The robots could never...
FINE ART FRIDAY #23
FINE ART FRIDAY
“Speak to a pharmacist.”
I say for the 30th time into the phone, while holding a tear-jerking, writhing in pain, grabbing his ears baby who keeps trying to grab my phone and throw it across the room.
He has no idea I’m trying to get his prescription for his ear infection, and apparently neither does the drugstore.
Because I can’t yet speak to a person who can help me.
“Yes!” The recording says, and I think PTL they’ve heard me finally. “We think the app will be faster for you. Would you like to download the app? Say yes or press 1…” the robot drones on.
“No, speak to a pharmacist please.” I say again.
Please because it doesn’t cost me anything to be kind, except maybe the loss of my eardrum from my toddler screaming into it.
After a few rounds of this, the automation FINALLy understands that I do not, in fact, want to use the app. I want to speak to a PeRSoN.
A novel idea in today’s life, I know.
I finally got ahold of a HUMAN BEING — and she made what took me 27 minutes with a robot take >2.
Baby now has his medicine on the way.
I can now hang up the phone, and toss it aside, turning it on LOUD so I hear when I can go pick up the antibiotic.
Which means more snuggles for my sicky chicky.
(And hopefully less screaming in my ear.)
Human interaction > “convenience”
(Though I ought to add, convenience for who? Because whoever decided we didn’t need actual human people to answer phones and guide calls, to help us add our bag tags at the airport, to help us with tickets, to check out at the grocery store — they were wrong. Sure, maybe we save a few minutes, and I loved getting to check out everything at the grocery store as a kid — it felt like a game — but at what cost? The cost of human interaction and good, kind, treating each other with courtesy, loving one another unreasonable hospitality.)
📞Instead, I sat for 27 minutes trying to communicate to a robot that I did in fact need to speak to the human pharmacist, the human pharmacist that was kind and solved the problem like 🫰that.
✈️Passengers on the airline that shall remain nameless tag their own bags, print their own tickets, and are greeted with “I’m waiting on you” and not in a joking fun-loving way, because there’s a preoccupation with being FAST. Saving TIME.
🛒A certain grocery store only has self check outs, which for a mom with 4 kids who all really want to help makes my life a little more challenging*.*
Unpopular opinion? Hot Take? Whatever we want to call it, I prefer to pay MORE to go to a grocery store where I can have a person help me.
🚗And remember the days when someone would help load the car!? I could go on and on. That was amazing — and unreasonable hospitality.
Actually, at that time it wasn’t unreasonable. It was just doing a job the way it should be done.
ART TIP
PEOPLE > AUTOMATIONS
WHEN AT ALL POSSIBLE.
When I started Courtney Kibby Designs, I was 8 months pregnant with my third child, trying to help make some extra money to pay for essentials. As I’ve grown, I hear so much the term automation thrown around, and I gotta say, I don’t love it because I want every part about working with me to be very clearly HUMAN and UNREASONABLY HOSPITABLE.
So I wanted to share a few ways I run my business differently, like a human.
Emails from ME. There is one automatic email that goes out when I receive an inquiry, and a few to verify contracts signed and payments received, but 99.999% of the emails that go out are written my ME in REAL TIME. Same with texts – which is why 10 to 1 I prefer email because my besties know that I'll be in the middle of texting them back – voice messages obvs – and I have to RUN because the newly very mobile baby is doing something semi-dangerous.
Phone calls and zoom calls with you or your planner. I’m a real person — and I know you are too. I pride myself on not just being another vendor at your wedding; I’m committed to partnering with you and your wedding planerI to make your wedding amazing. Need random music planning turbed off? I’m in it. Need help carrying something? I’m there. It’s a team effort, and I am more than happy to help wherever I’m needed.
Real Art. I’ve gotten some flack for this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Real art that looks like art created by a person, so that it will look beautiful in your home. Meticulously, precisely, and with deep understanding of the medium of watercolor. (Yes, other artists create real art too. I’m not saying they don’t; don’t @ me with your disgruntled options). This isn’t simple like pressing a button on a photo in photoshop that says “watercolor” — this is NOT AI (lets not even get into the fact that I saw a painter saying she was a painter but she clicks a button in photoshop to make her painting from a photo into a painting… This is a real life painting you’ll love forever.
Goodness, there’s so much more I could say but here’s the bottom line: working with an me as your wedding artist isn’t about “saving time” or “convenience” for me. It’s about me creating the best piece and experience for you, something you’ll love and cherish forever, and enjoy looking at everyday.
And if you give me a call, it’s really me on a real phone at my real number, not a robot telling you to use an app. 📞 🫰
Thank goodness, because I don’t think I’d have the patience to employ a robot. 🤖 😂 😉
If you have a quick second, I'm working to get some amazing ideas on Pinterest – would you mind clicking here and hitting follow?! It would mean the world to me!
xoxo
xo, courtney
PS – How do YOU feel about the automations these days? Do you have an experience you want to share? Hit reply and let me know!
DOG-EARED BY COURTNEY KIBBY
And this UNBELIEVABLE wedding in
WOULD YOU TAKE A QUICK MINUTE AND CLICK FOLLOW? IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO ME!
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