I was taken aback by the question. I didn’t expect much at the outset because she answered the phone with a different question.

“Would you mind holding?”

*bristle*

She came back on the line. “Thanks for holding. This is so and so, can I ask how you are doing today?”

What? What kind of question is that! How am I doing? Not, “how may I assist you?” or “who may I direct your call to?”

I was taken aback because unlike a number of businesses this one has gotten the memo. It’s a great question when done right, and a question that hints at the future of work.

For years we have been harping on people to “do more with less.” In an effort for max productivity and max profitability, we have squeezed and crimped every ounce of humanity out of our jobs.

Our folly has been attempting to automate the people who still have jobs in the search for more revenue.

But wondering how I am doing? That’s inefficient. It wastes time. And it’s a peek of what’s to come.

Companies that have gotten the memo are returning to humanity. A return to caring. A return to relationship. A return to personal connection.

Why?

Because that is what we actually want. It’s the thing that no AI will be able to provide.

The future win is to no longer be B2C or B2B, but to be P2P – people to people.