Self-Service

Dearest apologies for the recent absence again, I'm currently enjoying a long holiday but the excitement has gone to my head and I've almost forgot about my blog.

This article was posted on the Straits Times recently [Tues, 12th April 2005]

Guilty as Charged: Tricked into self-service
By Nicols Fox


I extracted the following excerpts for references:

"..My children would shrink into their coats while people stared disapprovingly if I tried to abandon a cluttered table. In fact, it was a manifestation of the Great Labour Transfer. Companies that had already applied every possible efficiency to their businesses were looking for other ways to cut costs and saw an entirely new pool of workers who did not have to be paid. Call them - consumers."

"..Ordinary people, it seemed, could operate petrol pumps without causing explosions. They could check their own oil. They could fill their tyres. They could then be persuaded to complete their purchases with a swipe of a card and be out of the way quickly without any human being at all."

"..Some of them even seemed to prefer to do the work themselves.. and began to look down upon those people who still wanted to be served."

"..A good part of the increase in productivity during the last 2 decades can be credited to the Great Labour Transfer. We have taken on more than anyone ever thought possible.."

"..Someday, consumers will become passive refuseniks or revolt. Or they will simply collapse with exhaustion, unable to take on more task."


The writer is the author of Against The Machine: The Hidden Luddite Tradition in Literature, Art and Individual Lives.
Copyright: New York Times Syndicate.


So it seems that the culture in America is DIY, a stark contrast to our Singaporean culture where a browsing sweep around any fast food restaurants and you see cluttered tables everywhere. Ironically I am one of the few who throws the food into the nearest bin and places the tray on top. I get smiles from the elderly staff on duty and once in a while weird looks from some teenager.

Now the author's main point is that the future of the Service Level will be reduced to automation. In fact, you do see it happening in Singapore. Think of the AXN and SAM Machines where you can pay your bills and purchase your movie tickets and even book a chalet. Think - Are we able to choose our seats if we were to queue up really early? Are we able to choose a chalet unit with easy access to the rear gate or the resort facilities? What happens then when the Machine prints the message "Out of order" what will we do next? Call the technician?

Think of the new National Library {NLB) and you see rows of signboards with clear signs indicating which section contains what kind of books. Unfortunately, I had to help an old lady once to find her grandson in the library. She got lost trying to move around. The only Service Staff were located at the Enquiry Counters and they could not provide immediate assistance. What happens then if you have a foreign tourist who could not understand english unfortunately and wandered into our spanking new and beautiful library located at the busiest areas of Singapore like Orchard and the Esplanade?

The Civil Service has also introduced plans to remove the Service Counters over the next few years, so the only kind of service that can be provided will only be via email or at best telephone service. A classmate of mine mockingly joked about it saying,"Yeah, thats lip service for you alrite."

One final question therefore looms in our minds - To what extent is automation expected to assist Customer Service and not take its place? The Human touch afterall is still the most formidable weapon in any Service Industry and I believe thats what our Service Industry has been providing. We still have to consider the effectiveness not just the efficiency.

Enough blogging for today - A new topic has loomed inside my head and I will publish it soon.