Business Needs to be More Human(e)
In-person business is inherently more human, but it isn't necessarily more humane.
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“Not for new business, Mr. Coleman.”
The answer I received when I asked if I could complete the car insurance waivers online instead of in person.
Anyone who knows me has (for better or worse) heard me ramble about how business isn’t human anymore and how everything would just be better if it were local and done between friends. I stand by that. But here I am, shunning the (relatively) local auto insurer and going with a megacorporation instead.
Why?
Well, the price certainly. To some degree, I just don’t trust any auto insurer. If I’m going to have to fight tooth and nail to get a collision claim paid, I might as well save some money in the process.
The remainder of my issue is, frankly, I just don’t want to go into an auto insurance office to do paperwork. It’s not solely an issue of my time (though that’s certainly part of it). Mostly, I just don’t see the point. Is it really necessary that I go into the office? I can’t imagine it is.
Why is this where I draw the line, though? Am I just wrong or hypocritical?
I’d much rather go to the doctor’s office in person than use Teladoc. I almost always prefer to call customer service rather than use a chat feature. Anytime I have the option to interact with someone in person, I’ll take it. So, why not here?
I think the difference lies in the type of action it is (the fact that I hate insurance from the very bottom of my soul also doesn’t help). I’m not going in to have a relatively more human interaction. Paperwork and waivers are just as human (read: basically not at all human) in-person as they are online.
So, is it fair to say that in-person business is always more human? Yes, I think it is. However, I don’t think that the “more human” version of doing business is always more humane. Making your customers jump through more hoops to get something they’re legally obligated to carry anyway just doesn’t seem humane to me.
Don’t get me wrong, the 25-minute hold time to speak to someone at Allstate isn’t particularly humane either. Maybe it’s just that I’m used to them. Maybe this is just a spot of cognitive dissonance for me, and I should jump through an extra hoop to do business with someone more local.
But when the difference is someone who operates throughout the state of Texas versus someone who operates throughout the entire United States, local doesn’t exactly feel like the right descriptor.
As small business owners, we’re required to stay on our toes and keep our experience as human and humane as possible. It’s the right thing to do to serve the clients we care about. Plus, if we don’t, why would anyone use our services instead of a large conglomerate’s? Theirs are cheaper and just as annoying.
Thanks for reading,
Joe