"Sara sits behind a glass booth in a sleek white suit, her full lips turned slightly upward in a polite smile. She has flawless skin and curly black eyelashes that she occasionally bats by taking deep, calculated blinks. Her voice is gentle and melodious. "If you have any questions, please say hello!"
Yes you guessed it Sara is a robot. Leave it to the Japanese to create a robot receptionist. After reading this article in Zoom Zoom magazine the phrase "be careful what you wish for" made me wonder how this robot scenario would work in the US.
The most frequent complaint we get is that the line is taking too long. It is always interesting to me on how impatient people are. Surprised by this complaint, we timed how long each transaction takes and it is less than 2 min. We normally get this complaint when there are about 3 people in line, so it takes people 6 min. to push them over the edge and act towards another human being in a most inappropriate way; a behavior that if displayed in any other situation would be considered appalling. For some reason people feel they have the right to behave this way towards another human because they are paying the establishment that this representative works for. Let me ask you, is it this CSRs fault that when the company begins to have financial downturns the first place they start cutting is in staffing employees; therefore there are less people to help visitors and more work for the CSR causing more headaches from the continuous complaints on how there should be more people to pamper to the guests and make sure that they don't have to waste 5 precious min of their precious life standing in line.
I digress, let me explain. The other day I was helping someone that was visiting our venue and offering my knowledge to this visitor on what to enjoy at our facility and commenting on some other things in the area that may be of interest, and yes I took a moment to have a conversation with this person. During this interaction 2 people started to form a line behind this person. I was in the wrap up of the conversation, which was not a lengthy conversation, just a little longer than the normal transaction of taking money, give ticket, and send away, when the visitor behind the 2nd person in line started to wave their hands and yell over everyone "Hello, I would like to pay and get in!" When someone acts this outlandish the people that are around have the same reaction of looking around with mouth dropped open and a look of unbelief at this person's uncalled for behavior. It stopped our conversation in it's tracks, and I nicely replied that I would help her as soon as I finished with the people in front of her. "Pfhhh" was her reply.
I really had to bite my tounge from frusrtating ly replying back saying "are you freaking kidding me lady?!!!. I am giving this person the courtesy of answering questions that help them to enjoy this environment that they are paying to get into. I am sorry that you have to wait and extra second of your unhappy life in line. When it is your turn I will not help you at all. So shut your trap and deal with it"
I would love to take longer with the person that I was helping, but they also felt uncomfortable with this comment, collected their items and went in. The ironic thing about this situation is when this rude person finally made it to the counter, after waiting in line for a grueling 2 min., she proceeded to ask numerous questions and took more than usual time.
No I didn't make the comment that I would have liked to because I have dignity. I helped helped her with a smile (fake of course) and answered her questions then sent her on her miserable way. Yes I am a little bitter towards this type of customer that thinks the world revolves around them, like my 5 year old. She was so inconsiderate to the person I was helping that next person in line, before her, was cautious to ask any questions as to avoid a burn from the steam coming from the cranky lady behind her.
So let's replace Sara in this situation. Ask a question to Sara and she is going to give her canned answers. She will only give answers to questions that she has been programed for and is incapable of giving her opinion. Sara would make the line go faster because her responded will be quick and repetitive. After a visitor has asked and continues to receive the answers "I am sorry I can not answer that question" or "I could not make out what your question is, can you please ask again?" or my favorite automated reply "did you say____" and of course ___ is not what I said, they would give up and move on. Inevitably the questions would be minimal and if they complained to Sara, the only reaction they would get is a blank stare, open mouthed smiling robot with mechanical blinking eyes. If you wanted to complain to Sara her reply may be, "I am sorry I did not understand what you said" Hmm maybe Sara has something; should I respond more like her? Just kidding.
So here is something to think about when you are waiting a little longer in line due to a CSR taking time to offer additional service, is to understand that when it is your turn you will receive the same concern and interest to all your questions and will be answered in a personable way. Or would you prefer a virtual perpetuation of the automated phone answering machines where you know you try to push "0" because you want to talk to a "live" person.
Just a thought.
