Automated Customer Service: The Advantages Outweigh the DisadvantagesToday's global market is more competitive than ever. Companies are trying to increase profits and reduce operating costs. Shareholders insist that companies make money, thus increasing their stock portfolios. Consumers are more active than at any time in human history. They work longer hours and try to fit more extracurricular activities into their evenings. The automated customer service system has entered this field. Automated customer service has brought many benefits to both businessmen and consumers today. It has reduced consumer wait times, allowed companies to reduce operating costs and eliminated intermediaries. While it is not free from bugs, new innovations are not. The telephone wasn't perfect when it was invented, and I'd be willing to bet that the light bulb burned out several times at the most inopportune times before it was perfected. time to fully develop. One thing is certain, however, it offers us many advantages. The consumer no longer has to deal with a worker. There is no need to get into a discussion on the phone; this would be a bit absurd considering this is a talking machine. Not that I've ever yelled at an inanimate object because it wouldn't do what I wanted. The most important advantage offered by the automatic attendant, in my humble opinion, is the reduction of waiting times. This allows the consumer the luxury of not being kept on hold waiting to speak to a human operator, who may or may not provide good service. Today, automated customer service is a necessity. Recent years have shown an increase in the pace of life of the average consumer by 40%. This, combined with the stress of today's economy and the era of the dual-income family, has created the need for change. This, however, is only one side of the coin. All businesses are looking for ways to save the almighty dollar. Salaries have increased at a rate probably faster than the pace of life. The answer for many companies has been to automate as much of the customer service function as possible. This allows the company the ability to hire fewer customer service agents. While that's not good for unemployment rates, it's definitely a boon for the system. There are bugs that can hopefully be fixed through new technology and innovation. How many people thought that the first automobile was nothing more than a damned contraption that was just as likely to explode on you as it was to take you where you wanted to go? I imagine there are thousands, even millions of people who feel this way. We live in an imperfect world and in this imperfect world no new innovation is free from errors, and it is a fact that most people resist change. However, with most people looking for ways to save time so they can squeeze in that thirty minute workout or get to their oldest child's baseball game, the automated assistant innovation is one of the best options available . Additionally, all businesses are looking for ways to reduce operating expenses. This will increase their profit margins so that their fat end-of-year bonus will be even bigger and their shareholders will allow them to keep their jobs. These things are what make automated customer service the best option available for both businesses and consumers. Given the technology we have today, this innovation, like many others, can and will only improve with time.