What? “High Tech means High Touch”. You may not know this expression but those of us who’ve been around technology for a while (at least 25 years) know it’s true.

When ATMs or banking machines were installed everyone thought it would mean the demise of bank tellers but they found out the opposite. People used bank tellers even more than before these “cash machines”. An example of why “high tech means high touch”.

Last week I was at a hospital for a blood transfusion (I have a very rare blood condition and have had more than 30 transfusions since the condition was diagnosed in 1978. Don’t worry – it’s become “normal” for me.).

They had “a great new addition” or so they think. They could give more treatments than before and so help even more patients. Well there were 3 administrators at a big long desktop who checked you in at their computer and gave you a pager.

When mine hadn’t buzzed even though I’d been there for more than an hour I went back up to ask what had happened and was it normal to wait this long. She checked my name on the computer and said my “product” wasn’t ready yet. No mention of how long long I’d still have to wait and no offer to “physically” check for me – just on the computer.

Well to make a long story short it was a volunteer who helped me out after I’d been waiting for 90 minutes. I got my transfusion and of course I’m fine now.

Why didn’t the person at the computer get up and check for me. She was just an admin person doing her job. It was only in her job description to check the computer.

Do I trust computers? Yes and no. It really depends on the person using it.

So is “high tech” better? Yes and no. Yes more people get their transfusions and infusions. No because if one asks then the person at the computer only checks the computer.

What would you do if it was your business? I hope you said “Help the customer. Get up off the chair and check why and come back with a REAL answer.”