When the car park knows your name…
So, I recently went on holiday (first one post Covid 😊) and pre-booked my car parking at the airport. Nothing unusual there!
All excited for our trip, we arrive at the airport, follow the annoying one-way system, find our car park and pull up to the barrier, expecting to take a ticket. Instead, the barrier rises and the small screen on the ticket dispensing column flashes up “Hello Catherine Glover”. WHAT???!!!!?
For a moment there, I stopped breathing, and felt as if I’d been transported into some kind of spy / horror film, that someone, somewhere, was following me. And I didn’t know why??? Just a few seconds of apprehension, then I gathered myself and drove into the car park before the barrier came back down or anyone behind me decided I was taking too long.
Logically, it all makes sense – I gave my name and car registration plate when booking, there’s a camera reading reg plates on the car park entry – very simple to connect the data so the two pieces of information are linked and put to use. And the airport car parking company presumably went ahead with this as a customer service approach, aimed at making me feel welcome and reassured that my car was expected. However, for me, it triggered something much more Orwellian and creepy. Speaking to friends and family, it seems there’s an age-related element to people’s responses. In my non-scientific survey of a few individuals, younger people (digital natives in their teens) seem to think its fine for the tech to know their name, older people (anyone over 35ish) tend to find it creepy.
How does this relate to the use of technology in the workplace?
Firstly, if you’re introducing new systems consider the make up of your user testing group – have a range of ages, IT literacy, job roles.
Next, consider that some employees will find it hard to deal with technology that feels as if its monitoring their every move….and something as simple as implementing single sign on across all company software can trigger this unless communicated carefully.
Also, if your organisation is finding limited take up of certain systems, ask the questions. Is it because of how it makes people feel? Or is it duplicating work done elsewhere? Or, perhaps, a lack of understanding.
It sounds obvious but do ensure you have covered all your GDPR requirements when you introduce new technology or add ons in your workplace. And that you have communicated how you are keeping employee’s personal data safe (that car park barrier was not visible by any other cars so no one else would have picked up my name when I arrived).
Lastly, take a step back and think……just because the technology you’re introducing CAN do something fancy or clever, doesn’t always mean you SHOULD introduce it!
I’m all for using technology and systems to make our work lives more productive, to avoid duplication of tasks, to help teams “speak” to each other, both digitally and personally, and to deliver great service. But, I also really value my privacy so when the car park knew my name, I was genuinely rattled by it! There’s a place for that level of customer service but I’m still not sure the car park barrier is it 😊
If you want to chat about the use of technology in your organisation and how we could work together to make improvements, particularly for your HR team, get in touch for a free initial consultation.
