In Pixar’s WALL-E, oversized humans recline on levitating barcaloungers and are dressed, primped, polished, and served, entirely by robots. Fiction? Maybe not, at least according to a wave of media coverage pointing to a dizzying array of service innovations on the horizon.
The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never Be Automated
Companies need to be more human, not less.
February 19, 2018
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Summary.
In Pixar’s WALL-E, oversized humans recline on levitating barcaloungers and are dressed, primped, polished, and served, entirely by robots. Fiction? Maybe not; consider Amazon Go or a whole host of other automated services in which machines take the place of humans. While some of these innovations have promise, it’s unlikely that they will fully take over due to the psychology behind how and why we prefer human interaction in many cases. That said, companies that are successful with service automation will be those that supplement the work of technology with that of actual people.
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HBR Learning
HBR Learning
Customer Focus Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Customer Focus. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to keep your customers—and their most important needs—front and center.