Last week’s column hit a nerve. Boy, did it ever. In the past few days I have been deluged with letters from readers who feel much the same as I do about the robot tellers now found in some major retail outlets; retail outlets which shall remain nameless because I fear lawyers even more than I fear a beer shortage and that’s saying a lot.
In fact, several readers obviously hate robo-tellers far more than I do. For me, they’re an annoyance and further proof, should any be needed, that some stores couldn’t care less if I live or die, so long as my money keeps flowing through their greedy, little corporate hands. The braniacs making recommendations to the stores’ boards of directors no doubt assume we’ve all been thoroughly acclimated (brainwashed) into accepting ever-decreasing levels of personal service and customer care and will barely notice this latest outrage.
Well, guess what, braniacs; you’re wrong. Based on my mail over the past week, shoppers are mad as you-know-what and many of them are showing their displeasure by switching to other, smaller stores; stores that don’t expect you to scan your own groceries, bag ‘em, and then return after midnight to mop the floors and stock the shelves.
Let me share a few reader letter excerpts with you here. These folks said it better than I ever could:
LINDA: I, for one, feel that if I am spending my time and money in a store I should get my groceries rung up, bagged and put in the cart for me. Even a "thank you" would be a great addition to the customer service. Now, I walk in the store, maybe get greeted, maybe find what I would like, maybe find someone to help me and then have to scan and bag my own groceries and have a machine to say thank you!
VALERIE: (I) remember when grocery stores were friendly places. They provided starter jobs for high school kids and flexible hours for moms. The parking lots were clean and you never had to walk to your car alone. The cashiers were quick to point out if you'd missed a coupon because they actually cared. I used to love going to (store name deleted because of my fear of attorneys—see above). Not any more. Greed is their new business model. It's no longer enough for the (deleted, again) clan to be well off - they must be wealthy. Their cost-costing, their hostility toward their employees (and customers) shows in every aspect of their store.
STEPHEN: Once they have found a way to eliminate every employee and replace them with machines, who do they think is going to buy their goods? Here is a word of advice for you, Mr. (deleted…lawyers, lawyers, lawyers!), robots don’t need produce. I’m clipping your article out and sending it to the (deleted) manager.
BONNIE: I do not mind the automated tellers at all. They don’t bother me. As soon as they put them in, I started shopping somewhere else. The store I go to now not only bags my groceries, they carry them out to the car for me, too. It makes me wonder why I didn’t make the change years ago.
There were plenty more, but many were too profanity-laden to edit down for inclusion in a family newspaper. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.
Personally, I don’t like the robo-tellers, but I’m not nearly as vehemently opposed to them as some folks out there. I thought I was writing on a fairly innocuous topic last week, but uh-uh. I could not have generated more righteous anger from the public had I suggested we lower the drinking age to 9, but only for illegal immigrants, all of whom should be given executive positions at General Motors as soon as they cross the border into Michigan.
If I were a politician (shoot me first, please!) I would run on an anti-robo-teller platform. There are only about seven guys in the state who wouldn’t vote for me, and they’re all on (deleted deleted deleted deleted)’s board of directors.
Mike Taylor’s book, “Looking at the Pint Half Full,” is available in eBook format at most online booksellers, but will likely never be found at (deleted); not after this column.
No comments:
Post a Comment