Trueness, If We're On Time, We're Late!

 

NOT because I ran out of possible thread topics BUT I'll admit I miss talking about this [as it was my favorite one-liner zillion times for the past zillion years @ our workplace].  Working in a Japanese-centric organization for close to fourteen years was very memorable in the sense that I personally gained a lot of insights and lessons from a Japan perspective, one of WHICH is time management, unmatched anywhere else in the world💚💛💜

Sadly, PUNCTUALITY is one of the least talked about victims of our instantly connected world.  And someone tells me that there has been a marked improvement in PUNCTUALITY after we got hit by the Covid-19 Pandemic?  Nooooo sirrrrrs.  I have all the facts to prove that instead of improving, things turned from bad to worse. HOW and WHY?  If during the pre-pandemic, meeting attendees will step into the meeting room JIT [just in time], in those Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls, attendees expect magic and miracles because it's a remote call!@#$%?

You'll be surprised, despite the remote setting of those virtual calls, joiners will end up miserably late for multiple frustrating reasons LIKE:

• The device camera OR audio OR both are not working?
• MS Teams is asking HOW the caller wants to join?
• GoogleMeet program starts to update by then?
• Zoom Call credentials is incorrect OR invalid?

Funny, I did even witness some attendees dressed to the 'T' up front BUT unconscious that the camera is turned ON, in the end, revealing a NOT so 'ethical' attire 'down below

The ramifications of the decline of these most basic best practices is regretful to say the least.  The death of proper grammar has been bemoaned for years as the shorthand of tweens texting has now moved onto Twitter.  The decline of our face to face interactions have been documented and mourned as people now prefer to sit at the dinner table and tweet about the people they're with instead of being with the people they're with😄😄😄

Our takeaway:  It just adds up to our sadness that the decline and deprioritization of PUNCTUALITY has become the 'silent victim' that I, and many others operating on HST [a.k.a. Hustle Standard Time] are most acutely aware of.  Little-little lessons here that can have serious ramifications and 'domino effect' in our lives is that much as we value our time immensely and want to show respect for other's time as well as it is the only possession that we have and will never get back once it's gone.  Trueness, IF WE'RE ON TIME, WE'RE LATE!@#$%

Is Dopamine Our Ally Or Nemesis?

 

For the longest time, multiple studies resulted in the same conclusion with regard the chemistry of our brain largely influences our own personality and emotions.  A most recent study added icing to the cake WHEN it found out that one personality trait in us humans is HOW sensitive amd responsive we are to incentives and rewards.  Dude, I'll be the first to raise my hand and scream 'AYE' because without doing a lookup into the lives of any one else, I just need to look deep inside me.  And I'll admit that zillions of times, incentives and rewards that were either tossed OR offered to me like carrots really triggered my 'spikes' and I'm cocksure that is exactly WHAT's been happening to almost anyone of us [except for outliers if there is some underlying 'disorder']📗📙📘

So, is DOPAMINE OUR ALLY OR NEMESIS? Apologies BUT till now, this is hotly debated by researchers because experts claim that some of us are motivated by signals of that 'incentive-reward' stuff and end up pursuing goals WHILE others are NOT.  The reason for that difference?  They argue that it is related to different levels of our responsiveness to DOPAMINE , one of those chemical substances that transmits nerve impulses through our brain💥💥💥

Doing a lookup in recent experiments on us humans, experts have concluded that DOPAMINE is strongly related to the trait some researches coined as "EXTRAVERSION" BUT since then, they translated it for a better appreciation of us layment by tagging it as 'positive emotionality'.  Same studies showed that the higher the level of DOPAMINE or the more responsive our brain is to DOPAMINE, the more likely a person is to be sensitive to incentives and rewards💚💛💜

To convince the doubters, the researchers tell us that the higher our level of DOPAMINE, OR the more responsive our brain is to DOPAMINE, the more likely we will be vulnerable and sensitive to incentives and rewards.  I CAN'T agree less with this.  I have NOT only witnessed these in the one too many competitive sports BUT I'd just like to get back as to how I did succumb to those incentives and rewards WHEN I was offered it many times💧💧💧

Our takeaway:  NOT to spoil things, we got to be wary [if NOT worry] with CHEAP DOPAMINE as it can 'pull our standards' to the lowest'. Imagine if your productivity OR performance OR positivities in life would consistently shoot up and spike each time incentives and rewards are dangled on you!@#$%  It's kind of saying, the more we look for instant fixes, the more we tend to lower our standards to DOPAMINE.  Mind you, there is distraction everywhere.  BUT is that distraction so powerful that we end up letting it take control of our life?  It's like we wake up every morning to live our life on that dreaded default mode  WHERE you DON'T make decisions and instead, you end up influenced to make decisions.  So, is DOPAMINE OUR ALLY OR NEMESIS?  Dude, it's HOW you manage it every step of the way😊😊😊

Forgiving Versus Forgetting

 

One of the centuries-old debate that has hardly died down is that thing WHETHER FORGIVING IS FORGETTING?  And ironically, I did bear witness [first hand at that] peace and calmness that suddenly snowballs into an altercation and later into a full-blown quarrel and conflict.  And digging the very root of that full-blown conflict apparently reflected a historical note WHEREIN in the past, there was a shortfall [call it a fault OR shortcoming] from someone and somehow the olive branch was offered and both protagonists amicably agreed to just close that unfortunate chapter for them to move on.  Until one day that 'ticking time bomb' explodes again in their face!@#$%?

BUT for now, let's attack the bull by its horn.  Is FORGIVING really FORGETTING?  Trying to forget WHAT happened and simply wiping the slate clean?  BUT does that really work for us humans?  OR WHEN forgiving ourselves?  True, WHILE it's always important to FORGIVE, it does NOT always mean that we have to act AS IF nothing happened in the past, NO sirrrrs because FORGIVENESS DOESN'T require the removal of those consequences OR denying that trust was broken💚💜💛

And at times, maybe for the sake of our mental health, that FORGIVENESS process has to happen without pursuing reconciliation with the wrongdoer.  In short, it's playing a super delicate balancing act, navigating and wading through perilous and dangerous waters WHERE a slight tilt of the boat can capsize it outright.  Multiple researches show that FORGIVENESS allows our memories to remain intact as those of someone WHO HASN'T forgotten and only our suffering in the present changes.  And that all the difference is in the feeling that those memories bring about at a time of retrieval.  Ironically, WHAT shocked researchers is that people WHO did FORGIVE [even in good faith] were able to recall all the details of that past event that cause a past conflict as clearly as those WHO DIDN'T forgive [and that includes their emotional pain at that point in time]💧💧💧

As another one-liner goes very much in parallel to our FORGIVING versus FORGETTING conundrum, many elders would give us the sage advice that wounds do heal and that's 10000% true and correct.  BUT hey dude, more often, SCARS remain and likely it will remain therein for quite sometime.  Parallel to our thread today, all these researches suggest that FORGIVING cannot be equated to FORGETTING at all.  Instead, we need to change our emotional relationship to WHAT happened, allowing us to recall our past hurt and WHO'S responsible without harming our own well-being.  this could have important implications for those WHO might want to FORGIVE but are afraid it will impact them❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  In conclusion, almost all researches sing the same tune, that is, WHEN we FORGIVE, we change our judgment of WHAT happened during the wrongdoing BUT we still consider the people that wronged us as being culpable and therefore morally responsible for WHAT happened to us.  There's that human frailty dude.  Another reason we SHOULDN'T conclude that people might NOT always feel more benevolent after FORGIVING is that the transgressions may NOT be as severe as in other contexts like war OR genocide BUT if there's a streak of light here, is that FORGIVENESS can be cultivated after all BUT both protagonists should do it in good faith, and preferably in cadence😊😊😊

When Do We Pull The Brakes?

 

As everyone says, LIFE is never a straight line.  Even the roads and freeways in the First World have its own zigs and zags.  BUT that's NOT our thread today.  WHAT intrigues me is this question:  WHEN do we grind to a halt?  WHEN do we stop?  WHEN do we pull the brakes?  WHEN do we hold up things?  As long as it DOESN'T mean quitting, then, either of those scenarios may give us the tell-tale signs that it could be time to let go of something in order to focus on other things or tasks that are more important💧💧💧

BUT as we often heard, much as we live in a very challenging world, we should always be part of the solution and NOT the problem itself.  At some points in our life, we could have that feeling that's overwhelming, WHEN we're unable to handle everything on our plate.  Imagine those points WHEN we kind of considering just giving up.  Problem is, by nature, almost everyone of us perceive quitting [OR at least stopping for a moment] in a rock solid negative light.  HOW many times we've heard this rah-rah one-liner:  A WINNER NEVER QUITS.   A QUITTER NEVER WINS.  Yes I get it.  That notion has kept me involved in things for way longer than I should have been many more times💥💥💥

BUT, here's something that can give us that shot in the arm, and more than just a sigh of relief.  Sometimes, stopping OR quitting is the first step to us finding a new and better path and ending our burnout.  BUT the thing is, where possible, we should NEVER wait WHEN our back is that against the wall.  LIKE WHEN your task seems to have taken over your entire life?  If it has become all-consuming to the point that it is impacting other areas in your life, then that's a wake-up call📗📙📘

LIKE WHEN your goal DOESN'T seem to align with your values?  Then that's a problem, right?  If our objectives DON'T align with our principles, stopping OR quitting is an option.  YES, we can fool ourselves for a time BUT our actions will eventually collide and clash with our own ethics and values.  True, your outcome will decline and then you will never feel satisfied OR content.  BUT if your goals you've set AREN'T in line with WHO you are, it's time to abandon them in favor of a new version that reflects WHO you truly are💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  Of all tell-tale signs that makes me concerned, LIKE WHEN we DON'T feel happy.  And if the frequency of that unhappiness worsens.  In that case, there's a chance that WHAT you're doing something may need to come to an end.  True, it mighe be an unfulfilling objective, profession OR relationship.  And once you figure out WHAT it is, you'll probably feel better as soon as you give up.  WHY end up sacrificing our health, OR worse, our life for an activity OR endeavor that's worth threading out.  YES, after all is said and done, stopping OR quitting just in time may make you better off compared to quitting WHEN your house of cards has collapsed😡😡😡

Turning Setbacks Into Comebacks!

 

WHO wants SETBACKS?  Of course, there are NO takers for SETBACKS.  BUT hey, a SETBACK is neither a stigma nor a plague.  If you ask me, I'll swear I had one too many SETBACKS in the past.  And those SETBACKS floored me, knocked the wind out of me at times.  Lo and behold, I'm still very much a survivor and I'll humbly admit that I'm NOT less motivated OR less encouraged even in the aftermath of those SETBACKS.  Surprised?  Ooops better NOT because it's NOT me alone.  A huge throng will stand up much better than me and proudly declare that they became much more motivated to rise up after those SETBACKS📗📙📘

Let's admit it.  We will be hard pressed to find someone in life WHO has only had an upward trajectory.  In fact, most of us have had times WHEN we've been up, times WHEN we've been down, and times WHEN we WEREN'T quite sure if we were up OR down OR maybe we just felt we were in an uncomfortable situation OR circumstances.  BUT again, life's experiences come in all iterations and different shapes and sizes💚💛💜

And many times, those outlier of an experience may look OR sound awful lot like FAILURE either in our own personal OR professional life.  WHAT it's taught me through the years is that it's NOT the size of the FAILURE that counts BUT instead, it is HOW we did manage and handle the situation.  Do we let that SETBACK defeat us entirely and even thwart our own desire to recover and even succeed ever again?  Some folks might BUT I'll be up front WHY using our personal SETBACKS to our own benefit is the best way to go.  Any other course of action other than this may me catastrophic to say the least because that's turning a bad situation worse💥💥💥

In a poetic way, I remember this one-liner which says:  ALL OF LIFE IS AN EBB AND FLOW.  And I CAN'T disagree more because that's my observation as well of my life and even the lives I witnessed around me.  The trap here is that sometimes, you're going to feel like you're winning and at least some of the time, you're going to feel like you're losing.  BUT can we agree that personal SETBACKS give us that ironic opportunity, giving us time to gather our thoughts, reflect on WHAT we've been doing that's been working and moreso WHAT ISN'T as well.  And from thereon, it behooves that we initiate our own adjustments and course corrections for the remaining journey ahead😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  If there is one observation I witnessed first hand many times in the past, some would kind of 'sit down in the corner sucking his thumb' [no pun intended] and thinking about HOW unfair life is.  Obviously, one would feel defeated OR maybe a little lost and you might even feel like you are losing faith in yourself.  BUT if I have to explicitly declare, the only kind of SETBACK we should NOT and NEVER come back from is one WHICH we choose to let defeat our own self [and that's the stark truth no less.  At the end of the day, WHILE it's easier said than done, this all boils down for us to be reframing SETBACKS as our opportunities.  Again, it's akin to looking at a half-empty glass of water as half-full no less.  Dude, time to turn SETBACKS INTO COMEBACKS!!!

2nd Place Gets You Nowhere!

 

YES YES yow, 2nd PLACE GETS YOU NOWHERE. That's the least debatable statement ever!  WHETHER you are a bigtime business mogul OR you're one of the top professional boxers OR you belong to one of the top NBA ballclubs, It's GOLD OR bust.  It's the top plum OR none.  Of course, if you end up 2nd, you would hear faint hurrahs BUT trust me, that's one of those 'garbage time' stuff.  Because WHO cares the 2nd placer?  WHO really thinks that the 2nd placer was just a hairline away from being the overall winner?  In the NBA, when it's trade season with top ballclubs aiming for the NBA superstars within the top tier of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Lebron James, forecasts would shortlist the probable winners to 2 or 3 clubs and WHEN one club wins it, DOES 2nd PLACE MATTER???

True, competition is tight anywhere everywhere and all that matters really is to be atop the field.  WHEN I was with Dole Food, in one of our dinners with our CEO, he cockily took pride that in our very tight market then, we were becoming the runaway leader with a distant second to boot.  I then felt some air of braggadocio during that dinner BUT I knew then that he was NOT standing on shifting sands as I did bear witness HOW he aggressively took on the challenges in our tight market then, demanding 100% QA results from our very pressured production teams.  And NOT satisfied with our QA ratings, he tracked the CSAT [Customer Satisfaction] and NPS [Net Promoter Scores] right from our foreign markets in Japan.  Only then I think he managed to gather that gumption that we had a competitor WHO was eating our dust as a far 2nd from us.  Shifting over to our own lives, is it now ripe for us to throw out to the windows all our aspirations to be the 2nd tier, to be the 2nd placer in WHATEVER competition or rat race we are in now???

The thing is, many of us are indeed making progress most of the time, WHETHER it's in our academic endeavors, OR at the workplace OR even in our business forays.  BUT WHAT is quite a scare is BURNOUT does hit us along the way although BURNOUT has been dissected from researches as a perception of reduced personal OR even professional accomplishment OR simply put, that feeling like you are getting nowhere.  Oh Oh, that kind of negativity can spiral and WHEN you're feeling negative, it can be difficult to see the positive side of things💚💛💜

Many times, it's all a matter of perception.  Through the years, I constantly reminded myself of my very basic ground rules.  LIKE I write down my wins, no matter how small those wins are.  I then reflect on my immediate past week regardless of WHAT and HOW things transpired that week.  I then pick up my own accomplishments for that week and even those small-small good things that happened.  WHY?  Because that could potentially boost my own mental health everyday in fact.  Now, if there's one thing I kept closest to my chest.  It's journaling OR keeping notes of every kudos, complements and testimonials I receive from any legitimate source [Yesssirrrree, I DON'T go for those bogus testimonials].  WHY does that matter?  During my NOT so smooth days, those days WHICH I'll tag as rough, a streak of hope gets out from those testimonials, enough to keep me going

Our takeaway:  It is a fact that no rookie, neophyte OR newcomer reaches the pinnacle of success as instantly as those noodles get cooked and eaten.  You've got to invest all the sweat and sacrifices as you progressively move on, even if it means literally inching via inch every so often.  Eventually, you will be at the outside looking in, at the very precipice of success BUT once you reach the top, grab the plum and NEVER fail NOT to look back from time to time because your ultimate mission is to ensure that 2nd placer is a far 2nd placer, someone WHO could 'eat your dust' because 2nd PLACE GETS ONE NOWHERE!!!

You Don't Like Something? Take Away The Power [and that's your ATTENTION]

 

NEGATIVITY seems to be all over the place these days.  NOT because we liked OR embraced it BUT in numerous situations, we are unconsciously embracing it.  Let's tackle hatred.  Let's say you hate spiders and IF you knew there was a black widow in your bedroom, would it be easy for you to just forget it and fall asleep?  YES, sadly, by its very nature, hatred is all about focused attention.  You and me may NOT be tagged as 'negative' persons but again, one of our human frailties is hatred itself.  WHEN you experience it, your feeling tends to get focused on that singular person, place OR thing that you hate.  Unfortunately, anger and envy are closest by affinity with hatred itself as they all share the same characteristic.  Hate something and your attention will stick to it like lint to a sweater, much more than like a leech.  People WHO hate their ex-boss or ex-partner so often appear incapable of speaking anything else📗📙📘

Let's pick our brains here a bit.  WHAT is the natural consequence of hating someone OR something?  Sadly, the unsaid goal of hatred is to dominate, destroy, subdue, overpower, name it.  And WHEN hatred is acutely felt, it can manifest that single-minded purpose WHEREIN we CAN'T casually OR passively hate because WHEN we hate, we hate fully and completely.  And in order for hatred to be acted on, it will tend to consume a big chunk of our own self, that's our attention💚💛💜

Hey dude, if you're committing the worst crime to your own self, it is to allow and accomodate your least favorite influencer OR your least like ex-boss OR your ex-partner OR your ex-best friend, living right within you RENT-FREE, whew!!!  Of course, it is but natural to get annoyed even with people we barely [OR DON'T even] know at all.   BUT again there's an ocean of a difference between NOT liking someone and letting that feeling snowball into that misplaced full-blown obsession that messes with your well-being.  For example, seeing a reality TV villain should NOT trigger you to end up stalking their Instagram reels till 2am❌❌❌

The thing is, WHEN someone rubs you the wrong way, you should be able to feel those feelings and move on.  I have to admit that I've been through those kinds of acid tests and even WHEN I was teetering to pick up the challenge, [thankfully] more often I managed to [sternly] prevail reminding myself  that I got to CHOOSE MY BATTLES.  BUT I do agree that that is easier said than done, WHICH explains WHY many of us find it easier to focus on their flaws than to do the more challenging work of processing those vulnerable emotions.  Even though a good rant might feel like exactly WHAT you need in that HEAT OF THE MOMENT, you DON'T want your hatred to mess with your mental health and HOW you live your life.  Nothing is more important!!!

Our takeaway:  A practical [BUT not so easy advice] I heard many times, WHEN you feel that wave of negativity rolling in, JUST BREATHE.  And that if you want to give deep breathing a shot, experts tell us that it can activate our so called 'parasympathetic nervous system', that part of our autonomic nervous system that tells our body to calm down.  Then, that makes them the 'perfect tools' to use WHENEVER that 'all-consuming' stress hijacks our body [and sometimes our soul.  Our fix: IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, NO PROBLEM, TAKE AWAY THE POWER [and that's TAKING AWAY YOUR ATTENTION]😡😡😡

Why Do We Procrastinate?

 

If you've ever put off an important task by, say alphabetizing your drawer contents, it WON'T be fair to describe yourself as lazy, right?  After all, alphabetizing requires focus + effort and WHO knows, you went that extra mile to wipe down each item before putting it back.  And it's NOT like you're hanging out with friends OR glued in a non-stop Netflix movie streaming.  So, definitely, that's NOT laziness.  BUT that's one example of PROCRASTINATION.  BUT WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE???

There was this recent experiment @Harvard WHERE the respondents were asked on something that really interests at all, that is, about SAVING MONEY and NOT a surprise, off hand, 79% [8 out of 10] agreed that they should be saving.  And WHEN they were asked if they want to enroll in a company plan that will deposit 2% of their salary to a savings account, 77% agreed BUT when asked if it can be done as soon as possible, voila, only 30% agreed!@#$%?  There you go.  Same idea.  Same plan.  Same benefits.  The only difference was the timing and there's that huge gap💥💥💥

That small, tiny-whiny adjustment revealed something big.  That is, we DON'T seem to make rational decisions four our future.  Similar studies have been done with good habits even like exercising and even some wellness activities.  The thing is, by default, we humans generally PROCRASTINATE even WHEN we know it hurts us.  WHY this happens and WHAT can we do to pre-empt and mitigate this recurring tendency for us to put off things instead of rolling up our sleeves and take concrete steps.  Again, we tend to circle back to our PROCRASTINATION dilemma😌😌😌

Psychologists tell us that PROCRASTINATION is no less than a behavioral issue.  Today, we want to watch Netflix movies, eat ice cream and spend some of our extra monies.  BUT come tomorrow, we may opt to write something, like a blog OR a book.  OR we'd like to be fit.  OR increase our own financial savings via some savings options.  So, the conflict arises because "TODAY YOU" and "FUTURE YOU" are not aligned❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  So, it's way beyond reasonable doubt [even from the cynics] that our general lack of consistency over time is due to overvaluing the present compared to the future.  The present is concrete and easy to imagine WHILE the future is abstract and much harder to visualize.  There we go, as to WHY we tend to overvalue the present and its rewards for now.  The thing is, even if the future benefits are greater, we tend to prefer the present ones simply because we can picture them more clearly.  So, WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE dude???

When CONSISTENCY Gets Knocked Off

 

In our lives, most of us start from quite an even field BUT for the blessed, fortunate OR simply truly blessed [like being born with a silver spoon], they start off with an edge either in sheer intelligence, resource, circumstances OR plain sheer luck.  NOW, here's a giveaway question:  Did those WHO started off with an edge OR disadvantage, did they win the race OR the competitition hands down?  That's a tough call to make because much as the gifted and fortunate ones had that significant headstart, life is generally fair such that as we go through that competition in life, eventually, the laggards will rally and catch up towards the last quarter of the race.  The end result, it's anybody's ballgame📘📙📗

YES, WHATEVER we want to achieve in life, we WON'T become a master unless we demonstrate CONSISTENT behavior and keep training at that discipline.  Experts went through clinical studies and concluded that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field.  Oh Oh Oh, that requires some CONSISTENT behavior and discipline to show up each and everyday and practice.  That whole concept of CONSISTENCY has been coming up for me recently with regard my regular exercises, which a year ago, I managed to follow daily basis with CONSISTENCY.  BUT alas, these past months, I have to admit I'm struggling getting back into the groove of things💥💥💥

So, WHAT's my tough lesson here?  It's that, regardless of my schedules and commitments, I've got to further improve my own discipline in life so that I can regain and take the reins and control of my time all over again.  Because frankly, as I experienced, everytime I stopped my daily exercise, the more it became difficult to get started all over again.  CONSISTENCY helps put structure into our day in WHICH in turn actually makes us more productive and efficient.  YES, quite a tough pill to swallow here BUT simply put, I got to know WHAT I've got to do.  CONSISTENCY is particularly important WHEN we have pre-set milestone targets to be reached and achieved.  It's LIKE we only need about 30 minutes a day to focus on the activity we need to achieve BUT the catch here is that we need to ensure that we get engaged each and everyday for us to keep and retain that momentum.  Imagine a galloping horse WHERE the horseman pulls the strings until the horse loses its momentum???

To help us reinforce our CONSISTENCY, let's pick the brains of the experts here:

• Set REALISTIC GOALS - Initially, set goals that can be achieved easily so that will motivate you before you take the tough ones
• Break down your GOALS into smaller ones
• Create a schedule and STICK TO IT
• Reward yourself even for small milestones
• Be PATIENT BUT be PERSISTENT

Our takeaway:  WHAT else matters besides that CONSISTENCY?  Few foundational things we can rattle off.  HARDWORK [and CONSISTENCY will be knocking on your door often].  MOTIVATION and PASSION come hand-in-hand and they will join forces to be egging you for your CONSISTENCY.  Resilience will drive your CONSISTENCY in overdrive.  Of course, your TIME MANAGEMENT plays a major role in pushing your self-discpline to keep in check your CONSISTENCY as an auspicious start for 2026😁😁😁

Let's 'DUMP' That Chatbot

 

NOT to downplay automation and all the latest galloping advances in AI, chatbots will always remain with its very core.  So, it's NOT correct to turn a whipping boy on technologies given the tons of benefits we all reaped, regardless if you're running your business OR you're a plain consumer like me.  BUT as I stand now, allow me to scream:  Let's 'DUMP' THAT CHATBOT!@#$%?

NOT to stir the hornet's nest, allow me to rattle off a hell lot of benefits we have had with regard CHATBOTS.  From an operations standpoint, significant costs were trimmed via CHATBOTs.  From a CUSTOMER SERVICE perspective, at least 20-30% of the most common concerns would revolve around account/password lockout, delivery slippages, confirmation of logistical information💥💥💥

NOW, NOT to play devil's advocate BUT more for me to vent out HOW was it so far since the past months and years I attempted to leverage on CHATBOTs, it all boils down to CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE and if you and me would feel that we're interacting with a robot [with a limited menu in its interaction], it's a no-brainer you will likely drop that chat, to hell it goes.  WHY?  THAT lack of empathy.  THAT automatic response WHICH does NOT resolve your concern.  THAT excessive time you kept stretching your patience!!!

Obviously, most of us WON'T have the bandwidth to just wantonly redirect our time to any CHATBOX with all those fancy Tom, Dick and Jane names because we want answers and solutions to our concerns, period.  WHAT IF the CHATBOT just throws you in a loop. WHAT IF the CHATBOT just run rings around you.  My 2-cents here.  Before you blow out your head [and patience], consider finding the hotline number, pick it up, place that call pronto😊😊😊

Our takeaway:  Dude, we have enough stress in our daily lives and it's an unacceptable irony that in the midst of a concern you want to get resolved, you end up with a CHATBOT does exacerbate things, whew!@#$%?  Been there, endured it quite many times and at the end of the day, I would rather get through the HOTLINE channel.  And if you happen to be a preferred client and that merchant has a preferred HOTLINE, get through it.  Better still, in private banking, go via your RM [relationship manager].  Let's DUMP THAT CHATBOT, if need be😡😡😡