Let me set the scene: Philadelphia airport, F concourse, Friday afternoon and I am heading home after a long week of training. I had an hour to kill until my next flight so I thought I would grab a quick beer before I had to board.
I walked into the bar and noticed that they had just completed a remodel. New stools bolted to the floor directly facing tablets that were bolted to the bar. I have experienced tablets in other restaurants and think it's a great idea. For 99 cents my wife and I could talk while my son and daughter played video games. We could search the web, or if we choose, place our order. Very cool.
I waited patiently for one of the three bartenders to approach me and take my order, a 20-dollar bill in hand, which is the universal signal for "I am ready to be waited on." I watched as the three bartenders walked past me multiple times without acknowledging my presence. Five minutes went by without anyone behind the bar even looking in my direction.
As a former bar owner and someone that teaches and preaches about customer service, I was getting rather annoyed at the lack of service. As I was just about to leave out of frustration, the guy at the next stool informed me of rules: "You have to order your drink with the tablet; all they do (referring to the bartenders) is deliver drinks."
Now I am all for technology, but I wasn't going to be forced to use it; after all, I'm the customer and this is America.
I called to one of the bartenders – my mistake, "drink deliverers" – to let them know that I just wanted a quick beer and asked politely if they could grab me one. "No, you have to order through the tablet," was the precise and concise response.
"I have to," I thought to myself. What happened to customer service? Her quick glance at my 20-dollar bill triggered her second comment: "And they don't take cash."
As she went back to delivering drinks, I let my predicament sink in. I have to order through the tablet and they don't accept cash. I left without having that beer, shaking my head as I walked out.
Technology is a wonderful thing when it complements human interaction, but when it replaces it entirely, the customer experience suffers. The bar eliminated every opportunity for personal connection – the friendly greeting, the recommendation, the casual conversation that makes a customer feel valued.
When you implement technology in your business, ask yourself: does this enhance the customer experience, or does it just make things easier for us? If it's the latter, you might want to reconsider.