Dispelling the Notion that POS Technology Will Replace Humans for Customer Support2 min read

When talk comes to technology fully replacing in-person transactions, it tends to strike up a myriad of reactions – with the most prevalent ones being based in fear. There is a general exception, though, as members of Generation Y seem to never be able to get enough of increased technology. These people have lived the entire expanse of their rather relatively short existence completely immersed in emails and text messaging, so it would stand to reason why they would rather communicate digitally than doing so in person. Their main objectives are met by a streamline of technological advancements, because it’s always about being quicker and easier, which is what they most desire. On the flip side, though, when relied upon to an extreme, personal interaction that is rendered obsolete by technology is impersonal, emotionally disinterested and is limited in many other ways, too.

Things That Technology Just Can’t Do

in 2001, a national airline produced a series of commercials as part of a campaign that drew attention to many interactions that are only possible in person, between persons in real time. This campaign was entitled “Some Things Are Just Better in Person.” Among the conventional forms of personal interaction that have come to be proven winning strategies and actions were a list of several important modes of operation that technology will fail to reproduce. These included:

• The Ability to Fax a Handshake
• You Can’t Smell Homemade Bread on Your Pager (now, virtually extinct, anyway)
• You Can’t Have Coffee With a Website
• How do You Pat a Voicemail on the Back?
• You Can’t Hug a Voicemail.

Raising the Standards Personally

The thing is, any company in any industry worth its salt must maintain a good volume of its intent on a focus to raise the bar by introducing more highly personalized ways in which they communicate with customers – even today, in our modern and advanced society. Ultimately, such goals will serve to define any practicing company or business as a leader in its industry.

The Real Deal

All forms of Technology, from POS to others should originate from and focus on the need for business to be availed of increased time with which they can use to improve their customer relations in a more personalized effort. It should never be regarded as a way to avoid human interaction. Most business owners report that the advancements in technology have not at all replaced their need for human employees; rather it has been effective in freeing them up from what at one time was exhaustingly time-absorbing minutia that took them away from being available for customer interactions.