I CERTAINLY AGREE with the concept of business executives in certain fields using modern communication technology to avoid travel to offices on a daily basis, and, in fact, I think this needs to be utilised more often here in Barbados, especially in the present economic environment.
This daily travel just wastes time, adds to traffic congestion, pollution of the atmosphere with exhaust fumes, expense for business clothing, petrol and so on.
You can remain at home, in your own “virtual office” dressed in your pyjamas and communicate effectively to complete any number of tasks. Of course, there are some professions where face to face contact is necessary.
I was pleased some months ago to benefit from such communication technology by being able to witness, in real time, the graduation ceremony of an Australian friend who was receiving her degree from the University of Queensland and more recently to view the home renovations done by a colleague who now lives in India.
All this at little or no cost. Quite amazing!
But this virtual way of life can be taken too far, leaving us in danger of becoming a faceless, robotic society.
Recently, I called an office to seek some information. Of course, the telephone was answered by a recorded answering service directing me to press various numbers based on my questions. That wasn’t surprising, since these days you’re shocked if you actually encounter a real live human on the other end of a telephone line whether it’s an office or a private residence.
However, this went further, in that when you pressed the required number you were then directed to a website and as far as I can see, few if any services mentioned were available locally so it was an exercise in futility. One wonders if that office still rents or owns the huge building it originally occupied, since there no longer seems to be need for physical space.
Another case of “virtuality” gone mad was the solution proposed by a caller to a radio programme for attracting young people to church. We’ve seen methods like upbeat music with live bands and Powerpoint presentations employed locally with varying degrees of success. But the caller went far beyond this with his proposal of “Virtual Sunday School” for youngsters.
I would’ve thought that part of the benefit of attending Sunday School was personal interaction since children already spend too much time “in their own world” using hand-held electronic devices, completely oblivious to what’s going on around them.
LIME, of course, supposedly a leader in the communication business, is one of the worst offenders with regard to effective communication. You’re virtually inundated with texts like “activate Data Bolt On to get 36B of My Cloud data storage free” or “who will dethrone Christabel?” when all you want is reliable service and the ability to communicate personally, when you have a problem, with a human being who speaks and understands your language and can assist.
I’ve become so accustomed to this impersonal approach that I almost died of shock recently when I received a call from a real live Barbadian from LIME saying she was my account executive. I asked for help in receiving a credit which has been due to me for a few months. Weeks later, still no action. Oh well, what’s new?
Recently, LIME was urging its customers to sign up for ebills and proposed a payment for paper bills. Of course, they met with such resistance that they soon withdrew the payment talk, but still encouraged the ebilling. I dutifully signed up for it, and since then I have received neither an ebill nor a paper bill!
To crown it all, funerals are even going virtual. My cousins in California are planning a virtual memorial service for my 94-year-old aunt since most if not all her friends have already passed away.
On another subject, it was ironic that the night before my last column about the lack of true emergency care in Barbados was published, I experienced an emergency with a visiting friend.
Thankfully, the treatment she received from the doctor at a private facility was excellent, although the accompanying service would still suggest that Barbadians haven’t yet fully grasped the meaning of the word “emergency”.
• Dr Frances Chandler is a former Independent senator. Email [email protected].
