People and Technology

Saturday morning is for finishing 'all those things that you were supposed to have got done a while back, but you never did'.  For us men, our better half usually has a ready list to remind us.  In my case, this list is quite long and my dear wife does not hesitate to keep reminding me.  On this particular Saturday, I decided to pick the most menial of the tasks from this list - to go to the bank and collect a Fixed Deposit Renewal receipt.

As I walked in the Bank (we are their customers for over 20 years now!), I was pleasantly surprised.   I was visiting them after a long time - doing most of my banking tasks online or through the ATM.   The bank had a completely new look!  Gone were the old bulky steel desks and bulky chairs.   The old noisemaking fans - (which were usually cleaned with a frequency of about once in a decade!) were replaced by cool noiseless split A/Cs.   The bright lighting, the wood panels, the sleek marble floor and of course the flat paneled screen with a desktop on every table - wow!  Was this the same leading nationalised bank ? What a transformation!

Or so I thought!

I went to the lady at the desk and told her that I had come to just collect my FDR renewal receipt.  To my surprise, instead of clicking on the keyboard in front of her, she pulled out what looked like a thick register with all sorts of noting.  Next few minutes went through a fairly elaborate "manual" process of tracing the document.  During this time, the sleek flat screen panel on her desk was in "sleep" mode - lying untouched.  I suggested that perhaps she look me up in the system.   "Do you know your account number ? " .  "No !".  That's it ! I could sense that I was fast being branded as a "irresponsible" customer - who neither could give reference of the FDR, nor could remember the account number etc.  Somehow, I was beginning to sound apologetic, despite being a customer of this bank.  

At that point, I decided to make yet another attempt to get her to use the system. "But I remember my name, will that help?", I suggested !!.   She stared at me blankly.  I had no idea what to make of this.  Was she considering my suggestion ?  Or would I be hit with that unused keyboard on her desk.   I waited in anticipation. 

Suddenly, almost like a war cry she called her colleague.  "This man does not know his account number" !  I was embarrassed.   Now everybody in the branch was staring at me, as I started looking for the nearest escape route out of that place.  Instantly,  her collegue - a young and very confident girl appeared on the scene.   I could instantly sense that she was probably the "super user", the "online help" or the "Miss Google" of this branch.  I felt relieved as she moved the mouse and the screen came out of its slumber.  Finally, my document was traced and I was off.

As I came out of the branch, it got me thinking.  How are people adopting as we deploy technology ? Or is it that we have made it complicated !  Maybe both.   I am sure the lady at the desk must have been a very competent and accomplished employee of the bank.  But as the bank management advertises and proudly declares their "computerised:" branches, how much attention goes to the people transformation ? 

There is a very rapid proliferation of technology.  The next generation is growing up with it and is very comfortable using it.   Many from our generation and the previous generation find this change too fast. 

As more adapt and the next generation moves in, hopefully, we will change our ways and our established paradigms.  We need that change, so that we can truly benefit from the technology around us.