What I See with Peter Fiorenza: Banks should not underestimate the importance of face-to-face communication

I hope we never have to relive the COVID period. Those couple of years between 2020 and 2022 we seemed to have lost, or more aptly, wiped from our memories. In many ways, it proved to be a watershed moment in time that, in retrospect, we had to have. It suggested to me that life was just getting a little too crazy in some ways, out of control, and we fell off the treadmill. I know, technically, it was a pandemic, a threat to our health, but, in many ways, it proved to be a time to take stock — a case of let’s just stop and assess where we are. For many, like me, it was a time of significant interruption, both physically and mentally. Some of you may be aware that I really struggled during that time, and it severely affected my health. But I’m happy to say that I have come out the other end a much healthier and indeed happier person. Which brings me to the issue of our banks steadily cutting back on their face-to-face service. Am I drawing too long a bow? I really don’t think so. As we know, it’s not just the banks that are trending this way, but let’s use it as a case-in-point. I reckon if you walked into any of the “Big Four” banks today, you would not find it a friendly environment. And you know what? I think this is purely by design — they don’t want to have to deal with customers face-to-face. No, they would prefer it that clients would telephone an automated service or correspond online, wait for them to call back at their convenience. They don’t want to waste resources talking to you one-on-one. It is somewhat a situation of the “tail wagging the dog” — the focus moving from the customer to a rigid process. And I think it is wrong, and flies in the face of how we tick as human beings. People need other people in respect to communication. There are aspects about personal face-to-face communication that cannot be replicated by technology, and the biggest of these is empathy. An automated voice on the other end of a telephone doesn’t sense how you are feeling. An email or online series of questions won’t make me feel at ease, when I’m worried or stressed. However, a lovely smile can settle my nerves, a sympathetic discussion can build confidence and a kind word can make us all feel valued. Peter Fiorenza is a city councillor who host Sport Shed Saturday from 9am and Fiorenza on Sunday between 10am and noon on Radio MAMA