Government Technology - January 2009 - (Page 6)

point of view Group Publisher: EDITORIAL Editor: Associate Editors: DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com STEVE TOWNS stowns@govtech.com EMILY MONTANDON emontandon@govtech.com CHAD VANDER VEEN cvanderveen@govtech.com MIRIAM JONES mjones@govtech.com KAREN STEWARTSON kstewartson@govtech.com JIM MCKAY jmckay@govtech.com ELAINE RUNDLE erundle@govtech.com ANDY OPSAHL aopsahl@govtech.com MATT WILLIAMS mwilliams@govtech.com HILTON COLLINS hcollins@govtech.com CORTNEY TOWNS ctowns@govtech.com TOD NEWCOMBE tnewcombe@govtech.com KELLY MARTINELLI kmartinelli@govtech.com CRYSTAL HOPSON chopson@govtech.com MICHELLE HAMM mhamm@govtech.com JOE COLOMBO jcolombo@govtech.com TOM MCKEITH tmckeith@govtech.com STEPHAN WIDMAIER swidm@govtech.com JOEI HEART jheart@govtech.com JON FYFFE jfyffe@govtech.com TIM KARNEY tkarney@govtech.com EAST LESLIE HUNTER lhunter@govtech.com EAST SHELLEY BALLARD sballard@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL MELISSA CANO mcano@govtech.com EAST ERIN HUX ehux@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL GLENN SWENSON gswenson@govtech.com KRISTA O’SULLIVAN kosullivan@govtech.com LISA DOUGHTY ldoughty@govtech.com KEVIN MAY kmay@govtech.com JULIE MURPHY jmurphy@govtech.com SABRINA SHEWMAKE sshewmake@govtech.com CHRISTINE CHILDS cchilds@govtech.com JENNIFER VALDEZ jvaldez@govtech.com ANDREA KLEINBARDT akleinbardt@govtech.com WHITNEY SWEET wsweet@govtech.com LANA HERRERA lherrera@govtech.com KARIN MORGAN kmorgan@govtech.com STACEY TOLES stoles@govtech.com JIM MEYERS jmeyers@govtech.com VIKKI PALAZZARI vpalazzari@govtech.com PETER SIMEK psimek@govtech.com MICHELLE MROTEK mmrotek@govtech.com JULIE DEDEAUX jdedeaux@govtech.com ADAM FOWLER afowler@govtech.com GOSIA USTASZEWSKA subscriptions@govtech.com DENNIS MCKENNA dmckenna@govtech.com DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com CATHILEA ROBINETT crobinet@centerdigitalgov.com LISA BERNARD lbernard@govtech.com PAUL HARNEY pharney@govtech.com ALAN COX acox@govtech.com DREW NOEL dnoel@govtech.com BY A NDY OPS A HL FEATURES EDITOR Chief Copy Editor: Managing Editor: Justice and Public Safety Editor: Copy Editor: Features Editor: Assistant Editor: Staff Writer: Editorial Assistant: Contributing Editor: DESIGN Creative Director: Senior Designer: Graphic Designers: Illustrator: Production Director: Production Manager: PUBLISHING VP Strategic Accounts: VP Bus. Development: When Computers Turn Customers Into Cattle … don’t recommend checking in on an interactive airport kiosk without your confirmation number, lest you repeat my experience with a Southwest Airlines “customer service agent” on a recent flight to Orlando, Fla. I forgot to check in online, and I didn’t print the e-mail itinerary that had my confirmation number. So I politely asked a Southwest agent, “Joe” — I didn’t see a nametag — for help. “Use your driver’s license like the picture shows you,” Joe snapped. In other words, “Look at the screen, idiot.” I saw no such picture, but it was 4:30 a.m. I inserted my driver’s license I plained about sticking baggage tags to the video equipment crate I was checking. Joe said the tags would likely fall off during transit, and if so, I’d be out of luck. But shoving the large crate into the airplane’s overhead bin wasn’t an option. Thankfully it arrived safely in Orlando. Was Joe’s attitude his fault, or do these machines dehumanize customers? This question has implications for government field offices. Technology often increases efficiency and saves money, but government leaders must train employees to prevent machines from turning customers into cattle. Regional Sales Directors: Account Managers: Business Development Dir.: Bus. Dev. Managers: “Was Joe’s attitude his fault, or do these machines dehumanize customers?” and followed the prompt. No ticket emerged, but the screen directed me to another kiosk. I reluctantly reported the problem. “It must be something you’re doing,” Joe griped. He told me to follow the prompt again, and when the machine wouldn’t continue, Joe hopped to my side of the counter, rolling his eyes. He opened the machine and my printout was jammed inside. Instead of an apology, I got a rebuke. He asked why I needed a ticket when the machine said I’d already checked in from home. “But I didn’t check in from home,” I said. “Well, someone at home checked you in,” he retorted. After finally printing my ticket, I just wanted to escape this jerk. But then he comCitizens typically use these agency machines at the humblest points of their lives. Applying for food stamps at an agency’s terminal may be humiliating, but at least you don’t have to face a person. If you can’t figure out how to operate the machine, a curt government employee telling you how easy it should be would feel like rock bottom. I began writing this article immediately after navigating airport security officials — who were much friendlier than Southwest Joe. If I had waited, my anger would have dissipated. Maybe Joe was just having a bad day. But that’s for his supervisor to determine, not customers paying good money to be treated like garbage. Exec. Coordinator to Publisher: Regional Sales Admins: National Sales Admin: Dir. of Marketing: Dir. of Custom Events: Associate Dir. of Custom Events: Custom Events Coordinator: Dir. of Custom Publications: Custom Publications Writer: Dir. of Web Products and Services: Web Services Manager: Proj. Manager, Web Products and Services: Web Advertising Manager: Web Services/Proj. Coord.: Subscription Coordinator: CORPORATE CEO: Executive VP: Executive VP: CAO: CFO: VP of Events: Marketing Director: Government Technology is published by e.Republic Inc. Copyright 2009 by e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Government Technology is a registered trademark of e.Republic Inc. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Article submissions should be sent to the attention of the Managing Editor. Reprints of all articles in this issue and past issues are available (500 minimum). Please direct inquiries to the YGS Group: Attn. Erik Eberz at (800) 290-5460 ext.150 or governmenttechnology@theygsgroup.com. Subscription Information: Requests for subscriptions may be directed to Circulation Director by phone or fax to the numbers below. You can also subscribe online at www.govtech.com. JAN_09 j 6 Raise Your Voice Your opinions matter to us. Send comments about this issue to the editors editorial@govtech.com. Please list your telephone number for confirmation. Publication is solely at the discretion of the editors. Government Technology reserves the right to edit submissions for length. 100 Blue Ravine Rd. Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: (916) 932-1300 Fax: (916) 932-1470 www.govtech.com PRINTED IN THE USA http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - January 2009

Government Technology - January 2009 Contents Point of View On the Scene Big Picture Four Questions for... Stemming the Retirement Tide Getting the Picture Fact of Matter Money Trail Rays the Roof Trick or Tweet? The Modern Way to Vote Products signal:noise

Government Technology - January 2009

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