Remember "Computer Says No" from Little Britain back in 2004? Carol, the unhelpful bank clerk, became an icon of customer service gone wrong. It was funny because we’ve all been there. But fast forward to today, and we're living in a world where that satire hits closer to home than ever.

Automation has crept into every corner of our lives, promising efficiency and ease. Yet, somewhere along the line, we started feeling sidelined. Case in point: a friend of mine recently lost his bank card. What should've been a simple fix turned into an hour-long saga.

He messages a live chat on Barclays' site. They send him to the app, promising he can cancel his card there. No dice. Back to live chat, where they again point him to the app. Frustrated, he mentions the issue, and they offer a phone number, assuring a quick resolution. Twenty minutes of waiting in the telephonic abyss later, he finally cancels his card over the phone.

An hour to cancel a bank card. Not exactly a crisis, but it's far from the seamless experience we're all promised. It leaves you wondering if customer care was an afterthought in designing these systems. It feels like the personal touch you'd expect from walking into a bank has been left behind in the digital dust.

This experience isn't unique. It's becoming the standard, and it's not okay. When businesses swap face-to-face interactions for digital convenience, customers shouldn't feel less valued. But often, that's exactly what happens. Hidden behind screens and automated responses, it's easy for companies to forget there's a real person on the other side.

Here's the thing: automation is not the enemy. It's a tool, and like any tool, its value comes from how we use it. The goal was to save time, to streamline processes. But what's the point if it leaves your customers more frustrated than when they started?

The core of any business, the very heart of it, ought to be customer experience. Lose sight of that, and you lose your customers. It's that simple. Treating people like numbers, like faceless entries in a database, is a surefire way to breed resentment. It's a lesson as old as time, yet it's one we keep forgetting.

So, what's the solution? It starts with empathy. Putting yourself in your customers' shoes and then designing systems that aren't just efficient, but are also considerate and humane. Yes, automate where it makes sense, but keep the human element alive and well. Because at the end of the day, no one wants to hear "Computer Says No." They want solutions, they want to feel heard, and most importantly, they want to feel valued.

Let's not let automation be an excuse for poor service. Instead, let it be a tool that enhances our ability to connect and serve our customers better. So let’s not normalise "Computer Says No". How about computer says “Yes, of course, how can I help?”.

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