They can control the heating in our homes, remind us when it’s time to take Wee Davey Jnr to football and switch the lights off when we go to bed.
Artificial Intelligence systems are transforming many of our daily activities.
But when it comes to dealing with an organisation, most customers don’t want to talk to a robot with all the charisma of Theresa May’s dance teacher.
They want to deal with a real person.
Show all Customer Services jobs across Scotland
In fact, in a study carried out by the Institute of Customer Service, some customers said they’d refuse to use a company where human interaction was not available.
Anyone working in customer service will be familiar with developments that have seen artificial intelligence infiltrate areas of many businesses. And many are great – smart, switched-on, responsive, they never have an off day.
But here’s the thing. No matter how effective they are at sorting data and checking files, they can’t match you for the soft skills that really matter.
So what have you got a computer hasn’t?
Ears
Not just the two sticky-out bits on the side of your head but the magical processing power that comes with them. You can detect changes in tone and recognise instinctively what these mean.
Is your customer simply confused or hopping mad? You are uniquely placed to determine their state of mind and react accordingly.
Empathy
Whether they’re on the phone, emailing or face to face at the reception desk, when a customer is upset you have the power to make them feel better.
A few well-chosen words and a kindly tone go a long way.
Humour
Have you heard the one about the computer that tells jokes? No, it didn’t make us laugh either.
Attempts at cyber-humour are woeful but as a human being you’ve this natural gift for fun and laughter. Share the joy with customers.
Intuition
Don’t ask us how it happens but you just know when something’s a bit off. It’s a skill humans have acquired through hundreds of thousands of years of interactions – no-one wants to get on the wrong side of a T Rex!
When we get the feeling something’s not quite right, it’s time to act.
Don’t be afraid by the march of the machines. Let them take over the tedious bits while you cherry pick the cream of the Customer Service vacancies on s1jobs.