The Self-Service Economy

Woody Allen was right: 90% of life is just showing up.  People in the private sector all over the world talk incessantly about productivity, but the fundamental problem is that employees are just not there. You go to the bank and, though they have eight teller stations, you're lucky if there are four of them in service.  Go to the post office and, if there are more than two employees, you are really lucky.  Go shopping, and most stores are almost on a self-service mode.  There's no one to answer any questions, and paying for what you bought is a chore because there are very few cashiers.  The supermarket where I buy groceries has six cashier stations, all equipped with computers.  More often than not, there are just two operating.

So, who are we kidding with all this talk of "productivity"?

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