severely understaffed. The days when you can ring a bell or press a button to request help in a store department/aisle are gone. You may be in the back of a store and have to walk all the way to the front checkout counter to ask a question, sometimes confronted with a line of customers checking out as you wait to ask a simple question.

Need to speak with an agent? Now you are faced with an automated attendant or AI bot giving you the runaround, trying every way possible to delay speaking to an actual human. When you actually do get through to a human, chances are they operate out of India.

During and after COVID, American life has changed. There are no longer 24 hour grocery stores or supermarkets. Those who actually thrive working overnight shifts away from the bustling crowds of the day are now at a disadvantage.

Businesses and other organizations tried to use the excuse of having additional space and time for "deep cleaning" or giving workers a break... but we know these are lies and bullshit excuses.

Places have drastically limited their hours, staffing, and resources while prices have shot up. Wherever a human element can be eliminated, that is the new mode of operandi.

Yes

No

See poll

[Just_Ken]

Not an excuse. During and after Covid corporations realised how little stafe they need to run their companies. Customer service, HR. Finance, accountants, Office workers, receptionists, security, less offices. All has a knock on effect. Less staff and more if not most people working from home means less office space which means less cleaners and janitor and canteen staff etc.

Its like the self-service touchscreen kiosks. They did away with so many jobs and saved the company paying minimum wage. Started with McDonald's but everywhere will have them soon. Next they will automate the cooking completely.

Its a scary prosecut put potentially there is no job that will not be replaced by AI Automation.

[msc545]

No, I don't think so. Nobody created covid for covid for this purpose and as far as tech goes there might be something to that, but probably not. I can think of lots of other reasons to create tech that don't have anything to do with customer service. I think what might be more likely however, is that a lot of what drives tech is the need to not have to pay employees which is something most business owners hate doing.

[Just_Ken]

Probably realised during covid that even though Kevin from Customer service and Karen from HR was off the company ran just fine.
Remember how they passed the phones to Apoo in India, now with emails they dont even do that.

[IHaveRespawned]

I certainly don't believe covid or tech was created for those reasons, but I believe they were used as a scapegoat or reasons to exercise greed and cutbacks.

[Just_Ken]

I never said it was. They wouldn't create it for those reasons, they could fore go the covid and just do it.

[exitseven]

yes, this was an unintended consequence of the covid pandemic. The work from home model was another.

[duntoldya]

1000000%. Now housekeeping in a hotel is "optional" or at best every other day. But rates are still the same or higher.

[Anonymous]

That's AI and corporate greed, not covid.