The spread of new technologies offers companies the opportunity to stand out with good service with a human touch. Since the same technology is available to everyone, companies could compete by offering the best service. And that’s where the special skills of workers in service sectors come in.

“It pays for companies to hold on to their service professionals. This means supporting training for them, making their work more enjoyable by involving them in planning the work and related decision-making and of course competitive working conditions such as pay”, says PAM’s CEO Jyrki Konola.

As technology develops, service work will become multi-channel and evolve, but it won’t disappear. On the contrary, human skills and the ability to interpret and read situations will become more important. If the special skills of those who do service work was recognized and gained more appreciation, this could also be put to better use in companies’ product and service development and in decision-making.

“In recent years companies have tried to stand out and compete by digitalising their services. Soon this approach will have run its course: it will be like company websites – very quickly everybody had them and now they are taken for granted. The key to success in the near future will be friendly, flexible and expert personal service”, says Konola.

“In future the skills required of service sector professionals will increase as work changes, with quality service expected round the clock, every day of the year. Good service comes from satisfied employees. For them to be satisfied they must have adequate income, a supportive work environment and decent working conditions”, as the priority action programme puts it.

Take a look at PAM’s priority action programme for 2020-2024.