I am joining the ranks of the less technology challenged…as opposed to the technologically handicapped, which has been my humble abode for many years now. My husband and I got new cell phones this week, the Samsung Rant for me and Blackberry Pearl for him, through Sprint. Our contract had expired with our previous service provider and though we loved them (Verizon) we needed a package that would allow us to do more in our own area. (Verizon currently only provides extended network service to West Virginia, no digital packages and no local numbers.) We had been faithful customers to Verizon for several years and in the process had fallen behind in the digital wonders of mobile communication.
Previous to switching, we only had minutes to talk, no texting minutes, no GPS, no internet service. So we went all out. We got the digital package with unlimited texting, wireless internet service, turn-by-turn navigation, pretty much everything we could get without limitations. And I can’t believe what I have been missing out on! I had been contemplating buying a slim, point-and-shoot digital camera for carrying with me to take pictures of my daughter when we are away from home and now that is unnecessary. My husband and I had also talked about buying a hand-held GPS, but now that seems unnecessary as well. I can read my class assignments from anywhere, check the weather from the car, and even watch clips from my favorite TV shows, all while being away from my computer.
All of this technology had me thinking, though. My friends consistently poked fun at me for being behind the times, but I wonder what I may be giving up by becoming a part of this technology rush. Besides the obvious chunk of change I am plunking down every month, there are a couple of things I may be losing or at least trading, as I get wired. First, I think I lose a certain human touch. As a society, we have been experiencing this loss with frequency, as billing and customer service automates, Tellers no longer have a pulse but are electronic instead, and self check-out can be found in stores everywhere. I remember a particular instance in which I was in town and wanted to order a pizza that I could pick up on my way home. I didn’t have the number so I called 411. The nice operator offered to connect me and at the end of the conversation, told me to enjoy my dinner, how about that? It struck me as odd though I didn’t know why. And then it occurred to me that it was odd because customers so rarely receive this type of politeness, we are so used to the stripped down version of customer service that provides only what is minimally necessary to keep our business, even when we actually come in contact with a real person.
Perhaps this is an angle marketers should be more readily exploring, the integration of the human element into their products and decent, reliable customer service. I think it can be done without minimizing the value of the technology we have at our fingertips, like the use of a company blog or individualized messaging in our emails or on our phones. A good example of this integration of technology and the human element is a blog by Bill Marriott, the CEO and son of the founder of Marriott Hotels. Quirky with a subtle, old-school mentality that really reveals Mr. Marriott as a person and not just an entity of a company, gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling about the hotel. You can view his blog at http://www.blogs.marriott.com/.
