DISQUS

Emma · 1 year ago

Personally I like the self check out lines. They are usually faster and you don't have to deal with a lot of slow people. Maybe the lady was indignant because she felt it was her turn and didn't want the clerk to be held up helping you. But she might also have been one of those people who have a fear of technology and was a little jealous and resentful of you. Because she was afraid to try the self check out. :cool:

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Psychotic Ape · 1 year ago

I like self service lines as well, but I do think that it will lead to more low end jobs being replaced by bots / machines. I can tell you that ATM's have had an impact on banks, the hours are less and they hire less bank staff - but most of the jobs affected are blue collar workers. I'm not one so I really don't care, but I do think this will be a bigger social problem in the future.

Abhik · 1 year ago

This is a cool post John :)

I think that "why" the lady created a scene is... in short.. because she's an idiot :) But to go analyze it deeper it would/could be a few different things or a mixture of the following:
1. The important thing is "belief" in one's own "world view". As in we all have our specific ways in which we view the world. Whether those beliefs are based on fact or fiction becomes irrelevant to most people. (Although if you are an intelligent person you will use reasoning and logic before arriving at a conclusion). Her belief is that automation is depriving people of jobs - a false belief...but a belief none the less.
2. More than likely she doesn't have a "life". People live such mundane lives...they will usually jump in an participate in inane conversations just to feel important..in their own minds.
3. And there's a saying..forgot who said this..."common sense is most uncommon in common people..but enough of which makes a man a genius".

As marketers if you try to "impose" a different world view on your prospect, even if it's "right"...you're not going to sell shit. You must frame your offers by aligning it with the prospects existing views...and work from there.

E.g. It is a common belief for most newbie affiliate marketers that the "super affiliates" have "secrets" which are hidden from them...and that's why they make so much money while they chase pennies.

And because that is the general belief....most of these sales letters we see frame it like that or they wouldn't make sales. Headlines like.."Joe marketer finally reveals the affiliate methods that the super affiliates DON'T want you to know".

That fits in with their existing belief...and it sells. If the headlines told the truth..."Step by step method to being a super affiliate...by moving your ass...treating it like a business..stop whining...start consistently implementing...expect to do put in some serious elbow grease...etc"...Uumm that ain't going to make sales.

This was a fun post...will wait to read your follow up.

Oh..and John..earlier I had asked about getting this blog template...and you'd given a link...but when I went there with the two options to buy $39 and $59...it takes me to a page where there are payment options for advertising etc on your site...but no clear link or instructions on how to actually buy the template. Am I missing something here? Thanks.

John Cow · 1 year ago

Great answer and interesting way to look at it. As for the template it is pulled right now, we will update everyone soon.

Liam · 1 year ago

Q1 - She was scared, scared of change. Things happen and she has a fearful reaction. Likely she always reacts in life and makes fear based decisions instead of taking positive action towards something she wants.
Q2 - By letting outside influences (economy, or the latest marketing gimmick) scare us into pulling our focus away from what we should be doing.

Linda Van Fleet · 1 year ago

IMHO, Liam hit it head on: FEAR and allowing that fear to sidetrack or paralyze us.

I will add that she probably was already in a bad mood and the "kick your dog" syndrome caused her to take her frustrations out on the cashier. She was probably kicking herself as she left the store.

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Batman · 1 year ago

She was obviously a wingnut who doesn't really think things through. You could almost compare it to mouthing off and calling out someone you don't know and then ending up in some kind of a contest where you are obviously overmatched.

It's just not smart. :twisted:

Dude World Order · 1 year ago

old people are funny.

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Steven · 1 year ago

My personal belief is that there is no longer respect for anyone but themselves. This doesn't pertain to everyone but a major share. That is why people no longer help each other out.

The serious lack of respect and patience is what is being practiced more often than kindness. It shows in our youths. They had to get their training from someone.

GettingAheadInLife · 1 year ago

I believe it's a fear of embracing the technology. The truth is the automated checkout doesn't replace a cashier because someone still needs to replace the receipt roll.

Cheers

Ian McConnell
Getting Ahead In Life

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Neil Duckett · 1 year ago

Agreed ... fear of technology.

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Laura · 1 year ago

Q1. The old cow thinks that her herd got it right and their way is the right way of chewing the cud. The newer herds intimidate her so she keeps mooing to her own tune and resists grazing in their meadows. She knows she is outnumbered so she throws cow patties as her defense.

Q2. People do this in business by continuing to do what was successful for businesses at one time, believing that they have it right because of that success, even if the methods aren't as efficient any more. But it could be that if they take the bull by the horns and try something new and different, they might find a greater success then they thought possible.

Summary: Both situations are stuck in a rut and resistant to change.

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Rhys · 1 year ago

Funny, had an arguement about it with my mum. Her arguement was blaming everybody - the microchip, immigrants, the unemployed for her being so stressed. Fact is, if she didn't like it why doesn't she leave her job.

It's fear of the unknown, people are happy with their status quo without wanting to improve her life. Technology for most people (hell, all of us) is used as a way to improve everybody's quality of living (be it using an ATM or self service checkout to give yourself more time).

To answer your questions - she did it because it was something that she didn't understand, or was losing out in (you were going ahead of her in the queue, hence she piped up), hence the reason to defend her way of thinking. I'm sure in business most are the same, but the truly successful businesses are ones open to new ways of thinking.

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Keith · 1 year ago

I like how you have the "Notify me of followup comments via e-mail" checked by default :evil:

I think see why old woman would think that...makes sense to me. Poor lady, y'all are so mean to her :sad:

Here I thought this was a post about Digg.com

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Keith · 1 year ago

Whoops...
"I think see why old woman would think that" was supposed to say "I could see why the old woman would think that"

Keiths last blog post..Miscellaneous (Contest, Quick Money Making Tip)

Jim · 1 year ago

This is why I'm a conservative. People who are like that, arguing against advancement in favor of letting people keep a job here or there are out of their minds. Every last bill to favor an end to outsourcing is the worst idea in the book... why?... companies make their profit margins by getting cheaper labor. If we start cutting jobs overseas in favor of domestic work, companies start losing money, and more jobs get cut than would have in the first place. I'm trying to summarize here for the sake of the post.

Question 1. What in your opinion was the reason this lady got so mad that she was willing to make an idiot of herself in front of others to defend a point that was in actual fact… pointless?
-She is clearly being bombarded by idealist false information commonly heard in presidential speeches that promises more jobs, and blah blah blah, but actually doesn't play out so well in reality.

Question 2. In what ways do you think we do this very same thing in our own business?
-I'm all for globalization and advancement. If you aren't needed for a job, get a new job. I'm sorry, but I'm not about to sacrifice my time so that joe-shmoe can keep his $10/hour popsicle stand job. Harsh. But sometimes it has to be. :???:

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One Year Millionaire · 1 year ago

Q1 - The lady probably reacted this way because her or someone she had known had been laid off of a job because of machinery that could do the job better. Technology; however, will never completely replace workers because there are always customers who need help.. and computers sometimes will not have the answers to a very human problem.

Q2 - I believe that in some cases people aren't needed for a specific job but they are kept there because they have nowhere else to put them. They don't want to let them go, but they can actually do better without them. That person may or may not want to work in that position and usually technology replaces the type of work that is known to be monotonous *aka BORING*

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James Blogger · 1 year ago

Very thought-provoking story, John!

Personally I believe all old ladies (except, of course, my own grandmothers) are the spawn of the devil :twisted:

They get so bored, as do so many other people that do nothing, that they begin to resist change and refuse to look for improvement. They're ...silly...! (did you know there are no affectionate words for silly in French?)

Ciao, (heh, Ciao rhymes with Cow :cool: )
James

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Jurgis · 1 year ago

Well, I think all the talk about people loosing jobs is a smoke screen. She is just angry for having to wait in a long line. Then someone jumps the queue or it feels like it and then they ask "her" cashier for assistance before her. I can understand the old lady. Her point was: you chose to cut corners with the machinery and it's your problem, if it breaks down - I have invested a lot of time to get human assistance and do not dare to ask for it before I am served.

I don't see how that relates to on-line business yet.

james burney · 1 year ago

This is just my opinion but I feel that both of the mentioned women are actually scared of change.
Change in industry, education etc creates the most amount of fear due to the fact that people feel that they may not be able to adapt to the 'new' world or the 'new' way of doing things.
This gives them a felling of being left behind and not being part of the pack.

Fact is change is required if we want to improve the quality of our lives.

I bet both ladies complained when they invented the telephone and their smoke signals started getting ignored.

James

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Vicki Flaugher · 1 year ago

IMO, the general issue at the base of this woman's reaction is a feeling that she does not have and/or is losing respect and value from others. She wasn't getting served the way she felt she should, someone else's problem (not "my" problem, so why am I impacted?) was encrouching on her service, and the irritation with the self-service machines are the fact that they are self-service in the first place--you wait on yourself. No one waits on you. No one smiles at you. No one asks you how you day is going. No one says thank you. A person, I mean, because of course the screen says thanks--oooh, how warm.

The perceived "losing jobs" impact is a further expression of the belief that people's value is being degraded in our society. Several posts here talk about it too---that we don't help each other out. Especially at a business we want to feel like the owner cares about the fact that we handed them our hard-earned money. She's not completely off base really, although I think she may have been so internally focused that she didn't perceive her behavior as out of line at all. She was telling her point of view because "somebody needs to speak up."

As a marketer, we have to find ways to make our clients feel special, unique, appreciated. We have to create a human connection. I love it when I go into a place and they greet me by name. I buy more from those people. I don't want to be just a number either (although I love those self service machines--they are so cool!). Being a commodity sucks and if we treat our customers like a slab of beef they will act out. Or not buy. Or cause a scene in the line at Home Depot. We can't forget at the end of every transaction is a living, breathing, loving human being. (here marks the end of my soapbox speech...LOL!)

IMO.

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

Vicki Flaugher · 1 year ago

Hey, John--this post inspired me so I decided to talk about in my blog today. Great issue--Thanks!
Vicki

Vicki Flaughers last blog post..Do You Treat Your Customers Like a Slab of Beef?

Step by Step Profit Guide · 1 year ago

Let them whine. Let the marketplace decide.

There's a reason that ATMs and self-checkouts are everywhere...it's what people want.

Frequently I have only 2-3 items, and I hate standing in line behind someone digging through a pile of coupons and emptying their change purse on the counter, even in the 'express lane'. Let me 'beep beep beep' my way through the self-checkout screens and be on my way.

I have found that USUALLY there is a direct correlation between "strongly-opinionated" and ignorance (in the true sense of the word).

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Vicki Flaugher · 1 year ago

Is deciding that this woman is just an idiot, ignorant, stupid, crazy or backwards the best way to evaluate this situation? As marketers is it our most productive course of action to blame the customer for being screwed up? True or not, she still has a pocketbook. And, she's not alone in it. Do we truly choose to denegrate and ignore a segment of the population because we don't agree with their world view? Maybe so if they're not our ideal client profile. Maybe not if their opinion is shared by others. How often do our own personal prejudices color our marketing? Judging from the overall discussion, too often.

Vicki

Vicki Flaughers last blog post..Do You Treat Your Customers Like a Slab of Beef?

Four Tier Annihilation · 1 year ago

I am afraid that, well, this lady demanded service due to the fact that she has lost faith in what IS service. Eventhough the cashier did right to attend to your problem, as she still knows what IS service, the lady demanded to get HER service what she was waiting for too. (Maybe she is just a moody old bitch, I do not know) But, it all comes down to service. And, if you drop service in your own business, you will loose the cheese on your bread and eventually the bread too.

Amy · 1 year ago

I think it's pretty obvious from the fact she was raising her voice at the cashier to begin with that she never cared one iota about the cashiers' jobs. If she was so concerned about that, she would have been more kind and compassionate toward the cashier. She was only using a stupid, unproven theory as an excuse to try to get her service first. You were right to bring up the ATM issue, and I'm glad that shut her up. My grandmother refuses to even own a bank card because she's afraid it will get stolen! :roll: :lol: But then, my grandmother wouldn't have been such a miserable (excuse the pun) old cow. She might have been a little annoyed that she had to wait longer, but she wouldn't have said a word to anyone.