The world is getting smaller and communications faster but folks are basically staying the same: happy or sad, giggly or grumpy.
That’s why there are more than one hundred customer service vacancies on s1jobs – no matter how whizzy the technology, we all need humans to sort us out when the washing machine won’t wash or the broadband dies.
But where customer service often falls down is when goods and services fail to show up in the first place.
The internet was meant to improve customer service for everyone, but people who live in remote locations have yet to feel the full benefits.
The trouble is, while ordering has never been easier, the same can’t be said for delivery.
Twisty roads, ferry journeys and bad weather make getting goods to far-flung addresses expensive and uncertain.
Try ordering plants from the UK’s biggest online nursery, or shoes from an exclusive supplier, and you’ll be told: “We don’t deliver north of the Highland line” or find yourself paying a huge premium.
Cue the super-cool gadgets that could make life easier for customers and customer services agents alike.
The first game changers could be drones. These high-flying gadgets have already transformed deliveries in Africa and Alaska, so why not closer to home?
Attach a parcel to a drone, programme it with the correct GPS co-ordinates and send it on its way.
Packages of all kinds could soon be dropping from the sky like happy hailstones –although Great Uncle Shug may still have to click-and-collect his new dumbbells.
Drones are not the only technical innovation set to make deliveries more reliable.
A company in California has pioneered a smart delivery solution to take the pain out of home shopping.
Picture an over-sized mail box bristling with smart technology and synced to the home-owner’s email.
When delivery drivers can drop even large packages securely into these boxes, scan them to make them secure and automatically inform the customer their package has been delivered, we have an end to waiting in all day for a no-show.
Things are set to get even smarter with the development of an app by a Swedish company that allows trusted delivery services to electronically open your door while you’re out – allowing grocery companies to deliver food straight into your fridge.
Just imagine the joy of coming home from work knowing the beer and pizzas are already waiting for you.
That’s customer service we can all cheer about.