Philosophers ask if a tree falls and there is no-one to hear it does it make a sound? I’ve never understood this fully, how can it not make a sound? Then I was listening to Radio Wales (The Rhod Gilbert Show bizarrely) and it all became clear. If no-one is around to hear it then how can it be a noise? OK, explanation aside I still think it must make a noise but it got me thinking, is an online system really online if no-one knows how to use it?
Online systems are a wonderful thing, of course they are. The more customers that use the system online then the lower the transaction costs and the more time that can be dedicated to working on something else other than dealing with enquiries that could be dealt with online. Customers gets quick responses and the business gets the information quickly and easily, the planet is saved by less trees being cut down. My only issue is, is that I go to various sites and it’s very hard to find what they actually offer online. Public sector or private I get the same thing - the vaguest hint that there is the opportunity for online interaction followed by a search through every website section to find what I want.
Ok, this may be a cunning marketing tool as I sometimes stumble upon something else of interest but the frustration outweighs the benefit. Especially when I then find online means to them, that I fill out a request which sends and email – which I might as well have done directly rather than wasting time on the website. The recent EU Service Directive review from SOCITM says the same for a lot of sites in the public sector (sadly no-one watches the private sector). So let this be a call to arms to everyone, get your online services front and centre and see what benefits they can really bring and for those of you slinking away at the back – get yourself some online services to make your life and mine much easier!
Oh yes, and to answer my question – No, if people can’t use it then you are not really providing online services!
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