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“We’re moving into a very automated age, and although we still have to have interaction with the consumer, we are starting to hire people that don’t understand communication. Company branding is being damaged, because people’s attention span towards working with another person is limited,” he said.
“Neuroscience shows that mirror neuron – the pathway for the oxytocin, serotonin and neurotransmitter asidocoline that produce what we call empathy – develops with face-to-face human interaction, not through Zoom, texting, or any type of virtual interaction.
“When you consider that the Gen Z grew up on video games more than by playing outside with friends, you can see why empathy is being lost in our service culture, which impacts brand.”
The problem was compounded by a fear of being replaced or sidelined in some way, he added. “Security is why a lot of people take the job, not because they love mortgage,” he said. “We need to understand that it puts the employee into a space where they don’t have patience for that customer, but we should be able to communicate in a way that makes them feel better about what we’re doing.”