If you google this term you'll come up with all kinds of well written articles on the subject, composed by much better wordsmiths that I am. So bear with me a bit. My point of view might be a somewhat different.
Customer Service Excellence Is Disappearing
For a lot of my life I worked in the Casino Industry in Las Vegas in addition to being a Photographer. This isn't anything new. Many "full time photographers" out there do the same thing, even now. Most of the time a Photographer is requested when others are not working. Think evenings and weekends... most family shoots are conducted then, and weddings as well.
While I was in the Casino Industry I held some very lofty positions, such as Department Head, Shift Manager, and Casino Manager. I worked for some of the biggest visionaries out there, like Benny Binion, Sam Boyd Senior, Howard Hughs, and yes, Steve Wynn.
For much of my career Customer Service Excellence was my jam. I was good at it. People respected how well I did this to the point that I was asked to train other employees as well. Currently in my life, when I see a lack of customer service it makes me crazy!
Enter The Digital Age
Increasingly more now a days we see customer service disappearing. More and more businesses out there are installing self check out stations. And rather than stand in line, many are willing to forego being served by a human, and check out themselves.
Back in the day, a discount was given to pump your own gas. Now-a-days? Good luck getting someone to pump your gas, let alone wash the windows, and check your oil and tires! Why am I not being given a discount to do the check-out-clerks job? Because they don't have to! You'll do it anyway...
When you call a business now you get a computer most of the time. Yes I know why... because answering telemarketing calls became rampant! In addition? We save an employee. The list here goes on and on. But I sure do miss calling a business and speaking to a carbon life form!
The Human Connection and Photography
With all of the recent advancements in the development of Artificial Intelligence, we are seeing a trend where an even higher incidence of something digital will take over for something human. Why? Now it's for many reasons, like saving employees, but time savings seems to be the biggest one used by the public. There are more individuals out there than businesses, so that number will exponentially increase the popularity of Artificial Intelligence.
Type a few prompts into Chat GPT and in seconds it spits out tons of copy. Why do we need copy? Because it's about content. If we don't post something every other second the algorithms used by Google, YouTube, and Facebook will not get fed. Starve those algorithms? You do not exist because no one sees you!
I really miss the simplicity of the past once in a while. Yes, things have improved on many levels. Yet I miss the old days of three stations reporting actual news over the sensationalism now. I do not miss film! My best friend will cringe when he reads this... but I LIKE being able to change ISO on every image if I want to.
The Human Connection And The Future Of Photography
There are no computers available (yet) that can build relationships with others. These relationships require empathy, and emotional intelligence. Those skills cannot be truly replicated by machines.
I sincerely believe that the lack of cameraderie will be massively missed. Yes I know I spelled camaraderie wrong. But I wanted camera in it. It's my "future thinking thought" that human interaction will someday be sorely missed.
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People will get tired of trying to carry that damn computer, no matter how small they make them. Lunch in the woods gets lonely with no one to talk to or share it with. There are questions Siri won't answer, and sights Siri can't see. We are human! There are very few of us that wish to be hermits.
YouTube is Coming for Me
I'll be starting a YouTube Channel soon. Why? Because it's one way more people out there can get to know me.
No I'm not looking to monetize my YouTube Channel like others are. I am based out of Las Vegas. We get forty million people visiting here every year. Many of those visitors fly into Las Vegas because its inexpensive and close to some of the most Photographed places in the world. I'm damn lucky those locations are my backyard.
I'd simply like more of those visitors to get to know me. Just maybe they'll miss getting together with someone human and wish to go shoot with me! I totally LOVE my PhotoSafaris with others most of all. These PhotoSafaris are what really drive me. I love to go exploring with my camera and other people! THERE WILL NEVER BE A COMPUTER THAT CAN REPLACE THAT!
When I start my YouTube Channel I hope you'll all subscribe. I need one hundred subscribers before YouTube will index my channel. No... I'm not looking for a bazillion followers. I'd simply like a few people coming to Vegas; wish to hang out with us on PhotoSafari is all.
I was thinking that I would be late to the game YouTube wise. I had lunch with Ted today... When I stated this he said "Tomorrow there will be thousands of teenagers starting their channel" BAM! Right in the kisser he got me with that one! Later I asked Siri if I should start a YouTube Channel...
I received no reply!
Thanks for reading!
