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    Infographic: Can I Please Speak to an Actual Person?
    Research & Ideas
    Infographic: Can I Please Speak to an Actual Person?
    15 Apr 2019Research & Ideas

    Infographic: Can I Please Speak to an Actual Person?

    by Katherine Vizcardo and Danielle Kost
    15 Apr 2019| by Katherine Vizcardo and Danielle Kost
    Customers still want the option to access human help in automated service—even if they don't use it, says research by Michelle A. Shell and Ryan W. Buell.
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    speak-to-an-actual-person-680sv3.png


    Based on the Working Paper, Mitigating the Negative Effects of Customer Anxiety through Access to Human Contact (pdf) by Michelle A. Shell and Ryan W. Buell. 

    Shell is a doctoral student at Harvard Business School, and Buell is the UPS Foundation Associate Professor of Service Management in the Technology and Operations Management Unit.

    About the Authors

    Katherine Vizcardo is a graphic designer based in Providence, Rhode Island, and Danielle Kost is senior editor of Harvard Business School Working Knowledge.

    Related Reading:

    Customers at the Back of the Line Are Anxious—Can You Keep Them from Leaving?
    Fix This! Why is it so Painful to Buy a New Car?
    Deconstructing the Price Tag

    Do you appreciate having access to human help in automated service?

    Share your insights below.

    Post A Comment
    In order to be published, comments must be on-topic and civil in tone, with no name calling or personal attacks. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length.
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    Ryan W. Buell
    Ryan W. Buell
    C. D. Spangler Professor of Business Administration
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    Michelle A. Shell
    Michelle A. Shell
    Visiting Scholar
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