VICTORIA BISCHOFF: Time for a tech slowdown

If watching Downton Abbey reruns taught me anything, it’s that new technology can be intimidating.

During the show’s early days, the cook, Mrs. Patmore, and butler, Mr. Carson, are stunned by “modern” gadgets such as electric mixers and toasters.

They fear that such advancements could make them unemployed and fear that they will be left behind.

But you just need to replace electricity with internet and suddenly this storyline is modern life.

When we campaigned last year to save Premium Bond prize checks, your touching handwritten letters really hammered out that so many people have felt alienated by the digital revolution.

One particularly heartbreaking comment from an older reader said she felt like the world was waiting for her to die so she could move on.

This is why every digital drive must be handled with tremendous care so that we don’t abandon large segments of the population – who are often among the most vulnerable.

Part of the problem is that so many companies now see their customers as numbers on a spreadsheet. Moving everyone online is good for profit, but what are the consequences?

The key to digital revolutions is in planning. Take telecom giants, for example. They want to switch all regular customers from traditional copper wires to new digital telephone lines running on the broadband network by 2025.

We repeatedly asked if they had considered what would happen if there was a power outage and if panic alarms would still work. Had they thought of customers living in rural areas without a decent cell phone signal?

Despite promises, it was (predictably) a disaster and the rollout had to be paused.

Banks are often no better. Branches are disappearing as more customers manage their accounts online or via a smartphone app.

But for millions of people this is not an option and they have lost their independence because they are unable to travel 16 kilometers to the nearest bank.

Then there’s the smart meter rollout — arguably the biggest digital flop of the past decade.

The idea is good. Customers no longer have to clamber under the stairs to read a meter and can better monitor their energy consumption.

But the technology simply wasn’t ready yet. They often don’t work in rural areas, high-rise condominiums or if the walls of a building are too thick.

And we also now have a situation where millions of devices have to be upgraded because older models “go dumb” when you switch suppliers.

Meanwhile, early claims that these gadgets could save you a lot of money were bullshit. And heavy-handed marketing letters falsely informing customers about smart meters required by law have done little to improve perceptions.

So while I have little doubt that the future is digital, companies need to slow down. We don’t have to go there tomorrow.

Scammers Widespread

If banks are so concerned about rising fraud levels, maybe they should consider making it easier for victims to report scams?

The new 159 fraud hotline is a great idea. But for it to work, customers need to know it exists. But since it’s so poorly advertised, I bet hardly anyone does.

It would also be much more helpful if callers were routed directly to their bank’s fraud team rather than housed.

We are reminded again and again that cybercriminals move at the speed of light. Any delay in reporting a scam drastically reduces the chances of recovering stolen funds.

So given that the public is not aware of the new 159 service, banks should not view it as a substitute for a dedicated fraud helpline of their own.

And these numbers should be clearly advertised on the homepage of their websites so that panicked customers can see them at a glance.

Staff should then be ready to answer the phone within seconds, rather than leaving victims on hold for nearly an hour.

Fraud is now the most common crime in the UK.

So it is vital that banks respond to scam reports as urgently as they would if you call 999 in an emergency.

v.bischoff@dailymail.co.uk