• Generational Change: Is the younger workforce not being trained properly? Are they less engaged?
• Lack of Investment in Staff: Has the focus shifted too much toward automation, neglecting the human touch?
• Cost-Cutting and Automation: Are businesses prioritizing savings over customer satisfaction, using technology in ways that harm the experience?

After a family day out, we decided to stop at a restaurant for a meal. Upon arrival, we waited at the entrance for a host to seat us, despite the restaurant having 3-4 occupied tables and plenty of empty ones. We stood there for 20 minutes without being acknowledged. My daughter needed to use the restroom, so I brought her inside. On my way, I asked at the bar if we could seat ourselves. The response was a firm "No, someone will seat you."

Returning to the entrance, we waited another 10 minutes with no service. Frustrated, we decided to leave. If this was the level of service before we even got seated, I was not willing to spend my money there. Our bill would have likely totaled around €250-€300 for a meal for five, which the restaurant lost due to poor customer attention.

Conclusion: Poor initial customer service sets the tone for the entire experience. In this case, the lack of urgency and attentiveness cost the business a significant sale and a potential returning customer. It’s baffling how such simple gestures—like acknowledging waiting guests—are overlooked.

On Saturday, feeling a bit fragile after a few too many white wines the night before, I went into my local supermarket to grab something from the deli. To my surprise, the deli was closed—lights off, food covered—and it was only 10:30 AM. I asked the cashier if it was closed for the day, and she informed me that the staff hadn’t turned up. My partner remarked that this had happened at least three times before, with the deli being closed due to staff shortages.

This supermarket is in a high-traffic area with lots of footfall and nearby construction. I can’t imagine how much business they lose when parts of the store are closed because of staffing issues.

Conclusion: Businesses must ensure that critical services are adequately staffed. Repeated closures of a deli in a busy area indicate a failure in staff management, ultimately leading to lost revenue and customer frustration.

My most recent encounter with an online chatbot made me want to throw my phone out the window. I understand how chatbots work, having overseen their implementation in various businesses. But this experience was beyond frustrating—the algorithm couldn’t understand what I needed, and when I didn’t receive the information, the system simply timed out. I was trying to upgrade to business class on an airline but couldn’t get through to a live representative or solve the issue via the bot.

Because of this, I decided not to upgrade, meaning more lost revenue for the airline.

Conclusion: Automation is only effective if it genuinely enhances the customer experience. In this case, the chatbot not only failed to provide a solution, but it also made the process frustrating. Without human alternatives or better algorithmic design, businesses risk losing substantial opportunities, like my business class upgrade.

These examples illustrate a concerning trend: businesses are losing significant revenue by failing to address fundamental customer service needs. Whether it's a lack of attentive staff in restaurants, poor staffing in retail, or overly automated systems that don't meet customer needs, the result is the same—customers walk away.

Businesses must reinvest in their customer service operations. This means a balance between automation and human interaction, ensuring that staff are well-trained, attentive, and available. Customers want to feel valued, and it’s only through smart investments in people and systems that businesses will regain the trust they’ve lost.