We’ve all had stupid moments. I can’t even begin to recall all of mine. That’s not what this rant is about. This rant is about the sheer and consistent stupidity I seem to face in all aspects of any customer facing business. The stupidity of the masses, not the individual.

Do you know why automated systems took over most of our day to day work? Because the average customer facing worker recites their script endlessly. That is something a computer can do minus the need for breaks, food, washrooms, incentives or anything else. If I wanted to talk to a computer, I would talk to a computer.

The idea of interacting with another human being has an implied understanding of “Hey, I need some assistance here. I couldn’t figure out something myself, or with the help of an automated system, so would like to engage your experience and empathy to come to a positive resolution which concludes with me doing business with you.” Instead, I get stuck in that endless looping script.

Now that isn’t to say all customer service reps are bad. There are exceptions. There are those that are phenomenal at what they do. I also understand the need for scripts to fall back on. Sometimes it helps with inexperience. Sometimes it helps as a method for satiating irate customers. Blame the company, not the person. I get that.

My big issue is the good ones are now the exception. Even 5 years ago it seemed the good ones were the norm with the robots being the exception. What the literal hell happened?

Case in point. Today I closed my accounts with a business I have been dealing with 30 years. Why? Part of it could be blamed on higher operating costs and the need to offset that with lesser skilled employees. Part of that would explain why over the last half decade inconsistent answers to my steady questions are provided depending on with whom one talks. But mostly I think it’s a distinct apathy that has become the norm in the modern day workplace. All of us are so horrible to each other on a daily basis that we’ve simply gone into “no fucks given” mode as a form of self-preservation. I get that. It still doesn’t diminish my need to vent. To rant. To get it off of my chest.

I feel like an old man thinking “Back in my day …” because today is still my day. I still work hard. I still take pride in what I do. I still fight with every breath to conduct myself to the best of my ability, to ensure that every person I interact with thinks back and says “I’m better off having met him today.”

What happened to this mentality? How did we allow it to evaporate? When did we settle? Why?

I know I’m not the only one that experiences this. Is it too late ? Are we stuck with the machines taking over more and more? Is there nothing we can do to put humanity back in the humans?

Or is this a fool’s errand, a dying crusade? Should I just just give up too? Adjust my attitude to fit in to what we’ve all decided is the norm?

No. I refuse. I will continue to fight the good fight, to lead by example. I still have hope we can be better, and I have a plan to get us there.