The Orlando Sentinel: Are consumers missing out on something by making the switch to self-service? Are we losing a crucial point of contact with other human beings?
In a word, says Ulrike Schultze, "no."
Schultze, associate professor of information technology and operations management at Southern Methodist University, studies the effects of our growing reliance on self-serve technology. "In most cases, it's not as though you are sacrificing a valuable human experience," she said.
"Take the example of ordering a hamburger at McDonald's," Schultze says. "The person you are talking to is just rattling off information from a script: `Do you want a large Coke with that? Do you want this or that special?'
"An electronic interaction isn't going to be much different. When was the last time you had a conversation with somebody at a checkout line that changed your life?"
