Some poeple actually do NOT have a computer….
Some old and younger people are NOT computer savy….
Some of us STILL want to talk to a Human Being…..
(Human’s Cost Money, Right?)
Some AI stuff just can’t think right….
Not EVERYBODY can just drive over to the Government office?
As the government is moving quickly to modernize old systems while cutting budgets and jobs at essential agencies, some Americans are worried about diminished access to customer service. Experts say a rushed approach to more online options, automation and artificial intelligence could lead to gaps in service and threatens to leave some of the most vulnerable behind, such as people with limited internet access or skills who rely on calls or paper forms. That access is especially important for essential agencies like the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Some of the drastic changes by the U.S. DOGE Service include thousands of job cuts and upgrades to legacy systems that are meant to force faster modernization, embracing the “Move Fast and Break Things” ethos of Silicon Valley. But for people without the necessary skills, new technology itself can be a burden.
“The phone is a lot of times an older adult’s lifeline,” says Abbie Richie from the Smarter Service, a tech support option for older adults.
Even with access to smartphones and the internet, Richie says many older adults still struggle to navigate logging into and using websites that typically require additional authentication. Anything with multiple steps, or that requires switching between tabs, apps or devices, is especially challenging, says Richie.
Additional security measures like this might help decrease scams, but they can be a roadblock to the people who rightfully own an account. Teaching clients to use multi-factor authentication codes is a big struggle, as well as any task that requires filling out separate documents….
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In March, the Social Security Administration proposed a changethat required first-time claimants to authenticate their identity online or in person instead of over the phone, which it has said is to reduce fraud. That move has since been reversed after outcry and panic from Americans who rely on the agency.
Private and government customer service systems are already heavily automated, in an attempt to solve common problems before they need to involve a costly human worker. There are chatbots on websites that spit out pre-written answers, phone trees that ask you to press numbers or say your problem out loud, and paths that often end in prerecorded messages. One option that has been helpful for some is the ability to get a call back from an agent instead of waiting on hold for extensive periods of time….
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If bad customer service hurts the agencies, it can be worst for the people who rely on their services. Greg and Linda Link, 75 and 78, have been trying to get a missed January Social Security payment for months.
The couple has some things on their side. So far, they’ve been able to reach people on the phone, and by driving to the nearest Social Security office — though every interaction feels like starting from scratch with a new person and no resolutions. They’re able to use computers and don’t mind more online options for themselves, but worry about what it means for other people who are less savvy. The Social Security payments, for them and many others, are essential.
“We could use that to pay the bills and put food on the table, we are making due with what we have squirreled away,” says Greg Link. “We critically depend on receiving the benefit of the system that we paid into for nearly over a half century.”…
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