This week marks the anniversary of the very first phone call ever made.
10 March 1876.
Alexander Graham Bell called his assistant Thomas Watson and said:
Mr Watson come here I want to see you.
Simple. Direct. Job done.
And with that, the world changed. Distance suddenly mattered less. Conversations could travel through wires. Businesses, families, ideas and opportunities could connect instantly.
Now imagine if Bell had to make that call today.
Thank you for calling Bell Communications.
Press 1 if you are Mr Watson.
Press 2 if you are not Mr Watson but believe you may still be able to assist.
Press 3 to return to the previous menu and question your life choices.
Alternatively please email
watson@belllabs.com and allow 3 to 5 working days for a reply.
Or even better...
Please submit a ticket through our online portal explaining why you would like to come here.
Fast forward 150 years and we have smartphones, video calls, voice notes, messaging apps, AI assistants and global connectivity in our pockets.
Yet somehow, in many organisations, the humble phone call has become harder than ever.
You can order dinner, speak to a banking chatbot, track a parcel across continents and join a meeting with people in five time zones. But try calling an office to speak to an actual human.
It is a little ironic that the invention designed to make speaking to someone easier has slowly evolved into a world where getting through to anyone feels like an achievement.
Sometimes progress is not about new technology.
Sometimes it is simply about answering the phone.
Christina Gray