Covid-19 Time Digital Response

I have stated many times that this pandemic will permanently affect mankind. I believe that humanism is being challenged successfully by the digital response and algorithmic optioning. I believe that the elderly are most at risk because of slow responsiveness and uncertainty but the learned response to algorithmic cueing on the part of the young brings the age of the robot closer as humanism declines.

Last week I received a notification from USAA Federal Savings Bank of a check to be deposited to a Chase Savings account in Northern CA. The check was for $.30 and both the USAA bank and the Chase bank were now non-operational. I didn't recognize the check, thought it was a scam, and activated an available stop payment option. I used an unfamiliar updated IPad 9. One week later I received a notification from Union Bank which has a local branch 1.3 miles away that my stop payment had been applied and that I was now billed $6.00 for the late stop with an admonishment that in the Covid-era any check older than 6 weeks was to be regarded with suspicion and older than 2 months was likely to be held up by the bank.

I tried to check with USAA but ran into telephone delay, computer non-response, etc. I tried the following day by calling back, followed a different path, was connected to a helpful woman who directed me to a different helpful woman who got hold of a supervisor and held on through the tracing. About 50 minutes later we all knew that the USAA check had been cashed and was now a Union Bank check and USAA had no further responsibility. All agreed that the check should not have been sent and certainly should not have been honored. I was once again pleased with USAA personnel and services, indeed, I have always been content with their deportment and the results. 

I now know that USAA had been called down by the Trump administration for using veterans Covid reimbursement checks to pay off delinquent veterans accounts. They returned the money with apologies, this may have added to the courtesy that I was shown. This meant that my stop payment order was too late and invalid because it could only apply to a USAA check but was being applied to a twice derailed Union Bank check which was redeposited twice and sent along with the administrative failures covered by the invalid stop payment.

When my wife and I arrived at the UBOC branch, 10 minutes before their announced opening time we were directed to stand outside in tape marked slots 6 feet apart until someone inside could be sent out. We waited 20 minutes with no offer of a chair which should be provided for the elderly. Once inside we were seen in an area with only one chair so we both stood and I was out of breath. I explained the legal breaches. The young woman said that the stop payment would be forgiven and the penalty canceled. I could look for the money the following day.

She asked if there was something else and I told her no but I would write about the experience. She was puzzled. Ten minutes after arriving home and demasking and sanitizing, the young woman from the bank called and apologized for anything she had done wrong. She sensed that I was vexed but couldn't understand what I was saying. She had done nothing wrong but couldn't recognize a system that externalized errors made in favor of the system's bottom line.

The following day the refrigerator's ice maker started making an outboard engine noise. After consulting Samsungs troubleshooting guides, I called Samsung and after a wait got a call back from a young woman who took her time to get all my information. She referred back to computer files despite computer breakdown and delay, spent energy looking for accommodations, there were none but discovered that the main extended warranty was good until December and that if the ice maker problem resided in the main circuitry it too was covered. She identified ServQuik as their repair service, made the initial contact, and remains available to them and to us. What a difference! I believe the difference between the two assistants was the willingness not only to listen but most importantly the ability to hear. In the age of Covid-19, we all need that sort of help.