University of Virginia Psychologist Konstadin Kushlev wrote recently about smart phones and trust. His notion was relying upon your smart phone makes you less likely to ask people information (e.g., directions, news, etc.). After all, it is easier to just look at your phone for advice as opposed to asking a friend, colleague, or neighbor.
I think of this as the classic duality between traveling with locals vs. traveling with a guidebook. The guidebook is more ubiquitous and available; locals, on the other hand, may be hard to find (especially if traveling in a country where you don’t speak the language).
It is my belief, however, that person-to-person interaction is the best policy for businesses. An individual who takes time and effort to handwrite a letter or make a call (vs. an email) shows the customer that they are important enough to go the extra step. One of the podcasts I listen to is the Art of Charm. Guest Clay Hebert spoke about introductions and how he will introduce one person to another via the internet: He will negotiate with both parties separately their introduction script, then he will video-record himself introducing them. This extra step makes the introduction more meaningful.
As businesses look for more creative ways to secure and maintain customers, maybe it would be best for them to focus energy on more person-to-person interactions.