The more I read your item Re: Is speed/technology really progress? (was
Re:Progress to swift), the more something didn't feel right.
Then it came to me - you seem to be making the assumption that quality of
service is simply a matter of efficiency. I suspect however that perception
of quality of service is also related to the attitude and behaviour of the
front-line service provided, say the check-out person.
In the check-out example, I would argue that overall quality of service has
probably not increased - you may spend less time waiting, but the
unmotivated check-out person would not make the experience pleasant. The
relationship between service provider and service receiver is part of the
service.
I believe there are real risks for an organisation if it applies technology
without carefully looking at its effects on the attitudes and behaviour of
the staff. The "learning organisation" has to take a more holistic view of
service.
>Competition ensures that the benefits of technology go to the end user of
>the
>technology rather than the provider of the technology.
>
>> At the grocery today, they swiped my card through a card reader and
>> got 5 second purchase approval.
>> "Isn't technology amazing?" I remarked.
>> "It's faster, sure, but life isn't any better than it was
>> before, I still work too much, and whether it's a card reader
>> or a little book doesn't matter to me. If it's a card reader,
>> that just means I'm supposed to handle more people in the same
>> time." replied the cashier.
>>
>> Progress = Fast Credit Checks???
>
>You, the end user, got the benefit of waiting less time (and so on for your
>other examples).
Eddy
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