Zelf service: de nieuwe revolutie in de dienstverlening

In The Economist stond een mooi artikel of de revolutie die selfservice betekent voor de dienstverlenende industrie. De strekking is dat zelfservice voor de dienstverlening zo ongeveer hetzelfde betekent als massaproduktie voor de produktiebedrijven. Zelfservice als concept is uiteraard niet nieuw. De eerste Piggly Wiggly supermarkt werd in 1916 in de VS geopend.

On the heels of supermarkets came laundromats, cafeterias and self-service car washes, all of which were variations on the same theme. But now, with the rise of the web, the falling cost of computing power, and the proliferation of computerised kiosks, voice recognition and mobile phones, companies are taking self-service to’new levels. Millions of people now manage their finances, refinance their home loans, track packages and buy cinema and theatre rickets while sitting in front of their computers. Some install their own broadband connections using boxes and instructions sent through the post; others switch mobile-phone pricing plans to get better deals. They plan their own travel itineraries and make their own hotel and airline bookings: later, at the airport, they may even check themselves in. And they do all of this with mouse in hand and no human employees in sight.

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