Internet or Human Being?

[Marmora Man]

When the world wide web cam into being I was an MBA student and found it useful, but complicated.

Then national and international e-mails came into being and, altho' at first I used the system because it was there, now find I cannot manage without it. The WWW has matured and every organisation has a website, booking holidays, looking for a job, searching for a home, finding a partner can all be done via the web - provided you know exactly what you want

Today I wanted to check out train times and costs but, in the end, the options I wanted to explore were to complex for the website - I need to talk to a human being that understands the rail system in South London.

Organisations that take their customers seriously and want to offer a great service will, I believe, soon be investing in real human beings to talk to customers rather than automated, multi choice, telephone systems or databased websites. Just think - a single telephone call and you're through to an expert.

Any views?

[*Bob*]

First Direct seem to be the only bank who ever get seem to get 'recommended', as opposed to just 'tolerated'.

95% of it is down to knowing someone will pick up the phone and speak to you when you ring the number.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

As simple as Night follows Day for me MM.

Human Beings always. Trust me, if you've been brought up all your life and communicated freely and easily, its beyond frustration to get thru' to Automated Services.

Back in the day, one, invariably, spoke to a Receptionist quickly and the Receptioist put one thru' to the relevant Dept.

Now?? I'm not a violent Man but the times I've wanted to throw the phone against the nearest wall are immeasurable.

Just put me thru' to a real life Homo-Sapien and there will be few problems understanding each other, but with automated services one can go round in ever decreasing circles with no satisfactory outcome.

BT have, traditionally, been the worst culprits for Decades now and they are "supposed" to be a Communications Company.

Added to the malaise we have the endless "Options" now, where one presses 5 "options" to be put thru' to a person who was the second "option" before after The Company Receptionist.

Progress, innit.

[mockney piers]

Agreed that internet apps have come leaps and bounds in the last few years, especially thanks to ajax and things like JQuery (so easy to use and very powerful in terms of adding usability to web browsers).

It's when you want to do something away from the norm that there is no real susbstite for a real voice a the end of a phone. One of the reasons why I will never use Lastminute.com again, as that is never an option (well it is, but you have to work very vey hard to get there).

I have to say Halifax telephone banking is excellent too, have never had a problem.

[snorky]

In purely mechanical terms, if the organisation beleives that the presence of a human at the other end of the line mean better customer retention & long term revenues, then there will be humans at the end of the line.

[Sherwick]

We're the old generation. I think those born after 1990 will see no human interaction as the norm.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Sherwick Wrote:

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> We're the old generation. I think those born after

> 1990 will see no human interaction as the norm.

Indeed.

Even walking down the street! My Father was the local Electrician and everywhere you went in Walworth in The 1960's was "Hello Bill" "All Right Bill" etc..I still carry on the tradition and often speak to complete strangers on my return to Inner London Buses and, invariably, there is a positive response, once the ice is broken.

Most people walking round London these days with their various mobile gadgets are "Let me have my private space!":X:)):))

Jokers.

[*Bob*]

Ahh.. the golden, olden days.

British Rail travel enquiries. Miserable high street travel agents. Shops that don't stock what you want. Banks that shut at 4 and don't open on Saturdays. Four pounds a minute to phone abroad. Reliance on the post.

Great days.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ahh.. the golden, olden days.

>

> British Rail travel enquiries. Miserable high

> street travel agents. Shops that don't stock what

> you want. Banks that shut at 4 and don't open on

> Saturdays. Four pounds a minute to phone abroad.

> Reliance on the post.

Specialist Shops that did Bob!..nice IMpersonal Tesco Expresses, instead. (Yes I'm as much to blame as anyone).

Some things have progressed, naturally, including using this Medium, but many others have not, as well.

>

> Great days.

[*Bob*]

There were certainly more specialist shops, but I'm having trouble remembering whether it meant I could exactly what I wanted, or if I just 'made do' because there weren't any more options. Probably the latter.

There are still lots of specialist shops but they're mostly online these days. The good ones can still provide a good personal service so you can get all the information you need and feel confident when you buy.

I had to go to a few of the retail park-type shops in Peckham a few weeks ago. No stock. Useless, untrained, disinterested employees. Atmosphere like a morgue. an utterly dismal experience.

[Mick Mac]

Sorry - I'm the opposite - I love to do everything on line - if the website is well designed it should be easy.

More complex transactions of course need human interaction - but purchases and banking I do all on line / email. I'm happiest with that.

[PeckhamRose]

I was so pee'd off with the fact that eBike imsurance appeared to be the cheapest insurance for my motorcycle.

But getting through to humans to discuss stuff just seemed impossible, and I fear had I had an accident the other party would have found a problem meaning I was not covered. I found a great human being insurance broker who - although I paid a mere ?20 more - got me comp cover instead of TPFT and, AND, business use. So I am happy to say the human, who knows his business and, most importantly, knew which questions to ask me, the human won!

Ditto getting train tickets. We found what we thought was a good fare to go to Cumbria. I went to Euston anyway and thought I would ask the Virgin ticket office man. He sold us a better ticket than the one on the web, because he knew his stuff.