As we approach the holiday season I have a minor
rant that I want to vent.
SELF SERVE CHECKOUTS
Any time I see one in any store I get a little
angry. All I see is a lost job for a
human being. We live in an age where
more and more of our lives are given to interpersonal exchanges taking place
with a machine. There are new robots that are being created that will be able
to function as friends, companions, and care givers.
What are we losing and what have we already lost? I
was in the grocery store yesterday picking up the last few things I needed for
a photo. The checkout person had their head down and was pushing stuff through
as fast as they could. This was not the first time I noticed this. It was as if
they had someone over their shoulder with a timer clocking exactly how much
time it took for them to scan all of the objects, take my money, and thank me
for shopping and on to the next.
Why is this objectionable to me? When my Dad started
to show signs of his Alzheimer's increasing my Mom's only interaction with
other humans was at the various stores she visited. She didn't take up too much
of their time but I do know she appreciated their service. I hate to see this
vanish from what used to be a family run store, the post office, and any number
of businesses.
I was in the grocery store when the new scanners had
just arrived and a very nice lady asked if I would like to step right this way
and she would show me how it worked... As nicely as I could I told her that I
only work with humans.
Do I find machines fascinating??? Yes, do I want
them to take the place of the human hand? No.
All of you service providers out there I want to thank you very much for
your service. It is not easy to stand
there and listen to people, try to do your job, listen to complaints, and on
and on it goes. I will get in your line and I will wait quietly and patiently
as you wait on someone that needs your cheery hello and short visit about the
weather. I know that at some point in time I am going to be that person that
needs to have just that little bit of human contact to make my life worth
living for that moment in time.
My shopping spree was all about chocolate!
No comments:
Post a Comment