Kolumne „Out of the box“: Wenn der Kunde die Arbeit übernimmt
Unternehmen lassen ihre Kunden die Arbeit selbst erledigen. Mit KI können sie Personalkosten sparen, riskieren dabei aber das, was sich nicht leicht berechnen lässt, meint Frank Dopheide.
In today's world of work, the concept of vacation has undergone a significant transformation. Instead of taking a break from work, one becomes the one responsible for handling all the tasks. Imagine this: a flight to Gothenburg, where everything from booking the flight to checking in, loading the boarding pass on your phone, weighing and checking the luggage, and even printing the itinerary are all done by the customer themselves. The most delightful time of the year seems to have turned into a work assignment.
In Sweden, this feeling is mirrored seamlessly. Upon arriving at the hotel in Gothenburg, a sleek and modern establishment, one is met with minimal staff. The hotel staff has been pared down to the bare essentials, with the exception of the friendly welcome sign at the terminal. The customer is left to check themselves in, manage their room access, pay for their stay, and even tip digitally by confirming the amount on the screen.
Even the checkout process is an exercise in impersonal efficiency. At the supermarket on the way out, the customer scans their Swedish cinnamon buns, known as "kanelbullar," and struggles with the device's inability to recognize the local specialty. Payment is completed at an automated machine, highlighting the lack of personal interaction even in the most mundane tasks.
During this Swedish vacation-turned-work assignment, the author has taken on the roles of vacationer, flight attendant, concierge, and bakery vendor, all for free.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
