Automated Customer Service: The Pros Outweigh the ConsToday's global market is more competitive than ever. Businesses are trying to increase profits and reduce operating costs. Shareholders insist that companies make money, thereby increasing their stock holdings. Consumers are busier than at any time in human history. They're working longer hours and trying to fit more extracurricular activities into their evenings. It is in this arena that the automated customer service system appeared. Automated customer service has brought many benefits to today's businessmen and consumers. This reduced consumer wait times, allowed businesses to reduce operating costs, and eliminated middlemen. While it's not bug-free, no new innovations are. The telephone wasn't perfect when it was invented, and I'd be willing to bet that the light bulb burned out several times at the most inopportune times before it was perfected. As with all these things, automated customer service will need time to fully develop. One thing is certain however, it offers us many advantages. The consumer no longer has to deal with a worker. There is no need to argue on the phone; it would be a bit absurd given that we are talking to a machine. Not that I've ever yelled at an inanimate object because it didn't do what I wanted it to do. The most important advantage that the auto attendant offers, in my humble opinion, is the reduction of wait times. This gives the consumer the luxury of not being held on hold waiting to speak with a human operator, who may or may not provide good service. Today, automated customer service is a necessity. Recent years have shown an increase in the pace of life of the average consumer by forty percent. This, coupled with the stress of today's economy and the era of two-income families, has given rise to the need for change. But that's only one side of the coin. All businesses are looking for ways to save their almighty dollar. Wages have increased across the board at a rate arguably higher than the pace of life. The answer for many businesses has been to automate their customer service function as much as possible. This gives the company the opportunity to hire fewer customer service operators. While this is not good for the unemployment rate, it is a definite positive for the system. There are bugs that will hopefully be ironed out with new technology and innovation. How many people thought the first automobile was nothing more than a damn thing that was just as likely to blow up on you as it was to get you where you wanted to go? I imagine there were thousands, if not millions, of people who felt this way. We live in an imperfect world and in this imperfect world, no innovation is error-free, and it stands to reason that most people resist change. However, while most people are looking for ways to save time so they can squeeze in that thirty-minute workout or make it to their oldest son's baseball game, the innovation of the automated attendant is one of the best options available. Additionally, all businesses are looking for ways to reduce their operating expenses. In doing so, they will increase their profit margins, so their big end-of-year bonus will be even bigger and their shareholders will allow them to keep their jobs. These elements make automated customer service the best option available for..