COVID-19 and Mindset

We are in “unprecedented times”. We keep hearing it. It doesn’t make it any easier. But what does it all mean? 

All our routines are completely out of kilter! Even if you’re still working as ‘normal’, and I use the term normal loosely, everything around you will have changed. Are you finding you’re up having later nights, later mornings? Drinking more? Drinking less? Kids at home? Are you at home or are you stuck somewhere? Are you working? Are you furloughed? Had you even heard that term before March 2020, because I know I hadn’t!? Some people are loving the social isolation, it allows them to catch up with some much-needed reading and rest, others like myself, find some days easier than others.  And shopping.  So much online shopping. And it seems I’m not the only one. Online retailers are competing for our ever-depleting cash, offering sale after sale, whilst traditional high street stores continue to suffer. 

And how is COVID-19 affecting us mentally? Have you been paying attention to your mental health or the mental health of those in isolation with you? Perhaps you have no choice but to go about your day pretty much unchanged if you’re a key worker? Are you social distancing?  Remember, take care of yourself and adhere to the advice: Wash your hands, stay 2 meters away and hand sanitise when you can, and try and only go out when you need to. As someone living with a lung condition from birth, this places a huge burden on my wife so there’s always that feeling of guilt to manage too!

Technology has proven itself to be essential during this time. We are all using video conferencing such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, having video chats (or having socially distanced virtual House Parties involving booze…..the less said about that the better) to keep sane but remember there are loads of resources online to help us all through these strange times too. Mind is an excellent library of online resources for helping us stay focused and improve our approach to the ongoing situation.  Similarly, the NHS has a bank of resources to help combat anxiety and stress, and if you want to change the mindset from fear to challenge, The Conversation has an excellent piece by Prof. Bethany Teachman on how to see COVID-19 as a challenge rather than a fearsome mindset.

The advice is plentiful but where to look, who to trust and in an age where we must question and scrutinize our media, who do we listen to and who do we trust?  Of all the advice available, some things keep repeating.

Try and stick to routines, try and do things that make you smile. Whether that means learning something new, developing new skills or finally getting through that boxset on Netflix it’s all good, deal with the situation as you know best and don’t kick yourself if you’re having a bad day, or week. Stay as healthy as you can remembering that means physical and mental health as much as possible and make a list of all the good things you want to do when we are out of lockdown. Because we will be out of lockdown, the world may be quite different afterwards, but I’ve got some thoughts on that in a future blog.

Customer Service, Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots

Can you see it in the email below? Maybe look a bit closer?

I recently made some changes in our Microsoft Partner programme and received this email a short while later. It took me a few glances, but there it is….

….‘Automated Solution Assistant’. Kristin Meyer is in fact, a bot.

We’re about to head into times where the use of Artificial Intelligence will become the norm, but in reality its been used by banks and larger organisations for a while. What will change is the rapid and increasing adoption in the customer services sector as the technology gets better and better, and more easily accessible to smaller businesses thanks to cloud computing. We’re almost at the point where its nigh on impossible to tell whether you’re interacting with a human or a well-engineered piece of software.

The use of chat-bots is expected to explode through 2020. I’m even involved in a business who can do just that because it’s great for smaller sellers and businesses in increasing customer satisfaction, offering a customised experience and aiding retention. Essentially, it's helping to automate the customer service role (to a point).

What I don’t know or have answers to, is at what point does this technology get so good where it can (in-theory) replace the majority of customer services roles in huge businesses, like customer service call-centres? Business will always look to reduce operating costs so as technology gets better, what effects will it have on employees and looking at the bigger picture, socially?

As we move into times where automation becomes a driving factor and is more heavily adopted using technology, what overall challenges do you envisage because I’m very interested to hear your thoughts?