What the technology does bring is a more available and accessible channel. This is especially true when things go wrong and there are problems. We’ve all encountered a disruption in service and the following frustration when there isn’t a member of staff to be found – in person, via phone or otherwise.
Technology developments such as chatbots will undoubtedly improve in their ability to answer a wider range of questions, but consumer trust still needs to be earned. We’ve seen this in the COVID-19 crisis as organisations have to turn to other channels and they’ve been found to work.
This will also change the nature of roles open to staff. There is a great opportunity for these roles to become enriched and more meaningful. As organisations recognise the value of these people they will need to be more skilled and better selected – which should result in them being better paid as well.
An example of this is the assistance agents provided by airports to help passengers needing assistance to get through the airport. A survey found that the assistance experience not only leaves around a quarter of disabled passengers dissatisfied, but had compounding effects on passenger confidence to travel in the future.
The quality of this service is generally regarded as poor for a range of reasons but contributing factors are the low levels of pay, status, and lack of career opportunities for staff in this role.