I wonder how difficult is it to ask a company to innovate and change its somewhat wasteful ways of delivering service to consumers?
While many businesses (including government agencies who should serve as models) have openly embraced the use of the Web to transact business with customers like online banking, paperless bills and other innovations that have helped preserve precious trees, there are those who just don’t get it.
Or at least staff well-versed enough with the eco-friendly plans of the company and got buried in a maze of daily tasks.
We have been asking our mobile phone line provider not to send us paper bills since they also send us SMS reminders that reach us much quicker than any form of surface mail. But for some reason, this simple request made at their shop (just after paying the bill) apparently isn’t working. So I thought of different reasons why paperless bill could hardly replace paper bills.
- They have prepaid their Hongkong Post and wish to send “personal” mails to avail of what they paid for
- They can attach advertisements and other promotions in that postal message
- Paper bills serve as invitation to come to their shops for opportunity to up sell new products and services
- They have staff who would otherwise lose their jobs or expensive machines rendered useless if they switch from traditional to paperless bills
I may be wrong but hey. that’s just what I think every time I check the mailbox and find bill reminders whose information I already know a few days ago.
So if I were to make a play of the slogan “more than communication”, it might be .. “also helping destroy the environment” or “..also helping preserve jobs and businesses”.