Self Service

I am worried about the future of the Okanagan hospitality industry. With our old farm house, I have been sneaking to Home Depot at every time of the day like it’s my mistress and I have started using the robot self checkout counter to make things faster when I only have two little things to buy.

With The Chef in Stead business I buy lots of food and I am at Save on Food every other day… they too have the robot self checkout counters to speed things up when you only have a few items. The idea of robots replacing jobs is not new at all, it’s been happening for 40 or 50 years. I have to say I never thought that the cute friendly cashiers at the grocery store would be replaced by a very uptight frigid computer voice which cannot for the love of God understand any of my jokes!

The other day, I went to our Canadian iconic store “Canadian Tire” and guess what they too now have - the same constipated computer voice self checkout counter. I totally understand why because businesses are having such a hard time finding good reliable staff since our younger generation of kids is not that keen to work in those stores. OK I get it, Canadian Tire and Home Depot is not a cool place, it’s a place for parents.

Now to the point that worries me! I had a dream last night that I was sitting at Moxies, (it could have been Earls, Milestone, Montana’s or any one of those type of restaurants.) Once the time came for me to pay my bill I was told to proceed to the cash area which you have guessed it, a frigid voice told me “Your bill is $49.25, please push the yellow button if you wish to leave a tip for robot #57 who served you your Caesar salad.” I did wake up in time to figure out that this is not here yet! But I got a feeling that this automation wave is only around the corner for Okanagan the hospitality industry. They are having huge issues finding staff, retaining staff or even having staff that care enough to show up for work everyday.

May God help us! Well as long as God doesn’t come down to give us a replacement robot with a constipated voice like everyone else!

Martin