As the use of artificial intelligence continues to gather pace, Caber Coffee is proud to be flipping the narrative and redoubling its efforts towards human interaction.
Whilst maintaining an important distinction between adopting technology to stay at the forefront of its sector, and doing so to the detriment of human connection, the family-run business is once more bucking the trend.
Managing director Findlay Leask explains: “The crux of this is the value we place on traditional operations that champion human connection and interaction, emotional intelligence and gut instinct. These are equally important in business to using technology – and the crucial bit is the light touch application of each, as and when appropriate.
“We could, if we wanted, push customers towards automated ordering systems. We could fully automate our warehousing function and deliveries could simply be by courier. We could have AI write our website, a multi-level phone system that takes hours to navigate and a machine that attempts to answer queries – but all these systems are flawed when it comes to how we want to do business. Why? Because humans value human interactions, and that sits at the very heart of our ethos.
“Think of your best shopping experiences recently – and by that, I mean experiences, not transactions. Was it the butcher who told you how to prepare and cook the best roast you’ve ever made at home? The cycle shop owner who gave you the best advice and ensured you bought the perfect bike for your child? Was it the pet shop owner who listened to your comments about how your pet was behaving and made recommendations that have improved your dog’s wellbeing? Maybe it was the independent garage who made buying your new car a stress-free experience?
“We all know how convenient it is to have so many buying options just a click away, but AI lacks the ability to make customers feel valued. That’s why we are committed to remaining a people focused business, caring for our customers in the way that only humans can: with empathy, compassion and honesty. AI will never replicate that, and we are rapidly approaching a time where reducing reliance on technology during customer interactions will become real selling pitch.”
He added: “We will, however, continue the form of two-factor authentication that’s been at the heart of our business since 1988: how are you and how can we help?”
