One of the few universal human experiences is "service" — an interaction between a buyer and a seller or product provider.  We encounter it multiple times a day — at the fast-food drive thru, at the grocery store, at a nice sit-down dinner, at the doctor's office, at the barber's, and at a hotel while traveling.

Is service in America dead?  The simple answer to my question is no — it simply cannot die because we need to buy things from sellers.  But the inescapable truth is that service is in decline and has been for some time.  In fact, service is in greater decline today than it was pre-COVID.  Why?

Maybe you have received the wrong order at a drive-thru.  Maybe you noticed fewer cashiers at a department store.  Maybe you noticed fewer servers at a restaurant.  Maybe you noticed fewer smiles from servers, or even a grumpy attitude from service personnel.  What the heck is going on?

The answers are not simple.  There is not one key thing that led to the decline in service, but here are a few contributors.

No, service is not dead.  A word from the common man: I do notice service levels and choose where to spend money based on the quality of service received.

Image via Pixabay, Pixabay License.