I can stay silent no longer. I have to comment. I hate autoresponders!
They are the most cold, impersonal and inhuman aspect of modern technology that I have ever come across. The only autoresponder that has any worth in my book, is the one that delivers my password when I unthinkingly forget what it is or change it and can't remember what I changed it to. At least then, the speed of the response is appreciated!
In particular, I hate autoresponders from people who want to let me know they are just too busy to be bothered with me. You know those ones that say, "You're very important to me and I will get back to you just as soon as I can." The problem is that "just as soon as I can" never comes! I have now sent four emails to the same person over a series of weeks and each time, I get the same autoresponder. Did I send the same email, heartlessly and carelessly, making no effort to communicate with that person? No! I poured my heart and soul into each word on each email and I have to say I feel jipped!
I don't know how you feel about autoresponders, but I really think they are for lazy people who are not interested in good old fashioned customer service.
It's kind of like getting your groceries at the supermarket and then putting them through a self-service cashier where you scan, bag and pay for the groceries without a single point of human contact. I don't know why, but that just seems wrong to me. Isn't part of the whole shopping experience sharing your two minute chat with the checkout chick who is stressed out and needs your smile and graciousness to make their day?
Automated responses, in whatever form, have a place but I'd prefer a contact with a real, live human person anytime. I mean, just think about the Banks and Telecommunication Services who have impersonalised the whole telephone experience. You rarely phone up and hear the voice of a real live person these days. Instead you get "push this button", then "push this button". Well the only person's buttons who are being pushed, is mine! Why is their time more important than mine? What would they do if they phoned you and your phone answered answered with, "If you are good at your job dial 9 now?" or 'If you can guarantee you'll be able to answer my call effectively, dial 9 to speak to the customer?" I mean, it's just ridiculous!
I don't know, it just seems to say to me that I am not important. The person with the autoresponder in place seems to want to tell you that their time is more important than your time. Understandably some people are genuinely busy, but why offer an email address if you are not really interested in getting email?
I recognise that there is a valid role for them, after all, if you have millions of customers you can't reach out and personally touch each customer. And perhaps, there is a place for them in relaying information, ie, confirming that you have entered a competition or the details of a purchase. But when you send a personalised email to someone's email address, it just feels rude to get an autoresponder back.
What do you think? Rude or not? Or should I just shut up and put up?
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