I know a lot of people worldwide can relate to this week’s subject, but particularly in the islands, I think it really hits home.
I’m talking about replacing human operators on the phone with automated ones, or outsourcing to other countries.
Because I’m just lucky like that, I’ve had to call two different companies over the last few weeks, and by the end, both experiences nearly drove me to drink.
Now, this technology is nothing new. Automated voice ‘assistance’ has been around for a while. I think the earliest memory I have of being annoyed by it was when I had to call American Airlines. The good news was that the number was actually toll-free from Cayman – a rare bird indeed. The bad news was that getting to an actual person took patience; a very long phone cord so one could sit while waiting (yes, ‘twas the days before mobiles); and a willingness to flout the rules. By the latter, I mean completely ignoring any request for information the recorded voice at the other end of the line was making of you, and instead whacking the ‘0’ button with gusto until it gave up asking for your booking reference, AAdvantage number, or mother’s maiden name and just put you through to someone.
(These days, baying “REPRESENTATIVE” into your phone usually works. It’s all about finding the system’s Achilles’ heel.)
Even as the world advanced, and more companies began to turn to automation (credit card distributors, theatres, car rental agencies…), we still had human operators in Cayman. It’s one of those aspects of island life that we probably didn’t appreciate until it began to disappear.
When you called the bank, or utility service company, you didn’t just get information – it was more personal than that.
“Hi, Miss Vicki, how is the family? Is your mum still teaching? Please give her my best.”
Or, if you had to ask directions on where to go, you’d get a mix of street names and familiar landmarks.
“… then turn left by the giant poinciana tree and go past Mr. John’s house…”
Operators often remained in their jobs for years, so voices became known and welcome. It was like when I used to call the old Cinema I and II back in the day – I loved all the ladies who worked there and they recognised my voice instantly.
“Hey, Vicki, you wanna know what’s comin’ in this week?” They knew how much I coveted my films.
I can’t recall when I realised things had truly changed. Maybe it’s when I called an institution’s local number and, after I pressed my way through endless menus and finally got a human, they promptly asked my name and what country I was calling from. Exsqueeze me? We didn’t go to school together? You weren’t at Fidel Murphy’s last Friday night? You have no idea what I’m talking about when I say I’ve just seen ripe sea grapes along the coast?
It really does take some getting used to, calling a Cayman area code and getting someone located elsewhere. It’s also frustrating, because nine times out of 10, what I need requires local knowledge. Nothing finer than holding for 30 minutes, waiting for someone to pick up, only for them to say they need to transfer me to a colleague located on the island.
Well, that’s just super.
I don’t know why companies these days keep talking about how we, the customers, are really important to them, but then they replace their staff with machines, which just makes life more difficult. On one of the popular Cayman social media groups, I saw a member begging others for an inside track on how to contact a business without having to physically get in their car and drive there. I felt the same way when I called for assistance and got bounced off Jamaica and Trinidad before being rerouted to a voicemail where I could leave a message. I assumed the inevitable, hung up and grabbed the car keys.
Experiences like that make me all the more grateful when I get a taste of how life used to be here. For example, I called Flow last week, looking for urgent guidance on an email situation. None other than the lovely Lana Ebanks answered the phone. Whew, what a breath of fresh air! Anyone who has contacted that telecom company in the last few decades would have spoken to Lana at some point. She has been working there for ages, and embodies the local charm that I mentioned earlier, where she knows so many customers by voice and takes the time to do what she can to assist. She promised she’d get on my case right away, and called me back through the day with updates. My eyes were practically brimming with tearful nostalgia by the time my problem was solved.
Yes, technology is everywhere we turn, and I realise that in many cases, it can really improve our lives. But, in my humble opinion, we shouldn’t sacrifice the human touch completely. After all, if a telecommunications company still has someone like Lana on the frontline, doesn’t that say it all?
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