Since COVID LOCKDOWNS companies have traded staff for automation! Does this bother anyone?

Has anyone notice how impossible it is today to contact a live human if you have a complaint or real question that only a custom service representative can handle?

Doesn’t it seem that ever since the ‘COVID LOCKDOWNS corporations have cut human staffing and organize their service side of the businesses to be fully automated. Consumers have NO Real access, or means to contact anyone to complain to. Some have 24/7 chat available, but it only takes a few seconds before you realize that you are not talking to a person. Today many companies provide a “communication center” where you can contact a representative BUT they limit how much you can type and provide you no record of your message in the event you need to get legal help to remedy an issue. Its all being handled through their corporate server which they control. You can’t even leave a review for a business or preschool for example because the preschool owns the site and they do not want your negative feedback. Except for AMAZON, but even AMAZON makes it impossible to complain or get assistance from to a real person. If it’s not an automated response they want nothing to do with it.
Schools, Businesses, Signing Services, Networks , Doctors, Dentists, Auto Repair Shops, Insurance companies, the DMV nobody cares about custom complaints or issues! No body is tending to custom service. I’ve noticed several sites that once had staff or department email addresses listed -now all gone. Some provide an 800 number but when called-they are all automated too. Rarely do you ever connect to a live person. Does this bother anyone? Are alarm bells going off in your head? Under the guise of “ covid corporate American has replaced staff with automation and given the middle finger to its customers.

They moved manufacturing jobs away overseas so that the issues with it became someone else's problem and they could just rake in the money.

That left us with service sector jobs, you didn't really expect to keep those around either did you?

First they started moving those to cheaper labour locations.. Until they perfected the "AI chatbot" that could take you around in circles until you just give up.

They just want to sell you stuff, not have any real recurring costs from it.

a reply to: Terims

It's part of the infamous 4th industrial revolution and the great reset.

a reply to: Terims

Automation was already well on it's way long before covid.
Companies just took the opportunity to progress it along faster.

They better hurry; as far I can tell the post millennials don't want to work anyway. Most of what can be automated, at this point anyway, are sub-human jobs no one believes they deserve to have to do anymore. I'm am employer myself and I would rather hire a broken down robot than the pick from the crap labor pool post pandemic. Sign me up.

Have one vendor at work, who has easily lost six figures in business from us, simply because you can’t get ahold of anyone.

One can automate (and voicemail is not automation!). But when regular customers show up with cash in hand, a vendor should at least want the business.

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: Terims

Automation was already well on it's way long before covid.
Companies just took the opportunity to progress it along faster.

People refusing to return to work has also caused it. Once they discovered that staying home on government money paid more than their job, why work? In Hawaii the combined benefits (money,health,food) of being on government handouts is $49K a year. No restaurant or small business can afford to pay staff that much.

So restaurants are being literally forced to change to automation or close due to lack of staff. Other businesses also, like the self checkout recently put in at my local CVS pharmacy and in stores. They are also realizing that the capital outlay IS large, but these automated "staff" will work all hours you need them, don't need benefits, don't get paid vacation, are way cheaper in the long run than people, and rarely get sick (need repair). COVID taught businesses that automation is way more valuable and cost saving than people.

Robots have been developed and are in use that: burger-flip … clean, mask-nag, fry-cook, customer service, wait tables and bartend. sports.yahoo.com...
budgetbranders.com...

We are all used to now doing self-service checkout where they have up to 8 check out stands with one person working where there used to be 8.

COVID and forced draconian years long lockdowns have accelerated this robot replacement of humans to a necessary level for businesses.

a reply to: The2Billies

Off course these handouts are temporarily. Until everyone is in line('vaccinated') , then they drop them and people will be forced to work government selected jobs (just like in communist china ).

a reply to: Terims

This has been in the work for a long, long, time.

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